Congress forms panel to ‘better Brand Bengaluru’

BENGALURU: Congress on Friday said it has formed a committee to draw up a report titled ‘Vision Bengaluru, Better Bengaluru’, which will deal with ways to develop the state’s capital. The party has promised to implement recommendations if it comes to power. “The committee will submit its final report within 20 days,” said Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka.
The panel, which will be headed jointly by R Ramalinga Reddy, BTM Layout MLA and Krishna Byregowda, Byatarayanapura MLA, will hold consultations with people, public representatives, civil society, and urban planners. The promise to implement the report will be included in the party’s manifesto for the BBMP and 2023 assembly elections. Surjewala also appealed to chief minister Basavaraj Bommai to convene an all-party meeting on the flood situation.
“Take all parties into confidence. Apprise the people, call civil society members, and take them into confidence,” the Congress functionary said. Surjewala pointed out BJP has governed the state for 11 of the past 16 years and BJP has MLAs in four constituencies that were flooded. “For the first time, people of Bengaluru have had to ride boats. It had never happened,” he said. DK Shivakumar, state Congress president, lambasted the government and Tejasvi Surya, Bengaluru South MP, who had claimed Congress was trying to defame Bengaluru by “sensationalising” the floods.
“Bengaluru’s brand image has taken a beating and we are trying to save it,” Shivakumar said. “It is not we who built ‘Brand Bengaluru’ but SM Krishna, who is now associated with BJP, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, TV Mohandas Pai and scores of IT personnel who generated 39% of the nation’s revenue in the sector.” The party also asked the government to provide compensation of Rs 2 to 25 lakh to people whose homes were inundated besides ensuring refund of full value for vehicles damaged or lost due to floods.