Date:15/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/15/stories/2007031521630500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Kumaraswamy promises skywalks with elevators

Special Correspondent

Project is intended to help senior citizens cross the busy roads

AMENITIES FOR ELDERS: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy arriving at the foundation stone laying ceremony for office building of the Department of Collegiate Education in Bangalore on Wednesday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE: The State Government has decided to build 30 to 40 modern skywalks with either elevators or lifts to help people to cross the busy roads in Bangalore.

Announcing this while participating in a function to lay foundation stone for the office complex of the Collegiate Education Commissioner in Bangalore on Wednesday, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said work on the proposed elevators would start in 15 days. Mr. Kumaraswamy said such modern skywalks were being built to help people, especially senior citizens, who found it difficult to climb up the conventional skywalks. Steps were being taken to improve the condition of roads in the city.

The Chief Minister, who recently visited slums in Chamarajpet, said he would visit a locality in Bangalore at least once in 15 days to know the civic problems and find a solution.

He announced that eight government degree colleges would be set up on the outskirts of Bangalore.

Such a measure would relieve students from outskirts of the trouble of travelling to the heart of the city to reach the colleges.

The foundation-laying ceremony started nearly 50 minutes behind schedule as the Chief Minister and Public Works Minister arrived late. Higher Education Minister D.H. Shankaramurthy, who came to the function early, left the venue because he had to attend the legislature session.Even as the function was going on, a retired professor went up to the dais and shouted slogans against the Collegiate Education Commissioner and alleged that he was yet to get pension even 10 months after his retirement.

Identifying himself as C. Balakrishnan of a degree college in Indiranagar, he said he was in a bad condition as he had suffered two road accidents besides being a diabetic.