BJP, Congress MLAs spar over ‘Brand Bengaluru’

Belagavi: The BJP lawmakers on Tuesday sought to pick holes in Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s pet ‘Brand Bengaluru’ project, while the Congress accused the saffron party of leaving the city with a debt of Rs 25,000 crore.

The lawmakers from both parties locked horns in the Assembly during Question Hour when Shantinagar Congress MLA N A Haris sought details on works planned under the ‘Brand Bengaluru’ project.

Just as Haris began to hail his government’s plan for the city, the BJP lawmakers objected. “What Brand Bengaluru are we talking about? There are potholes on roads and work on the Metro rail is going slow,” Bommanahalli BJP MLA Satish Reddy said, adding that even Cauvery water supply has become dearer.

Malleshwaram MLA Dr C N Ashwath Narayan said not a single developmental work has been taken up in the city under the Congress government.

In its written reply, the government stated that it has received over 70,000 suggestions and opinions from citizens on various aspects of the city. The government has roped in eight institutions to collate all the suggestions.

Speaking on behalf of Shivakumar, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said a Bruhat Bengaluru Coordination Committee under the Deputy CM and a Bruhat Bengaluru Executive Committee under the chief secretary would be constituted.

“There are problems happening right in front of us. Do we need consultants to say that the traffic problem at Hebbal needs to be fixed?” Raja Rajeshwarinagar MLA Munirathna said. “A person flying from Delhi arrives at the city airport only to get stuck for three hours at Hebbal.” Reddy shot back saying it was the BJP that opposed steel flyover from Basaveshwara Circle to Hebbal.