BENGALURU: The city’s much-delayed Revised Master Plan (RMP) 2041 is now moving towards a deadline of June 2025. The crucial project, that lays the blueprint for the city’s development for the next 15 years, received a shot in the arm as the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KSRSAC), which supplies maps and images captured by drones for the project, slashed its charges to nearly one-fourth of what it had quoted earlier.
L Shashikumar, Town Planning Member (TPM) at Bangalore Development Authority, told TNIE, “KSRSAC submitted a fresh proposal to us last month, specifying its cost as Rs 3.5 crore. It had earlier quoted Rs 12.15 crore for the same. Due to the reduced charges, we can now apply for exemption from calling for initial tenders for it under the 4G section of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act. BDA has a very good chance of getting exemption now as works up to Rs 5 crore get an exemption.”
The proposal would be placed before the BDA Board at the upcoming meeting and then sent to the state government for its consent. Giving technical details, the member said, “KSRSAC will generate a base map and land use land cover map, using drone survey-based orthorectified images. They were procured by the Survey department using large-scale mapping.”
The city presently uses Master Plan 2015. Asked to specify a time frame, the TPM said, “Actual work on the project could begin by January 2024 and by October next year, the draft of the RMP could be in place. We have many images and maps captured in the past which have to be updated. The draft has to be notified in the gazette, and public objections and suggestions are sought. The government then needs to approve it. As of now, I can say it could be ready for use by June 2025.”
Background
BDA’s RMP 2031 was provisionally approved by the government on November 22, 2017. It was submitted for final approval on January 17, 2019. However, provisional approval was withdrawn on June 22, 2020.
The government asked BDA to submit a revised plan by incorporating Transit Oriented Development and revising the Floor Area Ratio and zonal regulations. A tender called for preparation of RMP 2041 in December 2021. There were no bidders. A second tender was called on April 11, 2022, and Rudrabhishek Enterprises emerged as the successful bidder. Meanwhile, a high-level meeting decided to use drone imagery instead of satellite imagery. Hence, this tender was also canceled.