BENGALURU: To put an end to Bengaluru’s frequent floods, exposing the city’s poor infrastructure, tarnishing the city’s image, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday set aside Rs 5,000 crore in the budget to take up various disaster management programmes over the next five years.
Another major aspect of the budget was Cauvery 6th Stage, which aims to bring in 6 tmc water to quench the thirst of Bengaluru’s increasing population and nearby regions at Rs 6,939 crore with JICA assistance.
In the budget, the CM said that for the future growth and sustainable land-use planning, a new Revised Master Plan-2041 (RMP) for Bengaluru will be implemented by the end of 2027. Additionally, a Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) will be prepared within six months.
Pointing out that his government’s primary objective was to make Bengaluru the ‘world’s most liveable city’, Siddaramaiah announced an allocation of Rs 7,000 crore grant for Bengaluru’s infrastructure development. The same amount was granted last year, too. Also, for the long-term durability of city roads, more than 450 km of roads would be white-topped in a span of three years, the CM said, at Rs 3,000 crore.
While the Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s ambitious Tunnel Road project is yet to see the light of day, the budget announced the construction of a short-tunnel road and an elevated corridor from Hebbal Junction to Mekhri Circle at Rs 2,250 crore. Five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) have been asked to mobilise resources for development works by issuing ‘Municipal Bonds’ based on their balance sheets.
For infrastructure development works, the CM said that it is being implemented at a total cost of Rs 3,885 crore under Phase-4 of the Chief Minister’s Amrutha Nagarothana (Municipality) Scheme and that the government has released Rs 1,716 crore so far.
He said an additional Rs 500 crore for the above will be provided in the current financial year. Beautification of 175 junctions, upgradation of 500 km footpath and 100 skywalks would be constructed in the city using the internal funds of the five city corporations. At Rs 450 crore, the Outer Ring Road stretch between Silk Board and K R Puram Metro Station will be developed into a global standard corridor. Also, for effective management of traffic congestion in Bengaluru, an integrated digital platform will be developed at Rs 25 crore by collecting and analysing data managed separately by various traffic management agencies to facilitate a smooth traffic system.
Siddaramaiah said that to curb traffic in the city, the 73-km Bengaluru Business Corridor (BBC) Phase-1 from Tumakuru Road to Hosur Road would be completed within four years and the Nelamangala–Tavarekere–Bidadi Intermediate Ring Road will be constructed using financial resources of Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) and local planning authorities.
He said that a total of 41-km of additional Metro lines benefiting 15 lakh commuters daily will be completed during the financial year 2026-27.
Under the sponsorship of Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA), a 9-km pedestrian walkway along the Metro viaduct on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) will be constructed at Rs 160 crore. Siddaramaiah said that the development works of the Storm Water Drains under the World Bank-assisted Water Security and Disaster Resilience Program are being implemented at Rs 2,000 crore.
Agenda for Bengaluru
Other major allocations
‘Dog Birth-Control Training Centres’ to be established in Bengaluru and Bidar
Filling up of 164 lakes under the Hebbala-Nagawara Valley project at 237 cr
Under the lift Irrigation scheme, 59 tanks in Hosakote will be filled with treated Sewage water from the H.N. Valley Project at 140 cr
Filling 259 tanks from the Vrishabhavathi Valley, 119 tanks in Nelamangala and Doddaballapura from Gopalapura tank at 650 cr
Sri Maharshi Valmiki Administrative Soudha will be constructed at Sumanahalli at 50 cr
100 ‘Miyawaki Parks’ to be constructed in selected urban areas by densely planting native species to create natural green spaces
A Centre of Excellence for Kayaking and Canoeing to be set up under PPP model at Hesaraghatta Lake