Chief Minister D K Shivakumar at the Karnataka Regional Urbanisation Plan 2047 launch at Vidhana Soudha. Photo: CMO Karnataka.
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the Karnataka State Regional Urbanisation Plan 2047 should help channel the economic strength of cities into development across towns and rural areas, instead of concentrating growth in Bengaluru.
Speaking at the release of the plan report and a workshop at Vidhana Soudha’s Banquet Hall on Friday, Shivakumar said Karnataka’s population, estimated at about 6.9 crore, could reach 7.7 crore to 7.8 crore by 2047. He said the urban share of the population is estimated to rise from 46% now to 70% by then, making advance planning for infrastructure and services important.
“As cities grow, towns should develop and rural life should become more prosperous,” he said. Shivakumar said economic resources generated in urban areas, including through industry and services, should also support rural development. He said Bengaluru’s growth should benefit the state as a whole, while the growth of towns should improve life in villages.
The plan seeks more regionally distributed jobs, infrastructure and economic activity. Shivakumar said people often move to cities for education and work, and called for employment opportunities in their own towns, taluks and districts. He named Kalaburagi, Shivamogga, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi-Dharwad and Belagavi among the cities where industry, jobs and infrastructure should be developed alongside Bengaluru.
Shivakumar said development should be assessed through people’s access to jobs, roads, hospitals, education and a better quality of life, as well as economic indicators. He also called for transport connectivity, reliable power and environmental protection to be considered in urban planning.
Seven priorities for the plan
The seven themes outlined for the plan are Udyama Karnataka for industry and jobs; Seva Unnati Karnataka for services and infrastructure; Sanchaara Karnataka for transport and connectivity; Parisara Karnataka for environmental protection and sustainable urban development; Pratibha Karnataka for education and skills; Samruddhi Karnataka for regional economic growth; and Digital Karnataka for technology-enabled governance and services.
To address the shortage of urban-planning specialists, Shivakumar said preparations would be made to establish a dedicated town-planning college. He also spoke of developing a three-day village-stay programme with universities to familiarise children studying in cities with rural life, farming and livestock.
He said efforts were under way through the Bhu Guarantee initiative to correct and digitise property records in cities and towns, including details related to ownership and taxation, to help protect residents’ property rights.
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