DH Interview | Vertical housing, grievance redress BDA’s focus areas: Commissioner P Manivannan

The short tunnel at Hebbal, along with two elevated corridor projects, will make a great difference for traffic returning from Kempegowda International Airport, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout, said Manivannan.

Bengaluru: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is at the centre of several key development projects in the city, from road development and housing schemes to civic amenities.

As the city grapples with rapid growth, the agency’s role is at the forefront of better urban planning. In this interview, BDA commissioner P Manivannan, after almost an year in office, discusses new plans for housing projects, challenges and public grievance redress system with Amullya Shivashankar of DH.

The BDA has several ongoing major projects, including building a new township, roads and elevated corridors. Which project do you believe will have the biggest impact on Bengaluru over the next 5 years? 

The short tunnel at Hebbal, along with two elevated corridor projects, will make a great difference for traffic returning from Kempegowda International Airport, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout.

Along with the median road, they will decongest traffic arriving from Mysuru towards North Bengaluru and the layout is expected to bring about development in the western parts of Bengaluru. Shivaram Karanth Layout will cater to the demand for development in that area and can end potential illegal projects. 

What are the biggest hurdles delaying the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR)/Bengaluru Business Corridor project? When can people realistically expect visible progress? 

There are three sections in the PRR. The first section is the first 20 km. The tender was called and finalised within one and a half years. The project was delayed for the last 20 years. Farmers had issues with compensation we were offering for the land, which was reportedly less than market price. So, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has decided to provide land for land. 

Bengaluru is witnessing rapid urban expansion, but also flooding, vanishing lakes and shrinking open spaces. How is BDA balancing development with environmental sustainability and livability? 

It is a a shared responsibility between Greater Bengaluru Authority, Lake Development Authority and BDA. We have supported the lake development authority with the rejuvenation and management of Bellandur and Varthur lakes. We are also planting 15 lakh trees in Kempegowda Layout, as per the plan of BDA chairman N A Haris. 

How is BDA’s planning philosophy for housing projects changing in response to the city’s expectations? 

We are focusing on vertical projects and on ready-to-move in projects. On the administrative side, there is a lack of integration between the departments of BDA, so attempts to bring about the integration is underway. We are planning to buy bigger plots and go for high-rise apartments, which could cater to more people than layout projects. In Kempegowda Layout, occupancy is less than 5 per cent, people do not want to buy until there is development and the same does not happen until people occupy sites. So, ready-to-move-in apartments where all amenities are available have become the first choice. 

How are you coordinating with other agencies to ensure housing projects become fully functional residential communities? 

We are focusing on old projects to understand the nuances of the buildings to not repeat them in the new projects and build trust among people. We are actively coordinating with Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), fire department and police to ensure livability and safety. In the affordable housing section, we are striving to make BDA the best. 

How are you ensuring transparency and accountability in the new public grievance system? 

One of the recent changes in BDA has been the public grievance system with the launch of new initiatives including Open House Meetings (OHMs), a 24/7 helpline, a Whatsapp helpline among others. So far, 67 per cent of the grievances from OHMs have been resolved. 

Documents are being scanned and uploaded to e-office in the presence of complainants and a seal, with the number of pages, is stamped to ensure the documents are not missing. Once it is on e-office, it can be tracked by officers. At the grievance window, we have employees from the postal department to upload the documents, not BDA employees. Once it enters the system, it is usually solved within 30 days. If not, the officer concerned is held accountable in the OHMs by me and the chairman. 

What are the challenges and loopholes in your system? 

The BDA has legacy issues. We have decades-old problems, which take 60 per cent of our time and energy. We have to settle both old and new issues. Citizens are not patient enough. We cannot solve problems immediately, there is a system in place and officers are not citizen-centric. These are the issues we are trying to resolve. 

How does the helpline system work? 

We have employees round the clock who treat complaints like physical complaints. We ask people to send in scanned copies and register the complaint. At night, we also have a police officer to assist if we get any safety-related issues at any BDA project sites. We have different people to handle WhatsApp and social media complaints. We get about 500 complaints every day. 

What are the future plans for the system? 

We are making attempts to include public grievance as an act in BDA, so that it is followed without fail. We are planning to bring in MBA graduates in the helpline centres as we have a weak helpline system, people at the helpline should know about projects, like consultants for citizens. We also need end-to-end technology and streamlined processes to make it easier for citizens.