Bengaluru, June 23 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) President and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Tuesday urged Karnataka’s Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to formulate and implement a comprehensive development plan for Bengaluru, while also demanding the release of a white paper on road repair expenditure and the creation of a live public dashboard tracking infrastructure projects.

Addressing a press conference at the state BJP headquarters, Jagannath Bhavan, in Malleswaram, Surya said he had met the Karnataka Minister and held detailed discussions on 15 key issues related to Bengaluru’s development and civic infrastructure.

He added that the Centre would extend full support to measures aimed at improving the quality of life of Bengaluru’s residents.

Surya said that he had submitted detailed data and suggestions to Minister Byre Gowda regarding various development initiatives.

According to the BJP MP, more than 30 projects undertaken by the state government remain incomplete.

He urged the state government to prioritise completion of pending projects before announcing new ones.

Surya said that Bengaluru has more than a dozen infrastructure agencies, including Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) and Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL), but lacks an effective coordinating mechanism among them.

He called for the appointment of a Chairperson for the BMLTA and suggested that it function as a nodal coordination agency.

He said discussions were also held on Metro rail expansion, pothole repairs and pedestrian infrastructure.

Expressing concern over delays in Metro expansion, Surya added that no major new Metro project had commenced in the last four-and-a-half years.

He noted that although the Centre had approved Metro Phase-III, including the Orange Line, tendering was yet to begin even after two years, resulting in escalating costs.

He also alleged that efforts to reduce project costs had led to shorter underground metro station platforms, limiting operations to six-coach trains instead of eight-coach trains in the future.

The BJP leader also urged authorities to start metro services from 5 a.m. every day, saying that many commuters who travel long distances for work currently face difficulties due to the existing schedule.

Referring to the Centre’s Urban Challenge Fund (UCF), under which Rs 1 lakh crore has been earmarked in the Union Budget, Surya claimed that Karnataka had not submitted proposals seeking assistance under the scheme.

“If the state government submits proper Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), the Centre is ready to provide funding,” he said.

Surya also alleged that no rental housing units had been constructed in Bengaluru under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana’s rental housing component since the present state government assumed office, despite the scheme being introduced two years ago.

He said issues relating to drinking water supply, lake conservation, groundwater protection and staff shortages in the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) area were also discussed with the Minister Byre Gowda.

Questioning the state government’s claims on pothole repairs, Surya alleged that thousands of crores of rupees had been spent on road maintenance since the Congress government came to power, yet potholes continued to pose a major problem across the city.

Citing statements made by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar during his tenure as the Bengaluru Development Minister, Surya questioned the effectiveness of the expenditure on road repairs and sought greater transparency regarding the utilisation of public funds.

He demanded that the state government release a white paper within 30 days detailing expenditure incurred on pothole repairs over the past three years.

“This is taxpayers’ money. Citizens have a right to know how much has been spent and where the money has gone,” he said.

Surya also called for the creation of a live public dashboard containing real-time information on projects being executed by agencies such as BDA, BMRCL and KRIDL.

“A live dashboard will enable citizens to track projects, know which agency is responsible and improve accountability. It will also help policymakers and administrators monitor progress more effectively,” he said.

He urged the state government to implement the dashboard within two months, adding that merely suspending officials would not bring systemic change and that transparency was essential for improving governance.

State Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Spokesperson C.N. Ashwath Narayan, Bengaluru North district President S. Harish and party leader Sridhar Reddy were also present at the press conference.

–IANS

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