Latest news with #TusharGirinath
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Climate
- New Indian Express
Use cold mix to quick fix potholes: BBMP Chief
BENGALURU: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Administrator Tushar Girinath has instructed civic agencies to promptly fill potholes in the city with cold mix and eco-fix materials. At a meeting with officials on Tuesday, Girinath emphasised the need for swift action in tackling the menace of potholes, especially during the rainy season. 'In the eight BBMP zones, local contractors must be engaged to procure asphalt and complete the pothole-filling work promptly. Daily reports on the progress of pothole-filling work must be submitted,' he said. Informing that road asphalting projects worth Rs 690 crore are currently under way within BBMP limits, Girinath instructed officials to ensure that the work is completed without any delay. On flooding that proved to be the Achilles' heel of the Palike, he said during the monsoon, waterlogging is expected at 82 key locations. 'Steps must be taken to prevent water accumulation on roads, and ensure smooth flow of rainwater into side drains,' he said.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
BBMP plans to give A Khata instead of B Khata
Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is likely to stop issuing 'B Khata' for sites that are not approved by the planning authority or have not been designed, hinted Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development Department Tushar Girinath. He said that instead of issuing B Khata, a proposal to collect development fee and issue 'A Khata' is under consideration. If this is implemented, it will be good news for property owners in Bengaluru. He said that the government has put forward a proposal to collect 5 per cent of the guidance value from small sites and 15 percent of their guidance value from large sites for the construction of parks. 'There is a proposal to stop issuing B Khata' Tushar Girinath said and added that 'we are working on a proposal to simplify the process of obtaining building plan approvals'. On an average, 10,000 building plan approval applications are submitted every year. Out of these properties, more than 60 fall under B Khata. This is said to be due to the non-formation of BDA layouts in many parts of the city. Currently, the BBMP categorises buildings, layouts or revenue plots constructed in violation of property rules as B Khata. B Khata is issued if there is violation of building byelaws during construction, construction on revenue land, construction of buildings in unauthorized layouts, lack of completion or distribution certificates, etc. However, such properties were allowed to be converted to A Khata by paying a fine as per specific rules. Now, according to the new proposal, A Khata will be issued directly instead of B Khata at the time of issuance of property certificate in the first place. That is, the development fee will be collected at the very beginning and an A Khata will be issued. If implemented, this will benefit the property owners.
Hans India
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Cong-led govt has made Bengaluru more expensive than Dubai: Karnataka BJP
Bengaluru: The Karnataka BJP unit has alleged that the Congress-led government in the state has made Bengaluru more expensive than Dubai by increasing prices and hiking taxes. The BJP delegation submitted a memorandum to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner Tushar Girinath on Wednesday in this regard. The BJP, protesting the proposed steep price hikes over waste disposal, demanded the convening of a meeting of Bengaluru MLAs to explain the reasons for the tax hike and provide details about the rate increases. The delegation demanded to revoke the decision on the proposed cess on garbage and ensure transparency in the garbage management process. The party charged that the proposed cess on garbage is nothing but the government-sponsored loot, and all the credit for this mess will go to Dy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who is also Bengaluru Development Minister. Speaking to the media in this regard, the Leader of the Opposition, R. Ashoka, alleged that the Congress party has brought a plan to "extract profit from waste." "It is the Congress government that has imposed the highest taxes in the country for waste disposal," he charged. The Congress-led government has made Bengaluru city more costly than Dubai, he charged. Ashoka stated, Rs 240 crore is being collected through the waste cess, while the tender for waste management is only Rs 145 crore. If user charges are also collected, it will generate between Rs 500 and 600 crore. Ashoka further questioned, 'From whose homes do you intend to collect these charges and destroy them?' He pointed out that in other states, either cess or user fees are collected, not both. 'Here, both are being collected,' he objected. This, he warned, would lead to increased rent and spark disputes between tenants and landlords. 'When our government was in power, the cess was collected based on the weight of the garbage (per kg). Now, they are collecting fees based on the square footage of a plot,' he criticised. 'They are doing this to guarantee funds for themselves,' he alleged. He demanded that a meeting of Bengaluru MLAs be convened to explain the reasons for the tax hike and provide details about the rate increases. 'Only after such a discussion should this be implemented,' he insisted. He reiterated the BJP's demand to levy waste fees based on weight (kg) rather than on the area (square foot). 