Indiranagar residents meet Deputy CM

“A tree park is what we want... not a commercial complex,” said Indiranagar residents who had gathered at the BDA complex to meet Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister G. Parameshwara.

The residents, many of who are members of iChange Indiranagar, an umbrella organisation of various residents’ welfare associations, pointed out that the complex need not be redeveloped. They demanded that the proposal be dropped and urged Mr. Parameshwara to direct the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) to develop the 6.5-acre plot into a tree park.

They also took the opportunity to discuss the rampant commercialisation of Indiranagar. “Nearly 90% of the establishments here don’t have either Occupancy Certificate or trade licences,” they said. The problem of garbage blackspots and stormwater drains not being desilted also came up for discussion.

MP P.C. Mohan and C.V. Raman Nagar MLA S. Raghu urged the State government to drop the redevelopment proposal.

After listening to the grievances of residents and receiving memorandums, Mr. Parameshwara said the government was striving to make Bengaluru beautiful again and improve liveability. He said he would meet the iChange Indiranagar representatives next week to discuss alternatives to the proposed redevelopment, and assured them that it would be resolved within two months.

Earlier in the day, he inspected drains on Old Airport Road, BEML Main Road, New Thippasandra, and laid the foundation stone for an underpass at the junction of Suranjan Das Road and Old Madras Road. He instructed Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials to ensure that works taken up are completed within the stipulated time frame. He also visited a market in Murphy Town and heard the grievances of the traders there.