Six integrated towns and four satellite towns will come up near Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced on Saturday, September 10. Rural towns around the capital city like Devanahalli, Nelamangala, Doddaballapur, and one other unspecified town would be built as satellite towns, he announced. Satellite towns are smaller municipalities that are incorporated into the main city, which serves as the hub of a metropolitan area, such as Kengeri and Yelahanka. The objective of satellite towns is to alleviate pressure from the main city.
Chief Minister Bommai made the announcement during his speech at the BJP’s Janaspandana rally in Doddaballapur on Saturday, and summarised the achievements of his administration's first year and the previous three years of the BJP's rule in Karnataka. He also said that because of the population's exponential expansion, Bengaluru city needs to be developed and broadened. Additionally, improved infrastructure must be built to connect these towns to Bengaluru and to create “a new Bengaluru”, he said. Earlier, the Chief Minister had claimed that Bengaluru should “be like a planet” with satellite towns and the best connection via train, road, hi-tech and regular travel systems.
According to the Times of India, the government's proposed plan to establish satellite towns to relieve Bengaluru's congestion only connects the city to regions like Devanahalli, Chikkabanavara, Yelahanka, Byappanahalli, Rajanukunte, Kengeri, Heelalige, and Whitefield via a 148 km suburban network. Residents of areas like Doddaballapura, Ramanagara, Bangarpet and Hosur, which are also projected to be developed as satellite towns, would need to wait a little longer to access suburban rail services that will connect them to Bengaluru, the report stated.
At the Janaspandana rally, CM Bommai outlined his vision for satellite towns and said, "At least four new Bengalurus must be developed around Bengaluru, and in between these four, we can have other types of activities, such as a health city and an integrated industrial township, including those related to the aerospace and defence industries."
The Bommai administration is also exploring the development of six additional cities as integrated townships. These will have modern facilities and will be well linked to other cities, according to the government.