The Tuesday Interview | Committed to building both tunnel roads and Peripheral Ring Road, says D K Shivakumar

D K Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, who is also the Bengaluru Development and Water Resource Minister, has, in the last few days, met officials of all departments multiple times and kept them on tenterhooks. He said he does not get carried away by the ‘rosy’ picture the officials present to him but swears that ‘seeing is believing’ and his spot visits are proof of this. In an exclusive interview with DH’s Nina C George and Naveen Menezes, the Dy CM promised solid action that can “bring back the past glory of Bengaluru” before he completes 100 days in office. Excerpts:

How do you interpret “Brand Bengaluru”?

People are rushing towards Bengaluru because it’s an employment-generating hub. All Fortune 500 companies have set up their offices here. We want to utilise taxpayer money well and want employees to commute between their offices and houses quickly. All (traffic) blocks have to be cleared. Along with the home minister, I will sit with the traffic police to fix commute issues. Starting with this issue, we will work on making Bengaluru more livable.

Also Read | Documents of properties in Bengaluru to be digitised, given definite identities: Karnataka Dy CM D K Shivakumar

You held multiple meetings on tunnel roads. How serious are you about the project?

We are committed to implementing both the Peripheral Ring Road project and tunnel roads. I have had the experience of using tunnel roads in different parts of the world. In Bengaluru, we cannot widen the roads because the land compensation is too high.

We are seeing an increase in the registration of vehicles on a daily basis. We are expanding the Metro network. At the same time, private vehicles are also needed. We are also exploring the possibility of building more flyovers. I will disclose the plan when we complete 100 days in office.

Also Read | Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar inspects progress of underground metro stations  

When is the BBMP election likely to be held?

We want to hold elections before the Lok Sabha polls. The court has given us 12 weeks to do so. A delimitation committee has been set up to redraw the ward boundaries. Wards need to be compact. We will not politicise the exercise. The earlier government had done an unscientific job. We will do it within the framework of the law.

Is the government keen on restructuring the BBMP?

Yes. We will do it, and the process will take its time. This exercise has nothing to do with the BBMP elections. The BS Patil Committee has made some excellent recommendations. All politicians, corporators, and the common man speaking to only one commissioner is not right. The administration needs to be decentralised.

Why haven’t we heard anything about Bengaluru’s Master Plan?

I have not looked at the master plan. I will examine it. One-fourth of Karnataka’s population is in Bengaluru. A lot of people come to the city, but their number is not officially recorded. We need to create infrastructure for education, health, and employment in Tier 2 and 3 cities. I have some plans to stop the influx into Bengaluru.

We hear complaints of a water shortage. What’s the long-term plan?

I had a meeting with the BWSSB. They have been struggling to run day-to-day activities because the water tariff has not been hiked for nearly a decade. We will come up with some solutions, including rainwater harvesting.

Bengaluru has earned the misnomer sinking city. Can we see zero encroachments of Rajakaluves during your term?

Unlike other cities, we have been facing issues because a few encroachers have brought stay orders.

I have given a warning to the BBMP to fearlessly do their job. I have asked the officials to clear all encroachments by September. Whether it is a big builder or a common man, the law is the same for all.

What other instructions have you given to officials?

The BBMP has been collecting only Rs 3,000 crore as property tax. If they can plug leakages, the tax collection can be doubled. I have asked them to review the self-assessment scheme without harming honest taxpayers. We have to go after those who have under-assessed the property tax and those who are not paying at all.

The BDA has not been able to fix the Arkavathi and Kempegowda layouts. Did you review these projects?

After the session, I plan to visit three layouts, including the one named after Dr Shivaram Karanth, and come up with some solutions. We will not denotify just any land but fix cases
that have been stuck in the courts for a long time. The land audit is being undertaken. I have asked the BDA to digitise all records.

Namma Metro is slow in completing the detailed project report (DPR) for Sarjapura Road and the Hebbal (Phase III) corridor. Your thoughts?

I have had a meeting with Metro officials. I am not familiar with this project. I will discuss this in our next meeting. I have also scheduled a meeting with central ministers to fix issues pertaining to Metro projects.

The objectives of the Mekedatu Project are clearly defined by the State of Karnataka in its DPR submitted to the Central government. Why is Tamil Nadu not relenting?

This is not the right time to comment on this issue because there are some legal issues. I am also exploring the legal aspects of this issue because the Tamil Nadu government is taking the legal route.

What is the action initiated by the State of Karnataka towards getting the Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal Award II notified in the gazette?

We want the central government to help us because it is a national project. But we have acquired only 30 per cent of the land. We require funds to acquire additional land.