BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced the Karnataka state budget with a total outlay of Rs 4.9 lakh crore for the year. Among the allocations, he declared Rs 3,000 crore for constructing an additional 300 km of roads using canal buffer zones in Bengaluru.
Additionally, an arterial and sub-arterial road network spanning 460 km in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) area will be developed at a cost of Rs 660 crore.
Amid reports of sewage overflowing onto roads and damaging infrastructure, Siddaramaiah said the government would provide BBMP and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) with financial assistance of Rs 3,000 crore to construct a systematic drainage network and sewage treatment plants (STPs) to tackle climate change-induced flooding in Bengaluru.
The development of Varthur and Bellandur lakes remains pending. The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), the primary custodian of these lakes, has managed to clear silt at Varthur Lake, while silt clearing work at Bellandur Lake has reached about 60 per cent. The CM also announced Rs 234 crore for these water bodies and Rs 35 crore to develop 14 lakes under the 'Brand Bengaluru Green Bengaluru' initiative.
Under the Revenue Department, the CM allocated Rs 2,000 crore for a flood management system. Additionally, BWSSB will construct a wastewater treatment plant and a sewage pumping system at a cost of Rs 1,070 crore.
With Bengaluru's population exceeding 1.30 crore, Siddaramaiah addressed health infrastructure concerns by announcing a 'Comprehensive Health Programme' under the Brand Bengaluru Plan. The programme, to be implemented over the next three years, will cost Rs 413 crore. The CM also allocated Rs 150 crore for a state-of-the-art, well-equipped hospital in Bengaluru North Taluk.
To boost investments in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the CM announced a Rs 220 crore incentive scheme. Additionally, Rs 57 crore has been earmarked for the reconstruction of the Bengaluru Bio-Innovation Centre, which was damaged by fire.