IT Minister Kharge assures time-bound action on mobility, infrastructure bottlenecks in Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Dec 5 (PTI) Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge along with government officials on Friday met senior representatives of leading companies operating along the Outer Ring Road corridor here and assured time-bound action on mobility and infrastructure bottlenecks.

The meeting, organised by the Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA), focused on addressing critical infrastructure, civic and mobility challenges faced along one of India's most important technology and business corridors, officials said.

According to an official statement, during the interaction, industry leaders flagged key issues such as last-mile connectivity to metro stations, condition of service roads and footpaths, congestion at major junctions, accumulation of garbage in high-density stretches, telecom disruptions due to construction and the need for smoother integration between metro, buses and workplace transport solutions.

Addressing the gathering, Kharge said that the ORR corridor remains one of the most economically dense and strategically important business districts in the country and must be supported with matching quality of infrastructure and governance.

He highlighted that the state government has already earmarked Rs 450 crore for comprehensive road upgradation along the Silk Board to KR Puram stretch, which will include black-topping, service roads, street lighting and pedestrian infrastructure.

"This corridor is central to Karnataka's global technology economy. While large infrastructure like metro takes time, we are committed to fixing the immediate, high-impact issues on the ground. Regular reviews will be held to track progress and this engagement with industry will not be a one-off exercise," Kharge said.

He added that the government will also replicate this model of structured engagement across other major brownfield business and technology corridors such as Whitefield, Peenya and Manyata, to systematically identify and resolve area-specific challenges.

The IT minister also informed participants that these efforts are being undertaken as part of a high-level committee chaired by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and vice-chaired by him, which is mandated to provide long-term solutions to traffic, mobility and infrastructure bottlenecks in Bengaluru's major technology hubs.

Greater Bengaluru Authority Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao, who was also part of the meeting, said that the creation of the GBA has already improved coordination and speed of execution across departments.

"With the GBA framework in place, decision-making has become more effective and issues are being addressed in a more time-bound manner. The revamping of roads along ORR, coordination with BMRCL for metro integration and streamlining civic services are being actively monitored," he said.

He added that close coordination between BBMP, BMRCL, Traffic Police and other agencies is underway to ensure smoother implementation of projects, particularly in high-traffic nodes such as Kadubeesanahalli, Bellandur and Marathahalli.

The interaction also saw discussions on encouraging greater use of public transport, improving walkability, deploying last-mile connectivity solutions such as feeder services and shared mobility options and exploring industry participation through CSR and collaborative area maintenance models, the statement added. PTI AMP KH