**Karnataka Government Considers 50% Women Reservation in New Bengaluru Corporations**
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government is considering an amendment to ensure 50% women reservation in the five new corporations coming under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, speaking at an interaction programme organised at Mt Carmel College on Wednesday, confirmed that there would be 50% women corporators in the newly formed corporations.
Reflecting on Bengaluru’s development, Shivakumar stated that the city was not planned. Although the city’s founder, Kempe Gowda, allowed people from various communities to set up businesses here, the growth remained largely unstructured.
“When I was Urban Development Minister in the S.M. Krishna government, Bengaluru had a population of 7 million (70 lakh). Today, it has grown to 14 million (1.4 crore). Such an increase brings new challenges related to infrastructure and resource management. We are facing these challenges and the accompanying criticism, which I welcome,” he said.
Addressing concerns about potholes, Shivakumar pointed out that potholes exist in all cities but Bengaluru’s potholes receive disproportionate attention. “Near my house in Delhi, there are at least 70 potholes within a 100-meter stretch. Yet, no one talks about them,” he added.
When questioned about opposition to tunnel roads and efforts to improve the public transport system, Shivakumar defended the current services. “Our public transport system is good. How many more buses or other transport modes should I add — 1,000? 2,000? I’m ready to add them tomorrow. But will that make people switch from private vehicles to public transport? What alternative do we have to tunnel roads?”
He further detailed upcoming infrastructure plans, stating, “Apart from tunnel roads, we plan to add 44 kilometers of double-decker flyovers and another 120 kilometers of flyovers. Additionally, we intend to construct roads on the 50-feet buffer zones of the stormwater drains.”
These initiatives are part of the government’s broader strategy to tackle Bengaluru’s growing traffic and infrastructural concerns as the city expands rapidly under the Greater Bengaluru Authority.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/karnataka-plans-50-reservation-for-women-in-gba-corporations