New names for 30 roads in one year

By Afshan Yasmeen

BANGALORE, SEPT. 11. What's in a name? A great deal, if one goes by the importance given by councillors representing wards in Bangalore to naming and renaming roads.

At the end of their five-year tenure, councillors are considering ways of making a contribution to their wards that will be remembered for years. They seem to believe that one way of serving the City is to initiate the procedure to rename roads in their wards after prominent persons.

Over 50 proposals for naming and renaming roads and other public areas including parks were placed before the BMP Council during the past one year. Of these, at least 30 have been approved and roads renamed despite opposition from a section of corporators and citizens.

The recent proposal to rename Avenue Road after the former MP and economist, Prof. Venkatagiri Gowda, has caused a controversy in the BMP.

Sources say the Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, was not keen on implementing the idea. The proposal, moved by a former Mayor, secured the Mayor, Ms. Prema Cariappa's approval, even before a resolution had been adopted. Another suggestion, to rename the Ring Road after the former Prime Minister, Mr. H.D. Deve Gowda, was, however, approved, and forwarded to the Government.

Although the BMP authorities have been talking of framing rules to end indiscriminate renaming of roads, they have not yet got down to the task.

There is confusion in the absence of a policy on renaming roads. Some roads are being renamed after ``personalities'' known only to a few people.

Though several roads are renamed, the new names are never used. They also do not find a mention in the official records. For instance, Race Course Road was renamed Devaraj Urs Road. But, the new name has a presence only on a BMP name plaque. Even the new shelter for bus commuters built by the BMP has ``Race Course Road'' written on it.

The renaming of Vidhana Veedhi (Dr. Ambedkar Veedhi), Sajjan Rao Circle (Visveshpuram Circle), Palace Guttahalli (Aramane Nagar), K.S. Thimmaiah Road (Residency Road), Oriental Circle (Anil Kumble Circle), MacIver Town (Natya Rani Shantala Nagar), Cox Town (Sarvagnanagar), Frazer Town (Pulekshinagar), and Murphy Town (Hoysalanagar), has been completed, and sign boards have been installed. But the question is whether the new names are in official use.

A section of corporators say that the new names will create problems in purchase and transfer of land -- areas in the original and new sale deeds will have different names.

``There is utter confusion,'' they add.

Kannada Movement: In its efforts to start a movement for ensuring use of Kannada in the City, the BMP is considering a proposal from the Chairman of the Kannada Development Authority (KDA), Mr. Baragur Ramachandrappa, to rename 36 roads after prominent persons who have taken up the cause of Kannada.

If the proposal is approved, Cunningham Road may be renamed Sir Mirza Ismail Road, and new names given to Commercial Street (Shantala Road), Brigade Road (Sarvagna Road), Queen's Road (Kittel Road), Sankey Road (V.K. Gokak Road), Avenue Road (Kaviraj Marg), and Cubbonpet (Kumara Vyasa Nagar).

Procedure: However, before any resolution regarding renaming a road after a personality is adopted in the BMP Council, the BMP will verify the credentials and contributions of the personality.

After seeking the opinion of the local people, BMP officers will inspect the road. Later, the proposal for renaming it will be referred to the Standing Committee on Town Planning.

The KMC Act authorises the BMP Commissioner to make suggestions on renaming a road or a locality before placing it before the council for approval. Although the procedure has been followed, corporators have had their say, by and large.

Honour for dewans: The BMP has honoured all the erstwhile dewans of Mysore, except Sir Albion Bannerjee and Sir Arcot Ramaswamy Mudaliar, by naming roads and areas after them. The only ``common man'' who has been honoured is late Thimmaiah, a constable who was killed in an accident at

General Post Office (GPO) Circle. The circle now bears his name.

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