Bengaluru, Sep 8 The role of Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), has come under scanner following the breakdown of infrastructure leading to flood situation, water-logging in Bengaluru city, popularly known as "Silicon Valley of India".
BMRDA, the agency is created for the purposes of planning, coordinating and supervising the proper and orderly development of the area within the Bangalore Metropolitan Region and allied matters. The agency is headed by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
One of the primary function of BMRDA is to coordinate the activities of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), the Karnataka Slum Clearance Board (KSCB), the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL), the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB), the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and such other bodies as are connected with developmental activities in the Bangalore Metropolitan Region.
However, the crisis followed by rains, forcing the software professionals, CEOs to use boats and tractors as mode of transport to commute to office, challenging the reputation of Bengaluru as a global IT city, has come as an egg on the face of BMRDA.
Katyayini Chamaraj, Executive Trustee, Civic Bengaluru, voluntary citizens' initiative talking to stated: "BMRDA does structure planning for Bengaluru Metropolitan Region. Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) has to come out with a plan with adherence to the structural plan of BMRDA.
"But, BDA is developing its own master plan which is remaining only on paper. The government proudly announces it will regularize illegal constructions and mobilise Rs 1,000 crore revenues. What does it indicate?"
"BMRDA should monitor whether there is conformity by the different agencies to its structural plan. In another development, the system is not allowing the Metropolitan Planning Committee to take shape. The politic and bureaucrats do not recognize what is development. For them building roads is only the development after destroying Bengaluru's ecology," she said.
Kavitha Reddy, Alumni B.CLIP leader, environmentalist and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) General Secretary stated that along with BMRDA, the role of BMRCL (metro), BWSSB, Pollution Control Board (PCB) and the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who is the current minister for Bengaluru, should be discussed at this phase of crisis.
Every year, BBMP, the civic agency for Bengaluru would call a meeting of experts and activists before the arrival of monsoon. This year, however, no meeting was called, she said.
Reddy further said that for 15 years, the most affected zones are represented by BJP MLAs.
Mahadevapura is represented by Arvind Limbavali and Bommanahalli is represented by Satish Reddy.
"They are three-time MLAs, where is the planning and what they were doing?" she questioned.
The Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) was established under the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority Act, 1985 (Karnataka Act No. 39 of 1985), for the purposes of planning, coordinating and supervising the proper and orderly development of the area within the Bangalore Metropolitan Region and allied matters.
The BMRDA Act declares that the Authority shall be a body corporate with power to acquire, hold and dispose of property and to enter contracts etc.
The Bangalore Metropolitan Region (BMR) is one of the largest among the Metropolitan Regions in the country covering the entire Bangalore Urban, Bangalore Rural and Ramanagara Districts measuring 8,005 sq. km.
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