Dy CM DK Shivakumar urges Sitharaman to fund Bengaluru infra projects

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, requesting the inclusion of more infrastructural projects in Bengaluru in the upcoming Union Budget 2025-26 to reflect its status as the 'Silicon Valley of India'.

The letter dated January 23 emphasised that, as a Member of Parliament representing Karnataka, Sitharaman must be aware that Bengaluru, with nearly 1.5 crore residents, urgently requires major infrastructure projects to sustain its growth and maintain its status as a leading technological hub.

In his letter, Shivakumar highlighted key infrastructure projects for Bengaluru proposed by the state government that require financial assistance from the Centre.

According to him, one of the crucial projects for the city is an underground vehicular tunnel.

He mentioned that the East-to-West corridor, spanning 28.5 km from K R Puram Circle to Nayandahalli Junction on Mysore Road and estimated to cost approximately Rs 25,000 crore, is a vital proposal by his government.

"The state government has agreed to provide Rs 19,000 crore as Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for this project, and the draft Detailed Project Report has been published to seek public opinion," he said.

He also mentioned that, following the successful implementation of a double-decker road along the Metro Yellow Line from Silk Board Junction to Ragigudda, the state government proposes extending this model in Phase III of the BMRCL Project.

"This includes a 40.65 km stretch across two corridors in Phase IV: JP Nagar to Hebbal (via Outer Ring Road West) and Hosahalli to Kadabagere (via Magadi Road East)," he added.

According to him, the extension project is estimated to cost an additional Rs 8,916 crore.

Shivakumar mentioned that experts have recommended 17 flyovers spanning 99.5 km across 11 high-traffic corridors to address major traffic issues in the city. The project, he said, is estimated to cost Rs 12,000 crore.

He also said that constructing roads along the buffer zones of stormwater drains (SWDs) has been undertaken at an estimated cost of Rs 3,000 crore.

This initiative, he said, will connect several large lakes in Bengaluru, which have existed for centuries and are all interconnected through SWDs, popularly known as Raja Kaluves.

The Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) is spearheading the implementation of the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project, a 73.04-km-long, 8-lane road with a 100-meter right of way (RoW), Shivakumar said.

This public-private partnership initiative, he added, aims to decongest Bengaluru by providing faster connectivity without passing through the central business district.

"The estimated total project cost is Rs 27,000 crore, which includes Rs 21,000 crore for land acquisition and Rs 6,000 crore for civil construction," Shivakumar added.

Bengaluru stands to benefit significantly from the sixth phase of the Cauvery Water Supply Scheme (CWSS), the Deputy Chief Minister said.

"A detailed project report (DPR) for the sixth phase, which aims to supply an additional 500 million litres per day (MLD) of water by 2028, has already been proposed," added Shivakumar.