K'taka CM promises to improve Bangalore facilities

With corporate bigwigs shying away from the city, Karnataka's new chief minister H D Kumaraswamy today initiated a damage control exercise promising to rebuild the crumbling infrastructure.

"I will invite leaders of the industry either on February 15 or 16 to assure them that within three months, the government will not only improve roads to the satisfaction of all, but also initiate steps to ease traffic congestion," he said today.

Kumaraswamy's reaction follows a threat by Siemens India, which yesterday said it would not take up expansion plans in Bangalore due to poor infrastructure, including traffic chaos.

A day before, SemIndia had announced plans to set up India's first $3 billion Fab City in Hyderabad.

Appealing to industrialists to co-operate with the new goverment, he said: "We are only nine days old. We will clear all doubts regarding infrastructure to investors and turn the city investor-friendly soon."