1 week Ago By Shivani Kava
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Friday, October 18 that there is a proposal under consideration to designate Tumakuru as ‘Greater Bengaluru.’ Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, he highlighted the ongoing expansion of Bengaluru, which has already grown to include areas like Nelamangala and Dobaspet, and indicated that Tumakuru could be the next to follow. "Several new development projects are being planned for Tumakuru.
The city is growing as part of Bengaluru, and there is a proposal to consider it as Greater Bengaluru,” Parameshwara said. Parameshwara represents the Koratagere constituency in Tumakuru which is located around 70 km away from Bengaluru. He further revealed plans to extend the Bengaluru metro rail to Tumakuru.
"In light of this expansion, Tumakuru will naturally become an extension of Bengaluru. A formal proposal will soon be submitted to the government," he added. However, Jaya Dhindaw, Executive Program Director for Sustainable Cities at the World Resources Institute, India, voiced concerns about the implications of such an annexation.
Speaking to TNM, she warned that annexing smaller districts like Tumakuru into Bengaluru without proper infrastructure upgrades could lead to more harm than good. Dhindaw questioned whether Tumakuru would see its infrastructure raised to the level of Bengaluru, adding that even Bengaluru's amenities are far from perfect. "Is this just for tax revenue, or are you giving them something in return?" she asked.
Dhindaw raised further concerns about the challenges that annexation could bring to the fringes of Bengaluru. She pointed out that such expansions can worsen existing issues like flooding, often due to inadequate infrastructure, poor drainage systems, and a lack of functional amenities in the annexed areas. Instead of solving these problems, annexation may exacerbate them, as the newly incorporated areas struggle to cope with the city's growing population and resource demands.
She also expressed concern about the growing disconnect between residents in annexed areas and the governance systems they rely on. "It's very hard for residents from Tumakuru to access services from Bengaluru's governing bodies, whether it's the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike), the Bangalore Development Authority, or other central agencies," she noted. This distance creates challenges for residents who may find it difficult to engage with large urban governance structures, which are less accessible than local governance systems.
To address these issues, Dhindaw advocated for financial support, particularly in the form of a "transition fund" for areas transitioning from census to statutory towns or when they gain urban status, a key recommendation WRI is pushing for in discussions with the 16th Finance Commission. This fund, she argued, would ensure that districts like Tumakuru have the opportunity to upgrade their infrastructure and amenities in line with the annexation. Meanwhile, the Home Minister has suggested that Tumakuru is poised for further infrastructural growth, emphasising the need for an airport in the region.
"With Asia’s largest industrial area being developed over 20,000 acres in Tumakuru, the area is becoming an industrial hub. Phases one and two of the project are already complete, with 150 industries and a Japanese Township set to come up. HAL’s helicopter factory is operational, and more large-scale industries are on the way," Parameshwara said.
This announcement follows the Karnataka cabinet’s approval to rename the Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South in July..
