No news is good news is how some say it. Hope it applies to BMRDA as well. Do a news search on BMRDA, you see nothing. The only thing new on their website recently is a list of "un-authorized approved" layouts. Wonder what that means, approved, but not authorized, hmm. sounds like yet another intermediate state in the approval workflow for someone to milk the developers :) An RFP for study of Raj Kaluves in entire Bangalore Metro Region was floated in April 2011, but no news on the work forward. Bidadi Township project (controversial anyways) is in cold storage.
The developers may be making merry though. See this quote from an article dated September 2012.
Dr Roy CJ, Chairman and Managing Director, Confident Group, “In 2003 plots in BMRDA-approved townships were around Rs 200 per sqft. In the year 2012, they are Rs 2,800 per sqft, which means you would have received a ROI of 1,300 percent.” And it is this rate of return that has driven investors to these markets.
How is planning happening in the "hot" outskirts of Bangalore? The approval guidelines are listed here, but where are the lists of approvals, records of meetings that would be happening to approve whatever is getting "approved"? There are fees listed for approving development, but no annual reports available to see income statements of BMRDA. What exactly is up?
We have all seen how the Bidadi Integrated Township project went, in and out of a DLF's (!) hand. What else could be cooking? How is BMRDA working with local Municipal Committees of these areas? What exactly is its role these days?
In case you don't know. we have left a very large area in the hands of BMRDA which consists of 8 key planning areas - BMIC (yes!), Nelamangala, Bangalore Airport, Hosakote, Anekal, Magadi, Kanakpura and Ramanagara-Channapatna. BMRDA has a very clear role:
"to provide for the established of an authority for the purpose of planning, co-ordinating and supervising the proper and orderly development of the areas with the Bangalore Metropolitan Region and to provide for matters connected therewith."
Area Map, showing the full Bangalore Metro Region (BMR) Area.
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those satellite road projects
when going around Bangalore's outskirts, these old notifications about Satellite Town ring roads from BMRDA are still visible. No idea about the state of the projects though.
BMRDA and FAR from infosys
Have setup news alert on BMRDA, and this interesting news showed up this week.
So as per this link, infosys has an application pending with BMRDA now to raise the FAR for its Sarjapur campus from 0.5 to 2.0.
Notice the bureaucracy in this bit (perhaps journalists love writing it this way) :)
Anyway. the only thing I noted in the article is that there are some quotes from a UDD official. But none from BMRDA or Anekal Planning Authority (wonder if this LPA exists also or not)
mostly Adhoc?
Adhoc development, mostly as "private layouts", or in the "ribbon" around highways. No firm plan to connect the satellite areas to the city (refer our Namma Railu project on other discussions here), or the satellite areas with each other (except the long pending Peripheral Road project, which too is more to help Trucks circumvent the city than to connect the peripheral areas with each other).
Defunct BBMP of last 13-14 years has killed Bangalore of today (transportation, water, garbage). Lack of focus on peripheral areas today is perhaps killing Bangalore of tomorrow.
inequity - the larger problem
Apart from adhocism is also the problem of inequity in the plan proposals. The answer perhaps lies here.
Reviving BMRDA, and satellite focus
If what we know of CM Siddu is right, we could see renewed focus on Satellite Towns. Hand in hand with Suburban Rail system (GoK made some commitments toward the project that would link the Satellite Towns with Bengaluru city), revival of sorts for BMRDA should be on the cards.
Housing Minister Ambareesh has already made some statements that show some focus on satellite towns. Refer Deccan Chronicle, 21 June 2013 :
The statement may indicate, I hope incorrectly, that Satellite towns are primarily for BPL families and slum dwellers. Satellite Towns have to grow to be alternate choices to Bengaluru city for working, living or leisure. This has to happen soon, on the back of Commuter aka Suburban Rail system.
Spread the city please, and de-congest it with 2025 in mind. I think the work can start now itself, and can have visible benefits within 5 years itself, for CM Siddu to win elections on the back of a Sustainable Bengaluru.
Tier-2 towns focus is a parallel and important, but slightly different subject. Setting up a Tech park in Bidadi, and inviting employers and employees there is far more feasible right now than doing the same at Dharwad or Bidar.