Date:08/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/08/stories/2007070851700300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Bangalore should be decongested: Kumaraswamy

Afshan Yasmeen

Exchanging views: Union Minister for Urban Development S. Jaipal Reddy having a word with Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in Bangalore on Friday.

BANGALORE: Reiterating the State Government’s plans to control the city sprawl by encouraging linear development, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Friday said the need to decongest Bangalore was all the more critical now.

Speaking at “Suminfra-2007”, a two-day summit on “Sustainable Public-Private Partnerships in Infrastructure organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Chief Minister said that the Government was keen on developing bus- and train-based mass rapid transit systems, which would ensure equitable growth. “These procedures would be complemented by the development of secondary business districts and townships,” he said.

“The emergence of Bangalore as a global investment destination has made most of the growth in infrastructure Bangalore-centric.

This is, perhaps, the right time to review and analyse where we are heading to. It is essential to come up with sustainable solutions,” the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said the Government was keen on getting the Hubli-Ankola railway line approved for better rail connectivity to the coastal regions of Karnataka.

“Karnataka has a long coastline of 300 km. It would not be an exaggeration to say that much of the future economic potential of the State lies in the coastline.

"More than 30 per cent of all industrial investments in Karnataka have been made in the coastal region. We have realised that this could have been better if these areas had proper rail connectivity,” he added.

Delivering a special address, Andhra Pradesh Minister for Infrastructure and Investments (Ports, Airports and Natural Gas) M. Venkata Ramana Rao said that his Government was promoting an eight-lane Elevated Expressway with satellite townships to link Hyderabad to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.