BENGALURU: Of the Rs 19,930.64 crore budget outlay released by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Saturday, a lion’s share of 65 per cent Rs 12,952.2 crore was allocated for development works, with the aim of improving Bengaluru’s image and traffic situation that has drawn strong criticism from all quarters.
To ensure transparency and quick implementation of works, a Special Purpose Vehicle has been set up, said BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath. Ironically, BBMP has identified 118 roads for widening and improvement, keeping the 2015 Revised Master Plan as its base. BBMP has earmarked Rs 694 crore for this.
With a seed fund of Rs 50 crore, BBMP in its budget has listed the development of the Skydeck project which is calculated to be Rs 400 crore. Sources in BBMP said: “We have already invested Rs 50 crore, but the remaining funds need to be collected and land is yet to be finalised. Similarly, as Rs 42,000 crore has been earmarked for tunnel roads, funding for implementing the first phase of the project has to be sourced. A DPR has been prepared at a cost of Rs 17,780 crore.”
BBMP replicated the state budget announcement of tunnel road construction, where the State government will stand guarantee for Rs 19,000 crore. The budget also listed construction of integrated Metro and road flyovers (double-decker flyovers) at a cost of Rs 9,000 crore. Also, Rs 13,200 crore has been allocated for 110km of flyovers.
Violating the National Green Tribunal directions, BBMP has listed the construction of link roads along rajakaluves for 300km, at Rs 3,000 crore. Also, despite opposition from motorists, BBMP allocated Rs 6,000 crore for white-topping roads.
For the development of areas around Outer Ring Road -- from Central Silk Board to KR Puram via Baiyappanahalli Metro Station where Fortune 500 companies are located, the BBMP on Saturday announced a Rs 400-crore project to develop 22.7km of road to world-class standards, collaborating with BMRCL.
The BBMP allocated Rs 2.50 crore to each of the 225 wards, and Rs 50 lakh for maintenance works, totalling Rs 675 crore.
Prof. Ashish Verma, convener, IISc Sustainable Transportation Lab (IST Lab), said the budget is a classic case of misplaced priorities and unscientific projects, as far as mobility is concerned.
“We had earlier helped the government with the Brand Bengaluru report on mobility, nothing of which was recommended, has been put in the proposed interventions and Budget allocation, except mentioning ‘quality of life’ as a development goal.
What has actually been proposed (tunnels, flyovers, double decker etc.) is only going to degrade the quality of life and present sorry future prospects for Bengaluru.
The government has often given examples of some tunnel roads in Singapore to push the same for Bengaluru, without understanding the complex background that exists in Singapore. Likewise, the idea of double decker flyovers is even more damaging as it only makes public transport further less attractive. Last December we released a report which showed the negative impacts of tunnels and double deckers and further deteriorated Bengaluru’s sustainability and livability,” he said.