BENGALURU: Contrary to the previous Congress government’s stand on trifurcating Bengaluru into smaller corporations, for which it had called a special legislature session in 2015, deputy chief minister G Parameshwara on Monday said the present government will not “slice Bengaluru like a cake”.After a six-and-a-half-hour meeting with the MLAs and MPs of Bengaluru, Parameshwara said the government was aware of the BS Patil Committee report on governing the city.During the Congress rule, the legislature passed the Patil report after the BJP defeated the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2015. Later, the Bill proposing trifurcation of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was passed and sent to governor Vajubhai R Vala.The governor referred the Bill to the President, who did not give his assent. The JD(S) had opposed trifurcation of the city when it was passed in the legislature three years ago.On Monday, Parameshwara said the matter never came up for discussion at the Bengaluru legislators’ meeting. “However, it is a matter which requires further discussion,” he said. When questioned that it was his own party government which had passed the trifurcation proposal, Parameshwara did not respond.Congress president Rahul Gandhi has reportedly given the green signal to CM HD Kumaraswamy to present a full-fledged budget by merging old and fresh schemes. This is seen as a snub to former CM Siddaramaiah, who had argued for a supplementary budget. The CM said a full budget is needed to give the government a direction. P 6At the meeting, garbage crisis and traffic congestion were discussed. Parameshwara said the legislators raised the issue of traffic problems along Tumakuru Road (Gorguntepalya) and KR Puram stretch.“We’ve received a proposal for the construction of a flyover at Gorguntepalya and also alternative traffic route suggestions for KR Puram. Both will be inspected and implemented,” he said.In other discussions on the city’s development, Parameshwara said the government was aware 5,000 acres of BDA land had been encroached.“The land, worth Rs 25,000 crore, is encroached by private parties. While some cases are in court, others parcels of land are yet to be recovered. We will try to recover land wherever possible. If recovery is not possible, then we will regularize encroachments with penalties,” he said.It was former MP and business baron Vijay Mallya, who unwittingly helped bring clarity to the BBMP trifurcation Bill, pending before the President for his assent.Even as then vice-president and Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari was deliberating over Mallya’s resignation letter on May 4, 2016, a response was laid before the House on the status of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2015, as passed by the state legislature. The Centre replied that trifurcation of the BBMP may not see the light of day.Parameshwara said he has instructed BBMP to restart the anti-encroachment drive on storm water drains. He said he was aware of flooding in the city after every monsoon. “Since the monsoon is here, it will be taken up after a few months,” he said.

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