Guidelines or Act? Bureaucrats differ

‘‘A separate Act for infrastructure development will only cause more problems and will not facilitate private participation,’’ principal secretary of the state infrastructure development department Vinay Kumar said.

Countered RK Mishra, member of the empowered committee on Bangalore’s infrastructure: ‘‘Private participation in infrastructure projects will come only by providing legal teeth to the policy. The present MoU system of PPP has not been a success because private, government roles are not clearly defined.’’

‘‘There is a difference of opinion among senior officials about making the policy an Act. Some are of the view that necessary amendments in existing laws like the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board Act and revenue laws would suffice,’’ said a state official present at the meet.

Opinions obtained from senior bureaucrats will be incorporated into the draft policy and another meeting will be held in two weeks to finalise the new policy, the infrastructure secretary said.

Meanwhile, at a separate meeting on the status of infrastructure development works in Bangalore, also headed by the chief secretary, the infrastructure development department reported that all work on 19 roads identified as IT/BT roads in the city would be completed by the end of June. Eight of these roads stand completed while at least 70 per cent of work is completed on the others, officials said. The 19 roads were chosen for development in September 2005 after the IT industry threatened to stay away from the state’s showcase IT event — Bangalore IT — in protest against the crumbling infrastructure in the city.

Four key flyovers, including one on Airport Road which has been under construction for four years, will be thrown open for vehicles by the end of July, the secretary of infrastructure development said.