Bengaluru: Chief minister DK Shivakumar said he will hold a series of meetings with Karnataka legislators, including those from the opposition, over the next few weeks, grouping them by caste and regional backgrounds.Speaking to reporters in Belagavi, Shivakumar said: “I will soon meet with SC/ST legislators, after which I will meet with OBC, minority, Lingayat and Vokkaliga legislators.”The meetings are aimed at understanding legislators’ concerns and gauging their communities’ perception of the Congress govt.On Tuesday, he met with Bengaluru city MLAs. At the meeting, Shivakumar asked legislators to submit constituency-level demands, which govt would consider on a “need basis”.However, an opposition legislator said the meeting focused on long-term projects rather than immediate measures for constituency development.“We were in a room where the CM and minister in charge of Bengaluru (Krishna Byre Gowda) spoke about their long-term ambitions and projects but did not utter a single word on short-term measures the govt will take to develop constituencies,” said one opposition legislator.Meanwhile, Congress MLAs said the meeting sought to bring legislators across parties together and explain govt’s plans for major infrastructure projects.“Politics aside, the CM and govt tried to explain to opposition legislators the intent of big-ticket projects like the tunnel road, infrastructure projects and Metro expansion,” said a Congress MLA.Shivakumar later said his govt will focus on improving Bengaluru’s basic infrastructure, with plans to build 500 km of new roads and develop 1,500 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads. Another 18 km of roads on the city’s outskirts is being considered for white-topping.In a statement, Shivakumar said Bengaluru lags other major cities in terms of quality road length, prompting greater emphasis on road infrastructure. He said the govt will not discriminate between constituencies represented by governing party members and opposition MLAs while allocating funds.The govt is also preparing a 10-year development blueprint for Bengaluru, ahead of the city’s 500th anniversary in 2027. The proposed projects are estimated to require Rs 1 lakh crore, he said.On waste management, Shivakumar warned strict action would be taken against contractors found negligent in waste disposal. He said 33 packages had been announced across Bengaluru’s 27 city constituencies, with tenders for 21 packages being opened now. The new tenders would cover the collection and disposal of 9,000 tonnes of waste daily, based on vehicle capacity.
