Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday pitched for Bengaluru's vertical growth and said he had prepared a Rs 1.25 lakh crore development plan for the city.
He was speaking at an event organised to mark the 517th birth anniversary of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, who is credited with founding Bengaluru.
"Bengaluru offers education, healthcare and employment. People come here believing they can build a better life. The city continues to grow every day, and its boundaries keep expanding. We cannot stop people from coming here. Therefore, I am thinking about promoting vertical growth for the city," Shivakumar said.
"We must provide opportunities for people of every religion and community to build their lives here. Just as the heart is essential to the human body, Bengaluru is vital to Karnataka," he said.
Noting that Bengaluru's property records had been digitised, the CM said, "Through the e-Khata system, we have provided legal assurance to property owners. Those who came to this city and worked hard to acquire property have the support of our government. We are converting B-Khatas into A-Khatas. Our government stands with people who have honestly earned their property."
An 'A' Khata is issued to properties that comply with all statutory regulations and can be used to obtain bank loans, while a 'B' Khata is issued to properties that do not meet all regulatory requirements.
Stressing that development should benefit people of every caste and religion and that only then could Kempegowda be truly honoured, Shivakumar said, "I have prepared a Rs 1.25 lakh crore development plan for Bengaluru."
"The development of Bengaluru means the development of ordinary citizens," he added.
Pointing out that Bengaluru has a population of 1.40 crore and around 1.30 crore registered vehicles, Shivakumar said, "No matter how much Metro and public transport we introduce, each person continues to own a vehicle."
"In the coming year, we are moving ahead with plans to establish a Metro connection to the airport. Over the next two years, we are planning a 500-km Metro expansion," he added.
Referring to good rainfall over the past three years, Shivakumar said there was, however, a possibility of drought across the country this year.
"We must unite to face the drought and protect our farmers," he said.
"The entire world looks to Bengaluru today because of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda," the CM said. "Nearly 500 years ago, he consecrated this land and founded the city. The people of Bengaluru should never forget that."
"When he built the city, he could not have imagined it would grow to such an enormous scale. But his vision has stood the test of time," he said, adding that it was the responsibility of everyone to preserve and develop the city they had inherited.
Nadaprabhu Hiriya Kempegowda (1510-1569) was a 16th-century chieftain of the Vijayanagara Empire who is credited with founding Bengaluru in 1537.
He belonged to the agrarian Morasu Vokkaliga community and is widely revered across Karnataka as the architect of modern Bengaluru.
Earlier in the day, the CM paid floral tributes at the 108-foot bronze statue of Kempegowda near Kempegowda International Airport in Devanahalli.
Speaking at the event there, he said the government had instructed the airport authorities to prepare a plan to better introduce visitors arriving in Bengaluru to Kempegowda's legacy, particularly around the trumpet interchange leading to the airport.
"The airport authorities will soon submit an action plan to the government so that everyone arriving in Bengaluru is introduced to and remembers Kempegowda," he said.
Last year, the government allotted five acres of land near Sumanahalli for the construction of Kempegowda Bhavan and also proposed establishing a Town Planning College in Kempegowda's name, he added.
Announcing a new format for future Kempegowda Jayanti celebrations, the CM said that instead of limiting the event to Vidhana Soudha, it had been decided to celebrate it across Bengaluru's 28 Assembly constituencies.
This year's event is being held in Yeshwanthpur, while next year's celebrations may be held in Byatarayanapura, Yelahanka, K R Puram or another constituency after consultations with local legislators.
He said each of Bengaluru's 28 Assembly constituencies would host the celebrations once over the next 28 years.
