Vision Group is neither fiction nor panacea to all Bengaluru problems

There is mixed opinion about the recent formation of a ‘Vision Group’ for Bengaluru, consisting of several notable figures, an assortment of corporate titans and urban experts by the Siddaramaiah government. One section feels that this is just an eyewash, a design to placate public opinion in the face of persistent criticism that this government is ‘anti-Bengaluru’ and ‘anti-urban’.

Another section feels that this is a positive initiative on the part of the government to harness the knowledge and expertise of the private sector to meet the city’s requirements and to ensure a better Bengaluru. The truth, as always, lies somewhere in-between.

I was associated with the first attempt undertaken by a state government in India to create a forum for citizens to shape the future of a city. In late 1999, soon after taking office as chief minister, S.M. Krishna constituted the Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF).

He had earlier appointed me as commissioner of what was then still Bangalore Mahanagara Palike and I was made member secretary of the BATF. Krishna was passionate and concerned about Bengaluru and its well-being. Almost immediately after he became chief minister, he expressed concern that Bengaluru was slipping in comparison to Hyderabad.

When software giant Microsoft preferred Hyderabad over Bengaluru, Krishna took it as a sign that our infrastructure was weak and needed urgent modernisation. At the same time, he realised that there was a high degree of knowledge and skills in Bengaluru’s IT community and that the help of these professionals could be taken to regain the city’s tempo.

Taking a cue from the BATF, the Vision Group can accomplish the following: Help source know-how and expertise to solve the problems of the city; assist civic agencies in tackling major issues that require public participation; serve as a forum to ensure high standards of performance in the civic space by identifying best practices.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently convened the first meeting of the Vision Group. A majority of the members attended and spoke about what they expected from the Vision Group and the imperatives before Bengaluru. Members sought urgent action on: Solid Waste Management; infrastructure, including roads and storm-water drains; lake development; affordable housing; traffic and transportation.

At the meeting, I placed before the chief minister that the Vision Group should assist government in implementing its plans for the development of the city and specifically help the civic agencies to realise their objectives. The Vision Group should not be a supra-administrative body. What it can do is to provide a forum for practical suggestions and endeavours to augment the plans and schemes of civic agencies.

I also stressed on the need for effective implementation. Civic agencies must practice the ethic of ‘execution excellence’. With my experience as BMP commissioner on two occasions, I said that civic bodies in Bengaluru were ad hoc in nature and did not have a strategic perspective at all. The Vision Group can help monitor project implementation, that is, complete projects on time, matching resources to tasks, and ensuring outcomes.

I did hold out two caveats, though. The Vision Group should not be seen as an elitist body consisting of only the highly successful and wealthy (with some exceptions). To shed this tag, it is necessary to focus on meeting the requirements of the poorer sections, including slum development, water supply and shelters.

The second caveat is that we should take the elected representatives into confidence and work with them on all aspects of city development.
The chief minister and his colleagues listened patiently to us and showed a positive mindset. I am among those who feel that the Vision Group is a welcome development. If properly utilised, it will greatly assist the city’s planned development and resurgence.

A final caveat – and I said this to the chief minister, too – is that the Vision Group does not have a silver bullet for all the city’s problems. What it can do is help sustain an orderly, time-bound agenda for the development of the city and synergise the work of the city’s various civic agencies.

K. Jairaj is a former additional chief secretary of the Karnataka government