Valmiki Scam: BJP, JD(S) Plan Vidhana Soudha March Seeking B Nagendra's Resignation

Discussions at an infrastructure forum highlighted key urban mobility challenges facing Bengaluru, focusing on the proposed eighteen-kilometer tunnel road project from north to south. The project involves acquiring land in Lalbagh, leading to concerns regarding environmental preservation and park space diversion under amended preservation laws. Critics argue that the car-only tunnel road fails to reduce traffic congestion, citing independent traffic studies and a detailed project report referencing traffic figures outside the state. The project is also criticized for high costs per kilometer, toll fees, and the exclusion of public transport options such as buses and two-wheelers. Proposals for expanding metro connectivity, increasing public bus fleets, and implementing comprehensive mobility plans were presented as alternatives to high-cost road projects. Additional discussions covered political leadership transitions within youth organizations, strategies for engaging younger demographic groups, and political movements addressing governance issues across various state administrations.

At a panel discussion on Bengaluru's urban development, Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) Chairman NA Haris announced that international tenders have been floated to prepare a new revised master plan for areas outside the newly formed Greater Bangalore Authority (GBA). Under the GBA framework, Bengaluru is decentralized into five city corporations with separate commissioners. Panelists Harish Bijur, Srinivas, and Revathi Ashok highlighted civic developments, infrastructure expansion, and traffic congestion management. Discussions addressed pedestrian footpaths, designated hawker zones, and municipal governance, including shortages of traffic police and urban planning engineers. The BDA is securing a 27,000 crore rupee loan from HUDCO for the Bangalore Business Corridor Peripheral Ring Road project. The panel examined mobility networks, noting daily bus ridership between 45 to 48 lakh passengers and metro usage at 11 lakh. Experts debated decentralizing investments and compared public transport utilization with cities like Mumbai. The session underscored inter-departmental coordination, corporate transit initiatives, and public participation in municipal planning.

At the India Today Roundtable, Karnataka Minister Krishna Byre Gowda addressed Bengaluru's severe traffic congestion, infrastructure needs, and rapid urban growth. He highlighted that Bengaluru has expanded significantly over the last 25 years, reaching a vehicle-to-human ratio of one-to-one and recording low road density due to past unauthorized developments. Defending the proposed tunnel project alongside elevated roads, he explained that road widening by destroying homes is not scalable. To address mass transit, the government plans to add 4,500 buses to the BMTC fleet, expand the metro network up to 250 kilometres, and complete 148 kilometres of suburban rail by 2030. Overall, the government proposes an investment of three lakh crore rupees in today's money terms into Bengaluru's infrastructure by 2037. Prioritising traffic management as the primary long-term goal, Gowda also outlined short-term measures, including fixing garbage and cleanliness issues within six months and investing 2,000 crore rupees in stormwater drain remodeling to mitigate urban flooding.

In this exclusive interaction with IndiaToday.in, the co-owner of the European T20 Premier League, Abhishek Bachchan, spoke about the new league and how he managed to bring in a star-studded group of owners. Legendary names, including Rahul Dravid, Steve Waugh and Jonty Rhodes, have joined Bachchan as team owners.