Source - Deccan Herald
In its report “Karnataka’s Roadmap to Undisputed Global Leadership in ICT by 2020” submitted to Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, the KICTG highlighted the need for repositioning brand Bangalore in the current scenario and, in turn, utilise the Bangalore brand to develop emerging ICT clusters in the State. It has recommended to develop Mysore, Shimoga, Tumkur, Mangalore, Gulbarga, Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum as ICT centres.
KICTG chairman T V Mohandas Pai suggested the government to allocate Rs 70,000 crores through its budget; seek Rs 70,000 crore grant from the Centre and raise another Rs 70,000 crores through user fees to mobilise resources to fund infrastructure development projects.
The Group has recommended a slew of steps for the much-needed upgrading of infrastructure in the State capital, including providing 250 kms of Metro rail connectivity by 2020; mandatory use of CNG for all public vehicles; remodeling of 900 traffic junctions; development of “satellite smart cities” at Hoskote, Devanahalli, Bidadi and Electronic City on private-public partnership model; developing elevated high speed travel corridors and introducing smart grid concepts to ensure effective power supply and use of treated water for non-potable uses.
Upgrading of infrastructure is among 10 initiatives suggested by the KICTG to achieve the target growth of Rs four lakh crore revenue from the ICT sector by 2020 from the existing Rs 1.35 lakh crores and, generate direct employment to 20.40 lakhs from the existing 8.30 lakhs.
A case of ABIDe in V2.0?
Comments
Preference for projects requiring huge investments!
Would be interesting to read the report in details. In pursuit of flashy headlines and sensationalism, News reports doesn't always portray the entire truth.
I would be more interested to know the details of developing “satellite smart cities” at Hoskote, Devanahalli, Bidadi and Electronic City on private-public partnership model. Specifically transportation connectivity for these towns?
The suggestion for extending metro network to 250 Kms and building elevated high speed corridors, clearly a suggestion for heavy investment.
If one would link all the clues that are emerging from various quarters like Bureaucrats, CII, Celebs urban planners etc, it points to,
In any case, jury is still out on this committee's report.
GDP dreams of the rich
High speed roads, metro these are not results of urban planning, they are not coming from any vision for sustainability for the future, they are GDP dreams of the rich with no regard for the nitty gritties of inclusive lifestyle for the city they think they are helping transform. I have said time & again they have no guts to make the govt fix the current infrastructure to make travelling more sustainable (aka lanes, traffic channelizations, PT & NMT). They just want to screw around with concrete so you & I can suffer before we walk on non-existant sidewalks, Cycle dangerously while SUV's think you are coackroaches to inhabit the city, live in ghettos on badly maintained roads under flyovers with no access to all the fanciful roads they build on our money.
You cant have ICT centers in all the cities, each one has a unique ecosystem of some specialization which we arent even considering. Its sad to see us painting all cities & towns with the ICT paint. SHows intellectual bankruptcy from the people who suggest such things.
This sums up very well!
Source - Deccan Chronicle
Need just 50 crores ..
... for the BPS project. And you will see results. Rather, just 1000 crores, and you will see Bangalore spreading around on the wheels of commuter trains.
Felt like chipping in this after seeing talk of 70000 crores and what not.