D.K. Shivakumar Unveils Karnataka Urbanisation Plan to Spread Growth Beyond Bengaluru

Government plans balanced urban growth beyond Bengaluru, as demography shifts

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has unveiled the Karnataka State Regional Urbanisation Plan, 2047, with a seven-point agenda aimed at spreading urban and economic growth across the State.

The plan focuses on expanding industries and employment opportunities across districts, improving infrastructure, strengthening public transport, protecting the environment, developing human resources, ensuring inclusive economic growth and digitising governance.

Seven anchor nodes of growth

The plan identifies Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, Ballari and Shivamogga as seven anchor nodes of growth.

Mr. Shivakumar said each region would have a specific growth plan, with development shaped around its requirements and strengths.

He said Karnataka needed to look beyond Bengaluru and ensure that economic growth in cities translated into better livelihoods in towns and villages.

The Chief Minister said the proportion of Karnataka’s population living in urban areas was expected to rise from the present 46% to 70% by 2047.

The State’s population, currently around 6.9 crore, was projected to reach 7.7 crore to 7.8 crore by then, he said.

The urbanisation plan is intended to prepare cities for this demographic shift and prevent mounting pressure on infrastructure, according to Mr. Shivakumar.

Jobs closer to home

Mr. Shivakumar said people move from villages to cities mainly for education and employment.

“People move from villages to cities mainly for education and employment,” the Chief Minister said.

“We need to create an environment where people can find jobs in their own towns, taluks and districts instead of everyone having to come to Bengaluru,” he added.

The plan therefore links regional urbanisation with the expansion of employment opportunities beyond the State capital.

Pressure on Bengaluru

Mr. Shivakumar said Bengaluru’s population had increased from around 70 lakh when he was the Urban Development Minister to nearly 1.4 crore now.

The number of vehicles had also reached around 1.35 crore, he said.

However, infrastructure had not expanded at the same pace, he stressed.

The government was considering ring roads for cities and towns to ease traffic congestion and facilitate smoother commutes.

Industrial development would also be prioritised according to the strengths of different regions.

The examples cited by the Chief Minister included steel industries in Ballari, electric vehicle manufacturing in Hubballi-Dharwad and data centres in Mangaluru.

These proposals form part of the State’s effort to prepare its urban areas for a larger urban population while creating more employment opportunities across districts.

Source: The Hindu