South India’s urban development ministers to meet in Bengaluru on October 30: Karnataka Deputy CM

Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has said that Union Urban Development Minister Manoharlal Khattar has agreed to hold a meeting of Urban Development ministers of South Indian states in Benglauru on October 30.

Speaking to reporters at his Sadashivanagar residence and at Bannerghatta Road, he said, “The Union Minister for Urban Development is participating in the meeting and we will submit our memorandum on Bengaluru’s development. We have already submitted our appeals to Union ministers and the PM several times in the past.”

He was replying to a question on whether they would put pressure on the Centre for funds for Bengaluru.

Giving out details of areas that may be included in the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), he said, “I have inspected areas which are likely to be added to the GBA in the future. I have called for a meeting of officials to discuss this on Friday. A committee under the leadership of former chief secretary B S Patil is preparing a report on this.”

Shivakumar said: “We will hold meetings with IT-BT companies after winding up the Walk with Bengaluru programme this weekend. We will also hold company meetings in K R Puram and Mahadevapura constituencies. There are about 25 lakh people on the periphery of the GBA currently and we will need to include them in the GBA as well. We will need to ensure adequate development works in these areas. I visited these areas as I wanted to get a first-hand idea of the ground situation.”

When asked about action taken to fill potholes as the deadline for filling was approaching, the DCM said, “The officials have been given responsibilities and they are on the job. In some places, we are asphalting the entire road. Rains are, however, affecting the schedule.”