BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that in order to ensure good infrastructure and pedestrian safety in the city, 50 roads will be developed under TenderSure in the future. The St Mark’s Road and Vittal Mallya Hospital Road, developed under the Phase 1 of TenderSURE, were thrown open to the public during an inauguration ceremony at St Mark’s Road on Saturday.
Addressing the gathering, Siddaramaiah said, “The TenderSure project was taken up to enable free flow of traffic and 12 roads were identified under Phases 1 and 2. Out of the seven roads under Phase 1, two are ready for public use. There was a slight delay in completion of the project but the remaining roads under this phase will be ready by January, 2016,” he said, adding that the 50 roads would not be developed in view of elections or to impress voters.
He said the government agencies should not find a reason to dig these roads in the future as all the essential utilities were now under single platform. “Various agencies dig roads every now and then, and even newly-laid roads are not spared. Now, water pipeline, sanitary line, electricity, storm water drains and all other essential utilities have come under the footpath. Henceforth, agencies should not find reasons to dig roads,” he said.
The Chief Minister added that local administration had become difficult after the delimitation in 2007 and hence the B.S Patil Committee was formed for their inputs on trifurcation of the city. “The Committee has recommended the restructuring of BBMP and a final report is yet to be submitted. The matter is lying before a select committee in the Upper House. Earlier, there were fears that the city would be divided and we were breaking the dreams of city founder Kempegowda. Nothing of this sort will happen as I too respect Kempegowda. But the trifurcation is necessary for better administration,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that though 20 roads were identified under different phases of TenderSure, works were not taken up simultaneously as it would have affected traffic movement in the city. District-in-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that though 18 roads were identified to be developed under Phases 1 and 2, only 12 roads were selected for the project.
‘Footpath not wide’
Although the CM had earlier suggested changes in the upcoming roads of TenderSure on noting that the footpaths were too wide, he retracted from his own statement and observed that the footpaths were actually ‘not’ wide. He said, “During one of the inspections I had suggested that the footpaths were too wide and the width should be reduced in the second phase. However, after completion of the project, footpaths don’t appear too wide. We need to remember that if the footpaths are wide, there are equally large numbers of people walking on them. Not everybody can afford to travel in cars. The footpath does not seem too wide.”
Inspection only on Sundays
Coming under fire for bringing the city traffic to a halt during his weekly inspections, the Chief Minister said that his next weekly inspection would be on Sunday, June 21. “Everybody complained that traffic was severely hit due to the inspection. On Sunday, there will be lean traffic and commuters should not be affected due to the inspection. The officials will forgo their Sunday off, but it is inevitable in the interest of the citizens and the city,” he said. Even during the inauguration ceremony traffic was not blocked, he claimed.
