Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday mooted the idea of building four new Bengalurus around Bengaluru' and six integrated towns in Karnataka.

Foreseeing that Bengaluru's population will go up to around three to four crores in 2040 from the existing 1.3 crores, Bommai opined that the city should be developed like a planet surrounded by satellites.

Bengaluru should be, according to me, like a planet where there will be satellite towns along with the best of connectivity with rail, road, hi-tech travel systems and easy mode of transportation for the passengers, Bommai said during the Bengaluru 2040 Summit, which was organised by Deccan Herald.

Elaborating further, he said there was a need to create infrastructure for connecting Bengaluru and develop a new Bengaluru'.

At least four new Bengalurus have to be built around Bengaluru and in between these four, we can have different types of activities such as health city and integrated industrial township, including those related to aerospace and defence related industry, the Chief Minister said.

According to him, these satellite towns will have all the amenities. Bommai opined that the time was ripe for Bengaluru to go vertical as the city has grown horizontally enough and added new localities.

Introducing a new slogan Nava Karnataka Dinda Nava Bharata' (New India through New Karnataka), Bommai said he is planning six new integrated cites in the state.

Noting that he has introduced many novel proposals and schemes in the state budget that were missing in the previous budgets, the Chief Minister said: "One of the new things is I am planning to build six new cities in the state. These will be integrated townships. They will be the models for building cities in a planned manner.

The Chief Minister told the gathering that his government will create six Karnataka Institutes of Technology on the lines of the Indian Institutes of Technology for those students who cannot make it to these premier institutions.

Bommai also apprised the audience that he is planning to 'unlock' land for the poor people to have their own houses.

With regard to Mekedatu balancing reservoir project across Cauvery river, which the lower riparian state Tamil Nadu is opposed to, Bommai said his government is working on it.

We will shortly get the DPR ready and the process of the environmental clearance will be started. That's why I have kept money (Rs 1,000 crore in the 2022-23 budget). I am confident that we will start the Mekedatu project this year. Once that is done, a long term plan for Bengaluru can be done, he said.

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Tehran/Islamabad: Iran has outlined a 10-point plan as the basis for upcoming talks with the United States, expected to begin in Islamabad on April 11, according to a statement from the Iranian Supreme National Security Council.

The plan lays out Tehran’s key political, military and economic demands, and is being seen as a framework for negotiations following the recent escalation in the region.

Strait of Hormuz at the centre
A major focus of the plan is the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route. Iran has proposed “controlled passage through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the Iranian armed forces,” which it says would give the country a unique economic and geopolitical position.

The plan also calls for the “establishment of a safe transit protocol” in the Strait that would guarantee Iran’s dominance under an agreed mechanism.

Call to end conflict
Iran has demanded “the necessity of ending the war against all elements of the axis of resistance,” signalling its expectation that hostilities should stop not only in Iran but also involving allied groups in the region.

US troop withdrawal
Another key demand is the “withdrawal of US combat forces from all bases and deployment points in the region,” indicating Tehran’s long-standing position against American military presence in West Asia.

Sanctions relief and compensation
The plan places strong emphasis on economic measures. It calls for “full payment of Iran’s damages according to estimates,” along with “the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions and resolutions of the Board of Governors and the Security Council.”

It also seeks “the release of all Iranian assets and properties frozen abroad,” which have been a major point of contention for years.

Binding global guarantee
Finally, Iran has demanded that all these terms be formally recognised through “a binding Security Council resolution,” suggesting it wants international legal backing to ensure enforcement.

What this means
The 10-point plan reflects Iran’s broader push for security guarantees, economic relief and regional influence. The upcoming talks in Islamabad are expected to test how far both sides are willing to negotiate on these demands.