Deputy CM D K Shivakumar orders survey for Greater Bengaluru expansion

Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday said that he has ordered a survey of areas around Bengaluru that would be included into the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) in the future.

"Someday in the future, the entire Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) area will become Bengaluru City. We added 110 villages and decades later, we are now giving them water and sanitation. This should not repeat. So, we have started working in these areas now only. Before there is rampant development in these areas, we need to widen roads in these areas and make plans to manage traffic,” he said.

He added that there was a need to focus on planning in these areas from now on and instructed the officials to follow zonal regulations while granting plans.

Shivakumar was recently given charge of 12 local bodies in Bengaluru Urban District under the Bengaluru Development portfolio. On Friday, he held a meeting with representatives of these 12 local bodies.

"I have directed officials to digitise all property records in their limits. Like in Bengaluru, option will be given for 'B' khata properties to get 'A' khata. I have also asked them to collect property tax as per the value-based system followed in Bengaluru," he said.

He further said indiscriminate dumping of waste from Bengaluru took place in some of these areas. "This should stop. We need to streamline waste collection and processing in these areas," he said. "People in these areas should inculcate civic sense from now. They will join Bengaluru one day," he said.