Budget to develop city not enough: Experts

With Karnataka assembly elections around the corner, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai presented the government’s last Budget, with a big push for the Bengaluru infrastructure. A substantial allocation to Bengaluru’s development - ₹9,698 crore - stood out in the chief minister’s Budget speech.

Allocation of less than ₹10,000 crore for the development of Bengaluru in the state Budget on Friday is not enough, and there should be an assessment if it is reaching the right cause and solving the issue, urban and mobility experts said.

Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai presents the Budget in Bengaluru on Friday. (ANI)

With Karnataka assembly elections around the corner, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai presented the government’s last Budget, with a big push for the Bengaluru infrastructure. A substantial allocation to Bengaluru’s development - ₹9,698 crore - stood out in the chief minister’s Budget speech.

Bengaluru was ranked among the most traffic-congested cities in the world, according to the latest TomTom study.

To ease the traffic congestion, a 5 km elevated road for ₹350 crore from Tin Factory to Medahalli and an integrated flyover from Yeshwantpur railway station to Mathikere and BRL road, were announced.

The state government also proposed to develop 75 important junctions with the highest traffic congestion for ₹150 crore, and artificial intelligence (AI) was proposed for the traffic management signals.

The CM said the construction of the Satellite Town Ring Road of 288 km for ₹13,139 crore has been approved by the central government. The state government has agreed to pay 30% of the land acquisition cost required for this project.

Under the Amrutha Nagarothana Scheme, works worth ₹6,000 crore is being implemented in Bengaluru city. The development of 108 km of roads has been taken up under the high-density corridors scheme at an estimated cost of ₹273 crore.

For improving the city’s road infrastructure, Bommai said that an additional 120 km of roads would be white-topped for ₹1,000 crore, and ₹300 crore has been allocated to repair roads in 110 villages added to the BBMP.

The work order for the Bengaluru Sub-Urban Railway project between Chikkabanavara and Byappanahalli Corridor 2 for ₹860 crore has been issued, and the work has commenced. The state government also alloted ₹1,000 crore to implement the suburban railway project in Bengaluru.

For proper usage of Sir M Vishveshwaraiah Terminal at Byappanahalli, the access roads around the terminal will be comprehensively developed, and it is proposed to take up the necessary works for ₹300 crore to reduce the traffic congestion, according to the Budget.

Approval has been given by the state government and the ministry of railways for the implementation of the Bengaluru suburban railway project for ₹15,767 crore, which was the long-standing demand of residents of Bengaluru. The work of the first phase is already under progress, and this project will be completed in the year 2024-25.

Bengaluru had become a flashpoint in 2022 as it struggled to cope with the urban floods triggered by the incessant rains in August and September. Large-scale encroachments of lakes, rajakaluves and buffer zones caused frequent flooding of houses.

To mitigate the ill effects of climate change and control floods in Bengaluru, a project with the assistance of the World Bank at a cost of ₹3,000 crore will be implemented. ₹1,813 crore has been provided to undertake the development of a total of 195 km of drainage and culverts as well, the chief minister said in his Budget speech.

A total of ₹200 crore in financial assistance will be given to Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) from the state government for implementing the second phase of providing potable water to 110 villages, coming under the purview of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

The Budget also proposes the construction of 250 ‘She Toilets’ for ₹50 crore in heavily populated markets and commercial complexes in Bengaluru.

To prevent the encroachment of BBMP property and to ensure the protection of such property, fencing, erecting boards and surveillance through GPS software will be undertaken for ₹35 crore.

Prof. M N Sreehari, the adviser to the government of Karnataka for traffic, transportation and infrastructure and chairman of the Indian smart cities development organization for infrastructure (ISCDOI), said, “ ₹150 crores for improvement of 75 junctions does not carry any meaning. Instead, they could have seamless traffic signalisation. Secondly, we should all consider the need for parking because this is the main reason for congestion in the city.”

“Spending crores on the construction of flyovers is a temporary measure, and the congestion will only move from one junction to the next. These elevated roads do not have any solution at all because they will push the problem to the next junction. They should have used their common sense,” Sreehari said.

Sreehari further said that while white-topping is a good measure and it has been proven all over the world that it has a longer life, the authorities need to focus on the quality of construction instead.

Urban expert Ashwin Mahesh said, “The government has allocated ₹10,000 crore for the city this year. But it is mostly a five-year plan. Also, the government should not be doing this anymore since the announcement of the BMLTA. First, the projects should be in the Master Plan and then proposed to the BMLTA, which will approve select projects.”