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Bengaluru, Oct 30 (IANS) Union Minister for Power, Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal on Thursday chaired the regional conference of urban development ministers of south Indian states and union territories in Bengaluru, focusing on urban infrastructure, governance and reforms.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, ministers Birthi Suresh and Rahim Khan, Kerala Urban Development Minister MB Rajesh, Puducherry Minister Thirumurugan, Karnataka Chief Secretary Dr Shalini Rajneesh, Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Girinath, BBMP Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao, Bengaluru Central Municipal Commissioner Rajendra Cholan, and senior officials from the Center and southern states were present.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar said, “On the insistence of the Karnataka government, this conference was organized in our state. Ministers and officials from five regions – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Lakshadweep and Puducherry – participated. The Union Minister also held separate discussions with representatives of each state.”
He said Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar lauded Karnataka’s tunnel road and flyover projects and the state’s initiative to convert ‘B-khata’ properties into ‘A-khata’ and described it as progressive urban reforms. “We have placed our demands before the Union Minister, however, no assurance has been given yet regarding fund allocation,” Shivakumar said.
Highlighting the importance of the meeting, the Deputy CM said the Union Minister reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of developing Bengaluru as a global city. “We drew their attention to the closure of several central schemes for urban areas. The Center has not fulfilled its obligations under the 15th Finance Commission and we have sought support under the 16th Finance Commission,” he said.
Shivakumar further said that Karnataka presented a comprehensive overview of its urbanization reforms, local body governance and the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) proposal. “The discussion was not limited to Bengaluru only. We talked about development challenges in towns, municipalities and smaller urban centers across the state,” he said.
He said ministers Birthi Suresh and Rahim Khan explained in detail about the state’s priorities for upgrading infrastructure and services in urban and semi-urban areas. “Compared to other states, the urbanization process in Karnataka is more systematic. We shared our successful models and approaches with others,” the Deputy CM said.
The meeting also provided a platform for the participating States and Union Territories to share experiences, best practices and recommendations for improving urban governance, financing and planning mechanisms.
–IANS
MKA/PGH