Hit by traffic congestion and floods, Karnataka government seeks suggestions from citizens to enhance brand Bengaluru

Deputy chief minister and Bengaluru development minister DK Shivakumar, who recently met industry leaders, announced plans to create a master plan for Bengaluru within six months.

Close on the heels of a meeting with industry veterans and experts, Karnataka government has launched a website and WhatsApp number where citizens can share their ideas to to enhance brand Bengaluru.

Bengaluru, known as the country's tech capital, has been facing criticism for its inadequate infrastructure, traffic issues, and flooding. It is also a facing tough competition from Hyderabad, its neighboring city, which is wooing tech companies there. In fact, local civil society groups in Bengaluru have been vocal about the city's deteriorating infrastructure over the years.

In an effort to involve citizens in Bengaluru's transformation, the state government has invited opinions and suggestions in seven categories: agility, cleanliness, green initiatives, vibrancy, health, technology, and satisfaction.

The public can visit brandbengaluru.karnataka.gov.in or contact the WhatsApp number 9480685700 to provide their suggestions until June 30, 2023.

However, on Wednesday morning, several citizens reported difficulties accessing the website and submitting their suggestions.

Deputy chief minister and Bengaluru development minister DK Shivakumar, who recently met industry leaders, announced plans to create a master plan for Bengaluru within six months.

During the meeting, several suggestions were made, including expediting Metro and suburban rail projects, accelerating the Peripheral Ring Road construction, converting NICE Road into a ring road, building tunnel roads, satellite cities, etc., to reduce traffic congestion.

Meanwhile, the state government has reconstituted a committee led by former chief secretary BS Patil, with former BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah and former Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF) member V Ravichandar as members. This committee, which previously recommended splitting the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) into multiple corporations in 2018, has been tasked with implementing the recommendations to improve the quality of life for citizens, strengthen the Brand Bengaluru, and enhance governance and administration for better citizen-centric services.

In the past, the Bengaluru Agenda Task Force (BATF) was formed in 1999 by the then Chief Minister SM Krishna, and later in 2010, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa established the Agenda for Bengaluru Infrastructure and Development. However, subsequent governments did not form any task forces for Bengaluru.

During a meeting with Shivakumar, notable individuals such as Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon, Kris Gopalakrishnan, co-founder of Infosys, Geetanjali Kirloskar, chairperson and MD of Kirloskar Systems, Irfan Razack, chairman and MD of Prestige Group, Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha, MR Jaishankar, chairman of Brigade Enterprises, Raja Bagmane of Bagmane Developers, Arun K Chittilappilly, MD of Wonderla Holidays, Revathy Ashok, CEO of B.PAC, and urban planner V Ravichandar were present.

According to a traffic index published by Dutch location technology specialist TomTom in February 2022, Bengaluru ranked as the second-most congested city globally. The report stated that commuters took an average of 29 minutes and 10 seconds to cover a 10 km stretch in the city center last year, with an average speed of 18 kmph during peak hours in the central business district (CBD).

In January 2023, the Supreme Court cited Bengaluru, India's tech capital, as an example of haphazard urban development while cautioning the Chandigarh administration against thoughtless construction. Over the years, Bengaluru has transformed from a peaceful pensioner's paradise into a ‘swalpa adjust maadi’ (please adjust) city.