BENGALURU: In a move, seemingly aimed at the forthcoming BBMP polls, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday set March 31 as the deadline to fill potholes on the entire 730 km stretch of roads in Bengaluru, which will bring much-needed relief to Bengalureans harassed by the bad condition of roads.
Bommai made it clear that the priority of the BJP government is to keep the IT City tidy. In all, 150 engineers will be hired on contract basis, as the number of wards within the BBMP limits has increased from 198 to 243 after delimitation.
The CM, who is holding the Bengaluru development portfolio, chaired a meeting of his cabinet colleagues, Bengaluru MPs and top officials at his home office Krishna over comprehensive development of the city. After the meeting, Revenue Minister R Ashoka said the chief minister promised an additional grant of Rs 1,500 crore to take up road projects under TenderSURE that can the assault of rain better.
All streetlights to have LED bulbs by January 31
He said that in a week, a new policy under transferable development rights (TDR) would come into effect that will allow granting of additional built-up area to a landowner in return for the portion of a plot taken for a public project. "The Amrit Nagarotthana scheme too will be implemented after a decision by the cabinet," he added.
All the streetlights will be replaced by LED bulbs by January 31, while 7,000 CCTV cameras will be installed by utilising the 'Nirbhaya Fund', he explained. Bommai also discussed encroachments of rajakaluves and government lands, and traffic issues plaguing the IT capital.
Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, ministers V Somanna, K Gopalaiah, ST Somashekar, Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, Byrathi Basavaraj, Chief Secretary P Ravikumar, CM's Principal Secretary Manjunath Prasad, BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta, Administrative Officer Rakesh Singh, Development Commissioner Vandita Sharma and Additional Secretary for Finance INS Prasad were present. Lok Sabha members from Bengaluru participated through videoconferencing.