JOIN USMinisters muscle out Mayor
The Ministers did not even inform the Mayor's office of their plan for inspection of proposed areas in north Bangalore.
Upset over the development, the Mayor said: "It seems that the inspection tour was arranged hastily by the two Ministers. I hope that in future the Ministers will consider inviting me for such occasions."
Quizzed by the media on the Mayor’s absence, Ashok said: "He is busy with some other inspections due to the heavy rains that lashed the City on Sunday. It is not necessary that everyone should move together for the same purpose."
Parking woes
The inspection scheduled by the two Ministers for Monday early morning revolved around the issue of solving the parking woes in the City. While Naidu left without interacting with the media, Ashok, announced that a five acre vacant land near the Freedom Park would host a multi-level parking bay, a decision apparently seen as being unilateral, without involving the BBMP.
To house 5,000 vehicles
"The government has taken a decision to build a multi-level parking facility for the City in the vacant land adjacent to Freedom Park which would accommodate a minimum of 5,000 vehicles. We have also informed the BBMP in this regard," he said.
He also added that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) would take up the project for expeditious completion.
The Minister appeared to be defensive when quizzed about the reasons for transferring the project from BBMP to BDA, particuarly as the former had already prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR).
"It does not matter who constructs the parking facility. Ultimately it is going to be constructed by the Government," he said.
BBMP to discuss
The proposal for transferring the parking facility construction at Freedom Park to the BDA, apart from two other parking facilities at Seshadripuram, would be placed before the BBMP council in the next sitting, Ashok said.
Atop the Health Centre
With lack of vacant BBMP land for further construction, the Government is now proposing a parking facility on top of a Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Seshadripuram.
The two-level multi-parking system is apparently being planned in a hurry to ease the sudden traffic congestion due to a mall that has recently come up in Malleswaram.
The other proposed site for the construction of a parking facility is in a park opposite the mall. The parking facility is likely to come beneath the park for up to two levels.
Opposition leader blasts Katta
The Leader of Opposition in the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, M Nagaraj took a strong exception to Katta Subramanya Naidu’s visit to various parts of Bangalore in the company of the Palike commissioner, without informing the Mayor.
Reacting to Naidu’s City tour, Nagaraj said it was "A direct interference of the minister in the BBMP’s affairs" and indicated his reluctance to let BBMP function independently.
Nagaraj said his party strongly denounces Naidu's action and warned that the Congress would launch an agitation if the ministers won’t stop their interference in BBMP affairs and sidelining the Mayor.
He also expressed his apprehensions that the Minister wants to hand over many BBMP works to BDA.