'If not, the curse of the people of Bengaluru will fall upon you,' Ashoka warned. 'Cities like Chennai, Maharashtra's cities, and Kochi don't have such high taxes. Just to secure financial guarantees, Congress is burdening the people of Bengaluru,' he alleged. He further criticised that prices have shot up on everything from milk to alcohol. "Because of the price hikes, touching electricity now feels like getting a shock," he remarked sarcastically. 'They are not people who build homes; they are people who destroy them,' Ashoka stated. He added, 'In the past, Kempe Gowda was called the founder of the city. The Congress has now earned the title of destroyers of the state.' The BJP delegation included Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalawadi Narayanaswamy, former Deputy CM C.N. Ashwath Narayan, MLAs K. Gopalaiah, S. Raghu, S. Muniraju, L.A. Ravi Subramanya, Bengaluru North District President S. Harish, Bengaluru Central District President Saptagiri Gowda, Bengaluru South District President and MLA C.K. Ramamurthy, BJP State Chief Spokesperson Ashwath Narayan, State Media Coordinator Karunakar Khasale, Assistant Coordinator Prashanth Kedanji, and other party leaders. --IANS mka/uk
New Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Bangalore University silent on land request, BBMP seeks alternate site amid biodiversity push
BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister and Bangalore Development Minister DK Shivakumar's pet 250-metre-high SkyDeck project is unlikely to come up at Bangalore University's Jnanabharathi campus. The varsity has not responded to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike's (BBMP's) requests for land to execute the project on the campus, and the city corporation has resumed its search at alternate locations for the project which aims to promote tourism and display the city's modernity. Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department and BBMP Administrator, Tushar Girinath, said: 'Bangalore University has not replied to us. We are now shifting again to a different, suitable place.' However, officials in the BBMP said University land at Jnanabharathi campus is ideal for the SkyDeck project as so much of government land is not easily available elsewhere. The BBMP had penned multiple letters to the University and to the education department seeking 15 acres of land near Mysuru Road entrance of Jnanabharathi campus, and closer to the metro station, for the SkyDeck. Multiple models for executing the project were also suggested, including partnering with the University administration. Besides the lack of response from University, the Jnanabharathi campus is now also in the news with Forest, Environment & Ecology Minister Eshwar B Khandre directing Karnataka Biodiversity Board to submit a detailed project report for declaring the University's 660-acres green space of a total of 1,112 acres of the campus as a biodiversity heritage site, for better protection of the only existing lung space in Bengaluru West. That leaves 452 acres of the campus outside of the planned biodiversity heritage site area, and 395 acres has been leased out to others including some educational institutions, besides 150 acres developed and used by BU.
Hans India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Greater Bengaluru Authority Comes into Force from May 15; CM to Head the New Administrative Body
Bengaluru: In a major administrative overhaul, Bengaluru is set to enter a new phase of governance with the implementation of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, effective from May 15. The existing Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will now function under the new Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), bringing an end to its earlier identity. As per the provisions of the newly enacted Karnataka Act No. 36 of 2025, the State Government has officially notified the enforcement of all clauses and sub-clauses of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act starting Thursday. The Chief Minister of Karnataka will serve as the Chairperson of the Authority, while the Deputy Chief Minister will assume the role of Vice Chairperson. Senior IAS officer Tushar Girinath, currently the BBMP Chief Commissioner, will take charge as the Chief Executive Officer of the new Authority. This transition follows the elevation of BBMP's administrative structure in recent years. After the formation of BBMP in 2007, its commissioner was designated as Chief Commissioner—a move now culminating in a more centralised metropolitan governance model under GBA. The Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill was passed in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on March 13, 2025, and forwarded to the Governor for assent on March 17. However, the bill encountered resistance from civil society groups and political parties. The Bengaluru Town Hall Forum and several BJP leaders had petitioned the Governor, arguing that the bill violated the 74th Constitutional Amendment and could lead to complications similar to those witnessed during the restructuring of the Delhi Municipal Corporation. Responding to these concerns, the Governor initially returned the bill on March 25, seeking clarification on several key provisions. The State Government subsequently addressed the Governor's concerns, following which the Governor granted assent on April 24, 2025. Officials familiar with the development say the new authority aims to streamline governance, enhance accountability, and address Bengaluru's complex urban challenges more effectively, including infrastructure development, traffic management, waste disposal, and urban planning.
