Rs.3,577 crore for Bangalore infrastructure development

The Karnataka budget for 2014-15 proposes to invest Rs.3,577 crore for the infrastructure development of Bangalore, including roads, flyovers, underpasses and bridges across railway crossings, protection of lakes and waste disposal.

"In addition to Rs.1,527 crore grants from various central and state schemes, the Bruhath Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will spend Rs.2,050 crore to implement new projects and complete unfinished projects to improve infrastructure facilities across the city," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Friday while presenting the budget.

He said select arterial and sub-arterial roads would be developed at a cost of Rs.500 crore to ease congestion on main thoroughfares and facilitate smooth flow of vehicular traffic.

"Similarly, major roads across the city will be widened at Rs.300 crore as per the city's master plan 2015; railway under bridges and over bridges will be built at Rs.200 crore in association with the Indian Railways to prevent traffic piling at track crossings.

"Important junctions and footpaths will be developed at Rs.200 crore; a dozen main roads will be developed at Rs.300 crore and grade separators at Rs.200 crore to address heavy traffic density," Siddaramaiah said during his two-hour long budget speech.

The state-run Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) will build about 8,000 flats during the new fiscal and form a new layout to allot 5,000 housing sites.

"In addition to the proposed investments, the state government will construct peripheral ring road at a cost of Rs.5,800 crore with financial assistance from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and an underpass on National Highway 4 at a cost of Rs.125 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)," the chief minister said.

The state urban development department will also take up the construction of two elevated corridors in central and northwest suburbs of the city at a cost of Rs.1,291 crore for speed movement of vehicular traffic to the international airport and national highway 7.

A detailed project report will be prepared to meet the growing drinking water needs of the city and its extended suburbs and funds will be raised from external assistance agencies to execute the project by the state-run Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

"The first phase of the Bangalore metro rail project will be completed by March 2015 and the second phase will be taken up to extend the service by 72km comprising 72 stations at a cost of Rs.26,405 crore," Siddaramaiah added.