Bengaluru, October 23 (NationPress) Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced on Thursday that Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, has confirmed a gathering of all ministers overseeing urban development from the southern states to take place in Bengaluru on October 30.

Shivakumar shared this information during a media interaction. When questioned about advocating for financial support from the Central government for Bengaluru’s development, the state Congress president stated, “Absolutely, we will. With the Union Minister for Urban Development present at the conference, we aim to present our requests directly to him. We have previously approached Union Ministers and the Prime Minister multiple times for grants aimed at enhancing Bengaluru.”

Discussing his recent inspections of boundary areas potentially eligible for inclusion under the 'Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA)', Shivakumar remarked, “I have explored the border regions of local bodies within the Bengaluru Urban District that qualify for inclusion within GBA’s boundaries.”

“Numerous municipalities and town panchayats reside in this zone. I have called a meeting of relevant officials for Friday. Parts of these zones may soon fall under the jurisdiction of the Bengaluru municipal corporations associated with GBA. A committee led by B.S. Patil is currently preparing a report on which regions can be incorporated into GBA. We have also tasked MLAs, MPs, citizens, and civic organizations to engage in discussions regarding this matter.”

“This weekend, I will engage with the public via the ‘Bengaluru Nadige’ (Walk in Bengaluru) initiative. Following that, we will convene meetings with IT-BT firms, particularly in the Mahadevapura and K.R. Puram areas,” he mentioned.

In response to inquiries about the timeline for addressing potholes, Shivakumar stated, “Officials are actively repairing potholes; we have held them accountable. In certain locations, we are not just patching potholes but are laying down a new layer of road. These efforts are ongoing. Emphasis is being placed on major areas to expedite completion. Due to the onset of rains, we are waiting for them to subside. Once the rain stops, we will continue our work.”

When pressed about comments made by CM Siddaramaiah's son and MLC Yathindra regarding leadership and the lack of disciplinary measures against certain MLAs, Shivakumar responded, “I will refrain from commenting on this issue right now. I will address it at an appropriate time.”

Concerning reports that the SIT has verified the manipulation of 6,000 votes in the Aland constituency, he affirmed, “There is no doubt about this. It was executed using phone numbers. Officials had lodged complaints about this at that time. The legal process will unfold in this case.”