Govt formulates road, area naming rules

Aims to avoid the duplication of names

Talk about Mariyappanapalya and for those residing in Bangalore north west the first recollection is the locality by the name in Rajajinagar. For those residing near Hebbal, Mariyappanapalya has always been a part and parcel of their neighbourhood.
The maze of roads and localities that Bangalore and other urban centres harbour is rendered more complicated by the similarity in names. Junctions are not spared. Bhashyam Circle in Sadashivanagar is as familiar as the junction by the same name in Rajajinagar. The list goes on...

Well, after much debate and discussion, the State government has finally come out with rules to regulate the naming of public places and also put an end to the use of the same name more than once within the limits of the various city corporations in the State.
The Karnataka Municipal Corporations (naming of roads, circle, junctions, parks and other public places) Rules-2008 have been notified by the Urban Development Department on July 24 this year.

To start with, no arbitrary naming of public places. “While selecting the name, priority will be given to local personalities, who served society in the fields of social service, literature, art, education, sports or persons of historical importance,” the rules states.

Permission needed
The authorised standing committee of the jurisdictional corporation will propose the names and the public can have their say by way of suggestions and objections. Only main roads can be named while interior roads and crossroads will be identified  with a number.

However, the Corporation needs to take permission from the State government if it wants to change existing names.

 In case of the existing names, corporations have an option either to retain or change the names. But the new rules have to be followed for all new layouts, parks and public places, sources in the urban development department pointed out.

Corporations are also required to maintain registers for different types of public places and make them available to the public.

Powers to commissioner
The new rules also entrusts the responsibility of putting up nameplates for public places with the corporation commissioner and in case of Bangalore, the BBMP Commissioner. It specifies that nameplates of uniform colour and size will have to be displayed at all public places.

 The commissioner has been entrusted with the powers to impose a fine of Rs 100 besides initiating action under the provisions of the Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act - 1981 against those who disfigure these nameplates.