BANGALORE: Bangalore should grow vertically to address the burgeoning demand for houses, chief minister Siddaramaiah said on Thursday. He also announced that the BDA will build 30,000 flats at 15 locations in the city over the next three years.
Speaking at the launch of the lottery process to distribute over 3,000 flats built by the BDA, he said the frenetic pace at which Bangalore is growing is the reason why the demand for housing was shooting up.
“The floating population of the city is 20-25 lakh. The vehicular population is also nearing 50 lakh. Everyone wants to own a house in Bangalore . Every Tuesday during my Janata Darshan programmes, 25% of people come seeking houses in the city. Vertical growth is the only option to meet the demand for housing,” he said.
60,000 sites at layout:
“The BDA has undertaken developmental works worth Rs 700 crore in Kempe Gowda Layout. Around 60,000 sites can be built here,” he said. Admitting that BDA is overloaded with infrastructure works, he said: “Satellite towns have grown at double the pace of Bangalore. But there is a need to have more of them to take the burden off the city’s core.” In addition to the 3,000 flats allotted by the BDA in the first phase, another 3,000-odd flats will be released in the second phase, the CM said.
Siddaramaiah said the city needs new railway stations, flyovers and bus stations but land is scarce. Citing the legal tangles and possession problems spoiling the dreams of allottees, as in the Arkavathy Layout, he said by March 2014, the layout will be developed with all amenities — roads, sewage lines and parks — in place.
