Bangalore, June 24: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today asked Karnataka to assess infrastructure needs for the next two decades and invest in projects to improve quality of life in cities, particularly the state capital to maintain its lead position in the it sector.
He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the Rs 6,400 crore Metro Rail Project.
Praising Bangalore city as "unique", he said the city has shown the way to progress and prosperity that the rest of the nation is now trying to emulate.
However, the city's image has suffered due to lack of adequate infrastructure, he said and exhorted the government to rectify it while reassuring the state of the Centre's support to propel Bangalore into the league of global cities.
Already, work on the international airport has taken off with the Centre pushing all clearances.
Singh said the hard work of millions of people, including visionary entrepreneurs like N R Narayanamurthy, Azim Premji, Nandan Nilekani and many others, Bangalore has become not only the it capital of the country but also a rival to the silicon valley of California.
"It is not an exaggeration to say that software earnings from Bangalore and other cities actually keep our balance of payments in a comfortable zone, even in these days when oil imports are rising," he said.
Singh, who stressed the need for new investments in world class public infrastruture for cities, said, "We have to improve the quality of living in cities... Have to invest in public transport, in roads with space for bicycles and pedestrians, in sanitation, in public parks, in water bodies, in airports, in railway stations and many other amenities of modern life."
The UPA government has reversed the trend of neglecting urban areas, the Prime Minister said and added to focus on urban areas and their renewal, the government has launched Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, which will finance development of urban infrastructure.
Urging the Karnataka government to take advantage of this mission, he asked it to prepare futuristic plans to improve quality of life in Bangalore and Mysore cities, which are covered by the mission.
Turning to Bangalore city, he suggested to the government "you need to keep the costs of living, working and doing business in Bangalore low if the city is to continue to remain attractive as an investment destination."
The Prime Minister cautioned "Every other city in India has Bangalore in its sight and in the absence of determined and positive steps, there is no guarantee that the future will be a continuation of the past success of this city. Bangalore will need to keep reinventing itself for the future if it has to maintain its lead."
In extremely competitive and dynamic world, nations, states and cities slide up and down in ranking on many parameters, he said.
Along with Bangalore's development, the government should also work for Karnataka's integrated development, he suggested, flaying those who try to "divide people by pitting one against another in the development debate."
Emphasising the importance of public transport, he said it is a national priority and there should not be excessive dependence on private transport.
Cities should be made more livable and people friendly by decongesting city centres, he said and pointed out "all this can be possible only with rapid public transport which as to be the focus of our urban transport policies for years to come."
Union Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy said Bangalore has earned an unrivalled global reputation as it leader and made significant contribution to GDP of the country and export earnings through it services.
"Similarly, Bangalore has also become famous for traffic jams," he said and pointed out that but for the pioneering initiative by Manmohan Singh the city would not have got Metro Rail Project.
Reddy said that the Centre, which is a partner in the metro project, was contributing Rs 1600 crore.
He suggested to the state government to focus on feeder routes so that the Metro's potential was utilised to an optimum extent.
On the Jawaharlal Urban Renewal Mission, under which the centre has selected Bangalore and Mysore for assistance to upgrade infrastructure, he said the state has not submitted a detailed project report and urged it to expedite.
Reddy warned the state that under the mission the Centre released funds to states which comply with conditionalities and urged Karnataka to reduce stamp duty to five per cent.
Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram in his address dismissed apprehensions raised in some quarters in Karnataka that metro transport would impose higher financial burden on people and is costlier.
"No metropolitan transport is costlier. The city will come to a grinding halt unless infrastructure needs are addressed with sensitivity," he said.
"A set of beliefs always remains. It should change. Otherwise people will suffer," he said without referring to anyone.
Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda had opposed the metro rail earlier, saying it was costly.
Bangalore city needs an international airport, metro, convention centre, world class hospital,vibrant entertainment centre, world class education institutions, first class law and order management and a sense of safety and security among people, Chidambaram said.
Bangalore is following the footsteps of 105 other cities by adopting metro, he pointed out.
Bureau Report
