BENGALURU: In a big push to realise the tourism potential of the city, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike budget has proposed creating the first-ever tourism circuit in the city, covering Kempambudhi lake, Bull Temple Road, Sankey Tank, Kadumalleshwara Temple, Halasuru Lake and Someshwara Temple. The Palike has allocated Rs 180 crore for this project.
The BBMP has also allocated Rs 50 crore to create ‘city plazas’ in residential areas. “Ten city plazas will be developed in residential areas. These will have fountains, play areas, food courts and open spaces for rest and recuperation,” Special Finance Commissioner Jayaram Raipura said while presenting the budget.
While welcoming the move, urban expert V Ravichander expressed concern on the maintenance of city plazas, contending that the Palike is not clear about monetization of such spaces and will only incur expenditure.
Urban designer Naresh Narasimhan also lauded this concept. “People coming to our city should be made aware of our history and tradition and these spaces will help in achieving that goal,” he said. To increase the green cover in the city, 15 parks will be created at a cost of Rs 15 crore. This apart, Rs 80 crore has been allocated for the maintenance of existing parks.