Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Friday, October 18 that there is a proposal under consideration to designate Tumakuru as ‘Greater Bengaluru.’ Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, he highlighted the ongoing expansion of Bengaluru, which has already grown to include areas like Nelamangala and Dobaspet, and indicated that Tumakuru could be the next to follow. "Several new development projects are being planned for Tumakuru. The city is growing as part of Bengaluru, and there is a proposal to consider it as Greater Bengaluru,” Parameshwara said.
Parameshwara represents the Koratagere constituency in Tumakuru which is located around 70 km away from Bengaluru.
He further revealed plans to extend the Bengaluru metro rail to Tumakuru. "In light of this expansion, Tumakuru will naturally become an extension of Bengaluru. A formal proposal will soon be submitted to the government," he added.
However, Jaya Dhindaw, Executive Program Director for Sustainable Cities at the World Resources Institute, India, voiced concerns about the implications of such an annexation.
Speaking to TNM, she said that annexing smaller districts like Tumakuru into Bengaluru without proper infrastructure upgrade and resource management plan could be problematic. Dhindaw said- Bangalore is having a hard enough time managing its growth and resources- annexing further areas without a plan for how it will be managed and how resources will be shared can present a problem. The metropolitan area is already unwieldy from a governance standpoint.
Dhindaw raised further concerns about the challenges that annexation could bring to the fringes of the metropolitan area like census towns. She pointed out that such expansions without a transition plan and complementary funds to aid planned expansion can worsen existing issues of unplanned growth and development.
She said this calls for ensuring implementation of a three tier form of governance in the metro area, with an apex body, municipal corporations and local area/ward level committees that are empowered with funds, functions and functionaries to ensure the success of the metropolitan area. Annexation plans should ensure that growing urban areas don’t lead to a disconnect between residents and the governance systems they rely on. "It should not become hard especially for residents in peripheral areas to engage with large urban governance structures, which are less accessible than local governance systems.
To address these issues, Dhindaw also advocated for financial support, particularly in the form of a "transition fund" for areas transitioning from census to statutory towns, or when rural areas gain urban status. This fund, she emphasised, would ensure that smaller peripheral towns in districts like Tumakuru have the opportunity to upgrade their infrastructure and amenities towards sustainable and resilient growth.
Meanwhile, the Home Minister has suggested that Tumakuru is poised for further infrastructural growth, emphasising the need for an airport in the region. "With Asia’s largest industrial area being developed over 20,000 acres in Tumakuru, the area is becoming an industrial hub. Phases one and two of the project are already complete, with 150 industries and a Japanese Township set to come up. HAL’s helicopter factory is operational, and more large-scale industries are on the way," Parameshwara said.
This announcement follows the Karnataka cabinet’s approval to rename the Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South in July.
