NBF and BRACE object to Information Technology Group report proposals

Increased floor space index without taking into account the infrastructural constraints in the form of adequate roads, water, electricity and civic services will sound a death knell to the city, say the citizens.

Citizens and Resident Welfare Associations in Bengaluru have objected to the recommendations made by the Karnataka Information and Communication Technology Group Report (KIG Report) that does not address the crucial challenges faced by the citizens, especially in terms of real governance reforms and transparency.

Objecting to the recommendations made in the report, the Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF) BRACE – a consortium of 750 Residents Association in the city said the report represents a surrender of the city’s Development to the commercial interests represented by builders, contractors and real estate companies – many of whose commercial interests are directly responsible for the problems faced by the city and residents and called for immediate  action to constitute the Metropolitan Planning Committee as mandated by law which will serve as the official planning body in the city.

Namma Bengaluru Foundation – Bengaluru Residents Association Confederation objected to the recommendations of the KIG report earlier as well and had also arranged for a consultation with the KIG. During the consultation, the NBF – BRACE members had objected to the core proposal in the Report recommending increase of Floor Space Index for builders to generate funds for development of Bengaluru.

This increase in FSI without taking into account the infrastructural constraints in the form of adequate roads, water, electricity and civic services required to service the additional Floor Space Index will sound a death knell to the city, say the citizens. Seeing no response, the group has now officially written to the CM urging him to hold a public consultation on the recommendations of the KIG report.

The state must not make a plan that does not have the buy-in of the citizens

There is a need for a regional plan for the city that will be developed in a consultative way with all stakeholders, which serves the needs of the communities within the city, keeping in mind the environmental impact of large groups of people living together and of course with scientific understanding of the carrying capacity of the city vis-à-vis its needs.

“There is an urgent need for a wider public consultative process that reviews all the objections and suggestions provided by various organizations and citizens of Bangalore with regard to the KIG report. The citizens in the city feel excluded as many of these suggestions already provided have not been incorporated into the report” says Sridhar Pabbisetty, CEO – Namma Bengaluru Foundation.

Why multiple plans when a Metropolitan Planning Committee is legally asked to plan for a city?

As per the Sections 503 A and B, introduced in 1994, in the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC) Act 1976, as mandated by the 74th Amendment to the Constitution, it is mandatory for the State to transfer the responsibility of city planning to the local governments by mandatory constitution of the MPC. “The Karnataka government has after notifying the draft MPC rules on November 07, 2013 has not proceeded to constitute the MPC. Given that the sections relevant to MPC were amended to KMC in 1994 and Bangalore city having grown manifolds over the 2 decades hence, we still do not have an official planning body as mandated by Law. Instead we see real estate mafias and groups with vested interests shaping the city’s future in a non consultative process” says N S Mukunda, Member – BRACE – A consortium of 750 Residents Association in the city.

This is a press note sent by Usha Dhanraj of Namma Bengaluru Foundation and published with minimal editing, in the section Message Forward, a space meant for messages by non-profits and individuals.

Related Articles

Form rules for protecting street vendors’ rights, says street vendor group
Most ward committees filled with non-participating people: NBF
Citizens to question Akrama Sakrama in court

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

We have initiated the climate budgeting process this year: BCAC Chairperson Preeti Gehlot

Ward Climate Action Plans will promote rainwater harvesting and identify eco-sponge spaces in Bengaluru, she said in an exclusive interview.

Once known for its pleasant climate, Bengaluru now faces a climate crisis. Rapid urbanisation, vehicular emissions, and construction dust have led to hazardous air pollution, with PM2.5 and PM10 levels endangering health. Rising temperatures, water scarcity, vanishing green cover, and rampant concretisation have intensified the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Erratic rainfall and groundwater depletion further threaten a water emergency, affecting households across the city. The Bengaluru Climate Action and Resilience Plan (BCAP) was introduced in November 2023 to build adaptation and resilience against climate change, but implementation gaps persist. The absence of a dedicated climate budget, lack of transparency…

Similar Story

Frequently asked questions on laws for registration of apartment associations

Part 2 of the series on laws that govern Bengaluru's apartment ownership examines advantages and disadvantages of different legislations.

In the first part of this series, we explored the legal and practical challenges faced by apartment owners and associations and the need for clarity about the legislations that govern apartment ownership in Karnataka. Part 2 focuses on frequently asked questions about the registration of apartment associations and takes a closer look at the regulatory landscape in the State. There is a general confusion in Karnataka about the legislation under which apartment owners' associations must be registered. Although the Karnataka Ownership Act, 1972 (KAOA, 1972) provides for registration of owners' associations, it does not mandate such registrations or prescribe any…