Bengaluru: With Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) now having formally replaced Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), citizens are vexed by a question: How exactly will the limits of the five newly created city corporations be marked on the ground?Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar has suggested installation of border towers to clearly demarcate the jurisdiction of each corporation. Speaking at the inauguration of the GBA headquarters here on Tuesday, Shivakumar said the state will also lay the foundation stones for new municipal offices on November 1, coinciding with Kannada Rajyotsava. “Boundary towers will be erected along the limits of all five corporations to make the divisions visible,” he said. The move, officials say, will help citizens know which civic body to approach for services or grievances. The initiative echoes Kempegowda’s vision, who, more than four centuries ago, had marked Bengaluru’s territorial limits by erecting four iconic watch towers with the Dharmarayaswamy temple as the central edifice. These include the Lalbagh (South East), Gavipura (South West), Mehkri Circle (North West), and Ulsoor (North East) towers, which continue to symbolise the city’s heritage.In 2014, BBMP had announced plans to construct Kempegowda towers on 10 major arterial roads connecting Bengaluru, with each tower estimated to cost around Rs 10 crore. The project, though, never moved beyond announcements.By reviving the concept in a new form, Shivakumar has drawn a symbolic link between the city’s founder and Bengaluru’s expansion under GBA. He also announced major administrative restructuring under the GBA, including the addition of 300 engineers to strengthen civic works. “We are appointing one engineer for every ward. Around 500 engineers at lower levels will ensure transparency and proper groundwork,” Shivakumar said.A proposal to increase the number of wards from 198 to 500 was submitted, with Rs 300 crore allocated for administrative expenses, salaries, and pensions. “Elections must first be held in the newly formed municipalities. Only later will mergers be considered,” the deputy CM clarified.BOX Name suggestions On the demand to include Kannada words in the GBA title, deputy CM D K Shivakumar said: “I would like to ask for advice on what name to give. The same situation had arisen in other places, including Mumbai. There is no question of ignoring the mother tongue, but if we find a good [alternative] word, let’s change it.” INSET ‘Patience’ over potholes is GBA chief’s mantraTimes News Network As motorists continue to struggle on crater-filled roads all across the city, GBA chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao urged Bengalureans to “be patient”, citing multiple urban challenges delaying road repair work. The newly appointed GBA chief, under whose jurisdiction the five new corporations operate, made the statement in response to criticism over poor execution of pothole-filling works. Speaking to the media, Rao ruled out any issue with the quality of bitumen used for pothole repairs, saying there were other factors, including incessant rain, especially in low-lying areas. “In urban areas, five to six agencies often work simultaneously on different projects. On stretches where BWSSB is laying out pipelines, we cannot begin road construction until their work is completed,” he said, citing Bannerghatta Road, Silk Board Junction, and other major city chokeholds. He also noted that it takes 12-24 hours for the work to properly settle in once repair work is done, but motorists start using the roads right away, setting the repair work at naught.
