BENGALURU: The Chief Minister will go on his weekly city rounds on Sundays henceforth. Siddaramaiah made the announcement on Monday after touring areas in Shantinagar and Shivajinagar assembly constituencies. He said Sunday would be a better day for the rounds as its impact on traffic is minimal.
Bangalore Traffic Police (BTP), on its part, too implemented a new plan on Monday to ease traffic. BTP micro-managed the convoy route and allowed traffic to move along with the convoy where it was feasible.
Additional Commissioner (Traffic) M A Saleem told Express, “This is how we will handle city rounds in the future.” Saleem travelled with the convoy and was monitoring traffic wherever the CM stopped and vehicles were allowed to pass where there was enough space.
“We have a lot of policemen on the ground to help us control traffic,” he said. During the previous rounds all roads were cleared ahead of the convoy’s arrival.
Announcements
Siddaramaiah told reporters he had asked officials to change the conditions for a tender issued earlier for a public private partnership (PPP) model development of Richard Square in Russell Market. The original plan was to develop the dilapidated square as a parking lot and food court, but no one participated in the tender process.
The CM also promised to take up issues related to defence land in the middle of civilian settlements that cause problems for residents of areas like Domlur. After visiting a few badly maintained roads owned by armed forces, the CM said he will raise the issue with the officials. “There is a court ruling that BBMP can maintain roads on defence land,” he said.
In what might be a major relief to those displaced by a PPP project in Ejipura, the CM said that he had spoken to all the parties involved and that they had promised to complete the project within 18 months.
Siddaramaiah also said he would discuss with officials a request by the Ulsoor Maternity Hospital that its medical facilities be extended for it to become a multi-speciality hospital. Another old hospital building owned by the BBMP on Broadway Road (Shivajinagar) will make way for a multi-speciality hospital to be built at a cost of `12 crore. “Narayana Hrudayalaya has come forward with a proposal to invest in the hospital,” he said.
Progress so Far
Siddaramaiah also said that the officials, and in particular BBMP, had complied with most of the directions issued by him.
“After the administrator was appointed, whatever instructions I gave have been followed,” he said.
“I have also issued strict instructions that illegal hoardings be removed,” he said. Officials later confirmed that the government was thinking of a hike in the fees for legal hoardings.
