Karnataka: Eyeing BBMP polls, Budget allocates Rs 8,409 crore for Bengaluru

In the previous Budget, the then Chief Minister, B S Yediyurappa, had allocated Rs 7,795 crore for the development of Bengaluru. Keeping BBMP elections and the next assembly elections in mind, the BJP government has allocated massive funds for Bengaluru. BBMP elections are likely to be held this year and the assembly elections are slated for next year. Bengaluru city has 27 assembly constituencies.

Under the ‘Amruth Nagaroththana’ scheme, Bommai has promised to invest Rs 6,000 crore for the next three years to provide basic infrastructure in Bengaluru city. This includes, road development, grade separator, lake development, major storm water drain development, development of parks, buildings, solid waste management, street lights, slum area development etc.

Health

The state government announced that Super Specialty Hospitals with a capacity of 500 beds will be established in four parts of Bengaluru on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to cater to the needs of the ever-increasing population. The health system during the second wave of Covid-19 took a massive hit and exposed the lack of infrastructure at government hospitals in the city.

The Chief Minister also announced ‘Namma Clinics’ to be established in all wards of Bengaluru city. In these clinics, the services of detection of non-communicable diseases and of referral for higher treatment to specialists will be provided. It can be recalled that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in 2015 had introduced the concept of Mohalla Clinics to serve the same purpose.

Metro and Railways

Works to connect the Metro stations with the Indian Railways will be taken up at an expenditure of Rs 55 crore in Whitefield, K R Puram, Baiyappanahalli, Yeshwanthpura, Jnanabharathi and Yelahanka railway stations. Action will be taken to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) in the year 2022-23 for the construction of a new 37-km-long Metro line connecting Sarjapura to Hebbala through Agara, Koramangala and Dairy Circle at an estimated cost of Rs 15,000 crore.

A Detailed Project Report (DPR) to take up the Phase-3 of the Bengaluru Metro project at an estimated cost of Rs 11,250 crore will be submitted to the Central Government for its approval. This covers a distance of 32 km on the Outer Ring Road from Hebbal to J P Nagar and 13 km between Hosahalli to Kadabagere.

An additional 7.53 km of Metro line had been operationalised during 2021-22 under the Phase-2 Namma Metro and in the year 2022-23, 33 km of Metro line will be added. With this, Namma Metro will have a total stretch of 89 km. Metro works have been taken up to construct a 58.19-km-long Metro line connecting Central Silk Board with Kempegowda International Airport and this will be completed by March 2025.

The Bengaluru Suburban railway project is also proposed to be completed by 2026 at an estimated expenditure of Rs 15,267 crore. In this project, four corridors are envisaged to be constructed with a total length of 148 km. A tender for the civil works has been invited for the Chikkabanavar-Byappanahalli corridor and work will commence soon.

Roads Infrastructure

The state government in the Budget announced a sky walk and said that the tendering process has been approved for the 100-meter-wide and 73-km-long peripheral Ring Road from Tumkuru Road to Ballary Road. Connecting Hosur Road through Old Madras Road has been pending since 2006.

Bommai said, “It will be executed at a cost of Rs 21,091 crore, including land acquisition cost, in the current year under the DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer) model. The contractor will bear the cost of land acquisition and construction.

The sky walk will be constructed at an expenditure of Rs 45 crore at Banashankari Junction to connect the Metro station with the bus stand and for the safety of pedestrians and street vendors.

To decongest traffic at the Goraguntepalya Junction and enable signal-free movement of all vehicles, grade separators and flyover works will be taken up jointly by the BBMP, BDA and NHAI. Recently, the flyover was shut down for vehicles after concerns were raised. Later, light motor vehicles were allowed to ply following public demand.

Education

Bommai in his Budget speech said that the government focus will be on the three Es – Employment, Education and Empowerment. He also announced a plan to provide requisite infrastructure and quality education in selected government schools of Bengaluru. Under this scheme, 20 selected schools will be developed as ‘Bengaluru Public Schools’ at an expenditure of Rs 89 crore.

The government also announced the renovation and upgradation of the Government Industrial Training Institute, Hosur Road, with the assistance of Namma Metro, Bengaluru at a cost of Rs.7 crore.

Water, lakes and Sewerage Treatment plants

Under the much ambitious project of BBMP, ‘K-100 Citizens’ Water Way project, envisaged to prevent sewage water from flowing into storm water drains, and rejuvenating and developing Rajakaluve into a recreation spot for citizens in Bengaluru city, Koramangala Rajakaluve is being developed from K R Market Junction to Bellandur Tank at an estimated cost of Rs 195 crore.

Presently, principal secretary to Chief Minister Manjunath Prasad N who, had then proposed to build a waterway on the lines of the ‘Sabarmati River Waterfront’ project, had got the green signal from then Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

In the Budget, Bommai said that the 20 old sewerage treatment plants installed in various places of Bengaluru city will be upgraded to prevent water pollution at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore. The works will be taken up by the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

In addition to rejuvenation of water sources of the Arkavathi river under the ‘Mega City Revolving Fund’, rejuvenation works of water sources of the Tippagondanahalli Reservoir will also be completed in the year 2022-23 at a cost of Rs 312 crore in order to utilise 1.7 TMC water from the Yettinahole project in a planned manner. For comprehensive development of Madiwala and Yalemallappashetty Lakes, details will be prepared by the BBMP.

Cauvery Water Supply Scheme (Stage-5) to bring additional 775 million litre of water to Bengaluru city at a cost of Rs 5,550 is under implementation. So far, Rs 1,556 crore has been spent. The project is being implemented in full swing and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024-25, the CM said.

Development of Layouts

The long-standing demand of providing basic infrastructures to the layouts developed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is expected to see the light of the day as the state government announced Rs 404 crore towards the purpose.

Bommai said, “As much as 2,671 acre of land has been acquired for the formation of the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout and the work is in progress. Acquisition of the remaining 1,297 acre of land will be completed and developed as a modern smart city. Roads, drains, underground drainage and sewage water treatment plants will be constructed by the BDA at an expenditure of Rs 404 crore in Sir M Vishveshwaraiah, Banashankari 6th stage and Anjanapura layouts and will be handed over to the BBMP for future maintenance.”