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Shifting Bangalore's Burden To Other Cities
City.Zen - 20 May, 2008 | Bangalore | Infrastructure | Mysore | Karnataka | Decongestion | Mangalore | Tier2 | Belgaum
One solution to Bangalore's problems is shifting of some of its burden on to other cities. This has been recognized by both the government and the companies both of whom have been working at it.
- What are the factors which help a company to decide upon a location?
- Why has Bangalore been the preferred city - is it the climate, the pub-culture, the tolerant and loving Bengalooru prajas, the absence of trade unionism, the supportive government, or the combination of all of these?
I believe it is the Government's proactive role which is the key factor. Infosys is widely believed to be the company that started the IT industry in Bangalore, but it was not born here. It was operating from Mumbai/Pune until NRN happened to meet a top bureaucrat from Karnataka government on a flight and the latter offered his government's help in the form of a soft loan (?) to the fledgling non-entity of those days, circa 1980. Rest is history.
Yesterday, somebody told me that HP's manufacturing facility was closing down in favor of Jharkhand where they would enjoy huge tax breaks. Thus, the government's bureaucrats and MLAs and ministers hold the key to ease Bangalore's burden by offering attractive enticements to the various industries here to shift elsewhere.
Now, what are the various places in Karnataka which can be developed?
- Mysore is ideal in every respect except for Mysore lovers like Shas3n who say, " It is true that Mysore is at the top of list of alternative location to Bangalore for IT and other companies to move. But I would prefer to leave Mysore a heritage city as it is/was. To a lot of Mysoreans, Mysore means a lot more than an alternate location for IT companies."
- Tumkur and Kolar could be considered as both are very close to Bengalooru.
- Mangalore is land-locked and therefore offers limited scope.
- Hubli-Dharwad has perennial water problem.
- Belgaum has many advantages like excellent climate ( better than Bangalore's), close to Goa and Goan attractions like feni; has abundant water, good cultured people (except when it comes to linguistic quarrels and communal riots) two engineering colleges, etc. Karnataka government also has a big responsibility to develop this sensitive border area so that the Marathi chauvinists do not have reasons to crib. Just a hop step and jump distance from Mumbai and Pune by flight.
- Bellary district would have been good what with the billions of mining money but the climate is too hot. Bidar is also good with an excellent climate and very close to Hyderabad. Being too far away from Bangalore, this area has been neglected all along.
- Shimoga, and Chikmaglur are also good candidates and developing them might address the issue of naxalism there.
- That leaves Hassan which the Gowda clan can easily develop if only they find some spare time from hyperactive politics. Besides, Mrs. HDK has boasted of being a software professional.
[Note: City.Zen sir's original comment was edited a bit to make this post - {Admin}]
COMMENTS
Its about spreading 'prosperity' and jobs
silkboard - 21 May, 2008 - 05:21
City.zen sir,the point is not about sharing Bangalore's load, it is about spreading Bangalore's diversity around to other cities of the state. This is not to kill Pune or Kolkata's pitch to take Bangalore's load, but other Karnataka cities have a right to ask to be made competitive w.r.t Pune/Nagpur/Kolkata etc when it comes to taking a bite out of Bangalore.
There some other ways to look at it this.
- It takes Rs 50 Cr or near abouts to build a flyover on outer ring road today, and the cost would be higher if private land is to be acquired. Same money will build a lot more infrastructure in say Hassan or Shimoga.
- By concentrating growth at Bangalore, we have either already pushed or are about to push real estate prices to disproportionately high levels. the dirty and 'opaquely regulated' real estate is the mother of many problems (politics, crime, neglect of byelaws nor, high cost of business - as everyone wants to maximize footprints).
This is not to say that Bangalore has to suffer, but money available with the state has to be spent wisely so that the stress is on closing Bangalore vs Rest 'gap as opposed to increasing it. But, gap shouldn't close by pulling down Bangalore.
For example, a high FAR ratio for residential projects in Bangalore could have a condition or formula that makes builders invest in a residential complex in a tier II Karnataka city. If 2.5 in Bangalore, then 1.5 in Shimoga. Or, businesses with investments in Bangalore Region could be offered tax breaks if they show X% of their output coming from tier II cities of the state.
I am just thinking aloud on above, I am sure policy makers will do a much better job of framing these 'incentives'. The situation is like those flyovers. More you build, more drivers will come to enjoy them and then ask you to build more :)
Fit theme for a doctoral research
City.Zen - 21 May, 2008 - 11:09
"It takes Rs 50 Cr or near abouts to build a flyover on outer ring road today, and the cost would be higher if private land is to be acquired. Same money will build a lot more infrastructure in say Hassan or Shimoga."
-- Good point.
When more than 50% of the State's revenues comes from Bangalore alone, your point about stressing on closing the Bangalore Vs. The Rest gap makes very good sense.
We certainly need to think hard about spreading Bangalore's prosperity to other parts of the State also.
About Belgaum, I agree the
belgaumblog - 21 September, 2008 - 04:54
About Belgaum, I agree the weather is very fine and located very strategically with major capitals of three states. It 500 kms from Mumbai, Bqangalore & Hyderabad. Development is needed in Belgaum but I would like to oppose one word in the post "Shifting Bangalore's Burden To Other Cities". So you Bangaloreans want to burden other cities now. Belgaum has not seen industrial development needed for a overall growth. so many govt. have come and gone but only promises and nothing else. All development is for Hubli and dharwad no development of industries for Belgaum. Vidhan soudha in Belgaum but no Industries in Belgaum. We have a oldest airport in Karnataka but the Mumbai flight has been discontinued. Hubli has two flights daily.
Go on and on. Politicians only promise but never execute.
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