When a state budget does not have allocations exclusively for Bengaluru, that’s a positive sign. The combined budget of BBMP, BMTC, BWSSB, BESCOM and other utilities should be considered as a comprehensive one for Bengaluru.
Unlike Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, BBMP has limited powers and financial resources, which I believe, is the root cause of many gaps in governance in our city. Brand Bengaluru seems to be addressing that gap. But there is no clarity on that in this budget other than the good intentions expressed.
BMTC seems to be the big winner in this budget. It has been Bengaluru’s lifeline for decades, but always under financial stress. Successive governments ignored the needs of the corporation while pumping thousands of crores into metro and road projects. Thanks to Shakti, the daily ridership of BMTC has gone up from 30 lakhs a day to 40 lakhs within weeks of the scheme’s launch. The budget acknowledged this positive development by allocating Rs 4,000 crore (to all RTCs, not just BMTC).
A significant portion should come to BMTC which will allow it to add more buses, address staffing issues and improve the quality of service. I welcome the announcement of five new women’s police stations. It will not only help women have easy access to police but also improve law and order situation in our city. Women constitute more than 50% of our population. But that is not reflected in our police force.
PRR is a much-delayed and much-needed road infrastructure for our ever-growing city. The budget expresses interest in completing the project, but we have to wait for the signs of revival. It is not clear why we are investing heavily in older STPs when urban India seems to be moving towards a more decentralised approach for sewage management. Whether it is solid waste or liquid waste, cities can no longer manage the load unless services are decentralised at the ward level.
Only Byapannahalli flyover finds mention, which is much needed. Our city invested in flyovers for decades and the time now is to redouble our investment and commitment to public transport, bus, metro and suburban train – all of these have been given priority in this budget.
Road Safety is a serious issue in our city as official records show a pedestrian death every two days. There seems to be an acknowledgement of work needed in this regard with an allocation of Rs 450 crore.
With Rs 800 crore earmarked for white topping of roads, it seems the government believes pothole free asphalt roads are not possible in our city. Experts find white topping roads to be problematic from an environmental perspective. But the net cost of potholes must have been the consideration here. The budget does not make a major difference to Bengaluru as the focus is finding money for new schemes.