BENGALURU: To boost Bengaluru’s infrastructure, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced an allocation of Rs 7,000 crore as a grant for the city’s infrastructure development. The same amount was granted last year as well.
He also announced that for the long term durability of city roads, more than 450 km of roads will be white topped, Siddaramaiah said, at a cost of a whopping Rs 3,500 crore.
After the city’s image took a beating due to urban flooding following a cloudburst, the Chief Minister said that various disaster management programmes will be taken up over a five year period at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore to control flooding in Bengaluru city.
While Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s ambitious tunnel road project is yet to take off, the budget announced the construction of a tunnel road and an elevated corridor from Hebbal Junction to Mekhri Circle at a cost of Rs 2,250 crore.
Five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority have been asked to mobilise resources for development works by issuing ‘Municipal Bonds’ based on their balance sheets.
In the budget, CM Siddaramaiah said that for 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.
For infrastructure development works, the CM said these are being implemented at a total cost of Rs 3,885 crore under Phase IV 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 of footpaths and construction of 100 skywalks will be taken up in the city using the internal funds of the five city corporations.
At a cost of Rs 450 crore, the Outer Ring Road stretch between Silk Board and KR Puram Metro Station will be developed into a global standard corridor.
To meet the water needs of the increasing Bengaluru population and nearby regions, Siddaramaiah said that Cauvery 6th Stage will be implemented at a cost of Rs 6,939 crore with JICA assistance.
"Under the scheme for filling 259 tanks with 308 Million Litres Day (MLD) of treated sewage water in the second phase from the Vrishabhavathi Valley of Bengaluru city, the project to fill 119 tanks in Nelamangala and Doddaballapura taluks from Lift 4 Gopalapura tank will be taken up at a cost of Rs 650 crore", the CM said.
He said that under the third phase of the Hebbala Nagawara (HN) Valley project, filling of 164 tanks including 45 tanks in Sidlaghatta taluk and 119 tanks in Chintamani taluk from Amanikere will be implemented at a cost of Rs 237 crore.
Through a lift irrigation scheme, 59 tanks in Sulibele and Nandagudi hoblis in Hosakote taluk will be filled with treated sewage water from the HN Valley project at a cost of Rs 140 crore.
The Chief Minister said that Sri Maharshi Valmiki Administrative Soudha will be constructed at Sumanahalli in Bengaluru at a cost of Rs 50 crore.