<p>Hundreds of people gathered at Freedom Park on Saturday, to protest against the government's decisions, that they believe will do more harm than good to Bengaluru. The protesters raised their voices against various issues, including the proposed tunnel road project, the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, and the buffer zone amendment.</p>.<p>The demonstration, organised by Bengaluru Town Hall, saw participants sporting posters and raising their demands.</p>.<p>Activist Sandeep Anirudhan of Bengaluru Town Hall called the new Greater Bengaluru Governance Act "unconstitutional," arguing it creates a "dictatorial" authority that bypasses the democratic process. "We are gasping for breath," he said, accusing the government of strangling the city with "silly projects" like the tunnel roads and flyovers. </p>.<p>He highlighted the importance of protecting lake buffer zones, stating that their destruction would lead to the death of the lakes themselves. Anirudhan also demanded the immediate implementation of the 74th Amendment to the Constitution, which mandates the formation of a Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) with expert urban planners, a body he claims is currently non-existent despite being a constitutional requirement. He pointed to cities like Singapore and Tokyo, which have invested heavily in public transport, as models for a sustainable future, in contrast to Bengaluru's car-centric plans.</p>.<p>Prakash Belawadi, actor and director, who spoke at the protest, said “We hope the government will be responsive to the needs of the people and avoid unilateral decisions which are not in the larger interests of the city. We are of course seriously contemplating legal steps too. </p><p>Already we are in the process of filing a legal challenge to the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill in the Supreme Court, and we are also preparing a legal challenge to the tunnel roads and other non-planned infrastructure projects.”</p>.<p>Kathyayini Chamaraj from Civic Bangalore, stated that the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) Act mandates that no major project can be taken up without the authority's approval and yet the tunnel road project was being pursued without it. Kathyayini also criticised the lack of public consultation and the absence of critical environmental and traffic impact assessments for the projects. </p><p>She questioned the government's priorities, asking whether they prefer a project that can carry 89,000 people per hour (Metro) or one that carries only 700 (tunnel road).</p>
<p>Hundreds of people gathered at Freedom Park on Saturday, to protest against the government's decisions, that they believe will do more harm than good to Bengaluru. The protesters raised their voices against various issues, including the proposed tunnel road project, the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, and the buffer zone amendment.</p>.<p>The demonstration, organised by Bengaluru Town Hall, saw participants sporting posters and raising their demands.</p>.<p>Activist Sandeep Anirudhan of Bengaluru Town Hall called the new Greater Bengaluru Governance Act "unconstitutional," arguing it creates a "dictatorial" authority that bypasses the democratic process. "We are gasping for breath," he said, accusing the government of strangling the city with "silly projects" like the tunnel roads and flyovers. </p>.<p>He highlighted the importance of protecting lake buffer zones, stating that their destruction would lead to the death of the lakes themselves. Anirudhan also demanded the immediate implementation of the 74th Amendment to the Constitution, which mandates the formation of a Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) with expert urban planners, a body he claims is currently non-existent despite being a constitutional requirement. He pointed to cities like Singapore and Tokyo, which have invested heavily in public transport, as models for a sustainable future, in contrast to Bengaluru's car-centric plans.</p>.<p>Prakash Belawadi, actor and director, who spoke at the protest, said “We hope the government will be responsive to the needs of the people and avoid unilateral decisions which are not in the larger interests of the city. We are of course seriously contemplating legal steps too. </p><p>Already we are in the process of filing a legal challenge to the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill in the Supreme Court, and we are also preparing a legal challenge to the tunnel roads and other non-planned infrastructure projects.”</p>.<p>Kathyayini Chamaraj from Civic Bangalore, stated that the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) Act mandates that no major project can be taken up without the authority's approval and yet the tunnel road project was being pursued without it. Kathyayini also criticised the lack of public consultation and the absence of critical environmental and traffic impact assessments for the projects. </p><p>She questioned the government's priorities, asking whether they prefer a project that can carry 89,000 people per hour (Metro) or one that carries only 700 (tunnel road).</p>
