BENGALURU: If Mumbai is the city of dreams then Bengaluru is the city of aspirations. It is the prime revenue generator for Karnataka. There city has seen a phenomenal growth of around five million people in the last five years. But the present system of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is unable to handle the fast-paced expansion, so citizens’ involvement is vital, said BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta.
Citing an example of how well investors and startup heads know the city and what they demand, Gupta said, “At a recently held meeting, an investor said, he was willing to invest if the road between Sarjapura and Marathahalli is set right and has seamless connectivity.
He was speaking at a discussion held on Integrating Decentralised Solutions for Climate Change Adaption in Indian Cities, organised by UN-Habitat and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. Kathyayini Chamaraj, the Executive Trustee at CIVIC, said the continuous growth of Bengaluru is just making it ungovernable.
“Many labourers and migrants are coming to Bengaluru from tier-2 and tier-3 cities. This shows that there are job issues there. Ironically, around Rs, 40,000 crores are being invested in the construction of the ring road, but not even Rs 100 crore from it is being utilised for Kalyana Karnataka region development and works.”