BENGALURU: Karnataka's urban population is projected to rise from the current 46% to 70% by 2047, requiring planned development of cities across the state and the creation of local employment opportunities, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said in Bengaluru on Friday.
Releasing the Karnataka Regional Urbanisation Plan 2047 at Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar said Bengaluru alone could not shoulder the burden of the state’s economic growth and that industrial activity and employment must be spread across regional cities.
“Bengaluru growing means Karnataka grows, and the growth of towns should improve life in villages. If cities become economically strong, we can provide more resources for rural development. This is our development vision,” he said.
The state’s population, currently around 6.9 crore, is expected to reach 7.7-7.8 crore by 2047, while the urban population is projected to increase substantially. Shivakumar said the government was preparing a long-term roadmap to address the resulting pressure on housing, transport and other infrastructure.
“People are moving from villages to cities mainly for education and employment. We must create an environment in which they can find jobs in their own towns, taluks and districts instead of everyone coming to Bengaluru,” he said.
The plan rests on seven priorities - industrial growth, improved services and infrastructure, transport connectivity, environmental sustainability, talent development, inclusive economic growth and digital governance, he said. The State Government also intends to promote industries suited to the strengths of individual regions, including steel in Ballari, electric vehicle manufacturing in Hubballi-Dharwad and data centres in Mangaluru, the CM elaborated.
Shivakumar said the government would consider setting up a dedicated town-planning college to address the shortage of trained urban planners. He also proposed ring roads for cities and towns to ease congestion, and said around Rs 1.5 lakh crore worth of projects were being considered for Bengaluru, including Metro, roads and tunnel corridors.
He stressed the need to expand IT and BT activities beyond Bengaluru under the ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ initiative, while ensuring that investments translate into jobs for local youth. The CM said the economic resources generated by cities through industries and taxes should also contribute to rural development. Agriculture, industry, urban development and market infrastructure had to be planned together, he added.
He also announced a three-day village-stay programme in collaboration with universities to familiarise urban schoolchildren with rural life, farming and the work of farmers.
On infrastructure requirements, Shivakumar said Karnataka’s electricity demand could reach 40,000-50,000 MW by 2047. With demand currently increasing by 10-12% annually, the state needed to plan for additional generation and storage capacity, including batteries to store solar power for use at night.
He said urban property records also needed to be corrected and digitised to protect ownership rights and improve tax administration. The proposed ‘Bhoo Guarantee’ initiative would help bring property details into a systematic digital record, the CM said.
“Cities should not become mere clusters of buildings. They must have parks, lakes, green spaces and public facilities where people can live peacefully,” he said.
Shivakumar said the plan would serve as a roadmap for the next two decades and called on officials to take decisions keeping the interests of future generations in mind. “Bengaluru alone is not enough. Karnataka must grow beyond Bengaluru, and development opportunities must reach every part of the state,” he added.