K'taka govt to form single authority to address traffic woes in and around Bengaluru: CM Bommai
Bengaluru, Sep 8: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said his government would bring a legislation to form an authority to implement a master plan for Bengaluru to address traffic woes in and around the city.
The Chief Minister's statement comes amid the havoc in parts of Bengaluru following two days of heavy rains.
"For all the traffic related issues in and around Bengaluru, an authority will be created. Already, we have taken a decision at the government level. I have already given my approval to it. In the next session, a legislation to this effect would be passed," Bommai said.
He was speaking to reporters after a meeting with Union Minister of Road, Transport and Highway Nitin Gadkari, who was in the city to attend a two-day 'Manthan' programme under the 'Bharatmala' series here.
Bommai said the National Highways Authority of India, State Public Works Department, 'Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike' (city civic agency), Bangalore Development Authority and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority have been undertaking many works.
If the government goes as per the holistic master plan approach, many of the problems of Bengaluru will be resolved, he said.
The CM added that the authority, which would address traffic-related issues of Bengaluru and its surrounding areas, would also include the Railways and Metro Rail.
Bommai said he had requested Gadkari for a meeting to discuss issues around Bengaluru road and traffic, when he was in the city, and accordingly it was held today.
During the meeting it was discussed how to utilise a single pillar for roads, metro rail and Indian railways line since such technology can help minimise land acquisition.
It was also decided that under the 'Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti' scheme, elevated transportation can be utilised in the IT Corridor of the city.
The Chief Minister said Gadkari agreed to "fill up the connectivity gap" between the national highways passing through the State, complete the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) and build the small and 'concentric' ring roads in the city.
"We have taken some important decisions to address the traffic problems in the city. He (Gadkari) also directed the NHAI officials to resolve the problems related to Pune-Bengaluru Highway," Bommai said.
The issues related to the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway and its drainage system were also discussed, he explained.
The Chief Minister said there would be another round of meeting on Friday to discuss issues related to Bengaluru and Karnataka.
Regarding the bypass road between Hubballi and Dharwad in north Karnataka, Bommai said the work would start in the next two months.
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No disputed structure should be called mosque: UP CM Adityanath
Mahakumbh Nagar (UP), Jan 11: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said no controversial structure should be referred to as "a mosque", asserting that tenets of Islam are "against constructing a mosque-like structure" at disputed sites.
Adityanath made the remarks while referring to the Shahi Jama Masjid dispute in Sambhal that sparked violence in November last year, according to an official statement.
The chief minister, while speaking at an event of a private news channel here, also said that worship at disputed sites is neither acceptable to God nor in line with Islamic principles, it said.
"We must never call a controversial structure a mosque. The day we stop calling it (a mosque), people will stop going there. Islam itself teaches against hurting anyone's faith or constructing a mosque-like structure at such places," the chief minister said.
"If God disapproves, why should we engage in such futile worship?" he questioned.
Adityanath emphasized that Islam does not require the construction of specific structures for worship, unlike Sanatan Dharma, where temples are central to religious practice, the statement said.
He called for a shift towards unity and progressive thinking, saying, "This is time to embrace the vision of a new India."
On the Sambhal violence over a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, he said that Sambhal was prophesied as the birthplace of Kalki, the tenth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, long before the advent of Islam.
The chief minister further stated that historical documents like Ain-i-Akbari mention the demolition of a Shri Hari Vishnu temple in 1526 to erect the Jama Masjid, calling for the site to be voluntarily returned, the statement said.
He also suggested that the issue of disputed religious sites, such as the Shahi Jama Masjid, should not require judicial intervention. Instead, he advocated for mutual reconciliation, urging "followers of Islam to acknowledge the truth and extend a gesture of goodwill", according to the statement.
On the matter of the Places of Worship Act, Adityanath expressed confidence that the courts would ensure justice and respect for faith.
The Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal came into spotlight after a local court accepting a plea that it has been built over a temple ordered survey in November last year. During the second survey of the mosque on November 24, violence broke out in Sambhal in which four people were killed.
On the historical significance of Ayodhya, Adityanath also expressed gratitude for the installation of Ram Lalla's idol in 2024, noting that it ended a 500-year-long wait. He stated that the Maha Kumbh-2025 was being held at an auspicious time.
Reflecting on his slogan "Ek hain to nek hain, batenge to katenge", Adityanath highlighted the importance of unity, saying, "History has shown us that division weakens us. If we learn from the mistakes of the past, such situations will never arise again."
The chief minister also attacked the opposition INDIA bloc, saying, "Those who once strangled the Constitution now hold its copy to mislead the public."
He also pointed out that terms like "secular" and "socialist" were added to the Constitution during the Emergency, the statement said.
