BENGALURU: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has assured legislators that funds have been allocated without any discrimination and that adequate resources have been provided to every Assembly constituency in the city.
Addressing city MLAs and MLCs during a meeting on Tuesday, he said if legislators submit proposals for urgent works in their constituencies, the government will act quickly to release the funds. He added that the Bengaluru Development Authority and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) are making substantial investments in the city’s infrastructure.
The government has also prepared a 10-year development plan, as Bengaluru will complete 500 years in 2037. The new projects will require about Rs 1 lakh crore.
The government aims to increase the Metro network from the current 96 km to 170 km by 2027. “The state government is committed to upgrading Bengaluru’s infrastructure and will give high priority to the city’s development,” he said and added that several major road projects are already under way to ease traffic in the city. These include a 40-km two-lane tunnel corridor, a 120-km elevated corridor and the upgrading of 1,500 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads.
Work has begun on a 2-km short tunnel at Hebbal. The 16.5-km North-South corridor is estimated to cost Rs 17,780 crore, of which the state government will invest Rs 7,000 crore. The 21-km East-West corridor will have two entry points. “The 120-km elevated corridor has been planned under National Highway standards at an estimated cost of Rs 23,165 crore. It has been divided into four categories, and corridors shorter than 10 km will be toll-free,” he said.
Around 500 km of new road connections is also being taken up in the city. This includes 300 km of buffer roads along storm water channels and 68 km of business corridor development. The 17-km Outer Ring Road will be redeveloped and an 18-km white-topping project will soon begin on the city’s outskirts. The state government has proposed a 37-km double-decker road within the Outer Ring Road, but the Centre has so far approved only 11 km, he added.
Sixty-five gram panchayats located outside the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits are already urbanised. The government plans to upgrade them to urban local bodies to reduce pressure on the city. Drinking water and sewerage systems will be provided in these areas in phases, and proposals for road upgrades are being prepared, the CM said.
Waste management
The government has restructured garbage collection contracts to improve waste management in the city
Initially, 33 packages prepared across 27 zones
Tenders opened for 21 of these packages; work orders to be issued shortly
New contracts will allow collection of up to 9,000 tonnes of waste
GPS will be mandatory on all waste collection vehicles
