Bengaluru
Contrary to expectations, the much hyped “Brand Bengaluru” initiative spearheaded by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also holds charge of the city, seems to have barely added anything new for the city in the Karnataka Budget that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah presented on Friday, July 7. The Budget has provided ₹100 crore for revamping and expansion of Indira Canteens, a marquee scheme of the previous Congress regime that had fallen out of favour under the BJP regime.
However, in the backdrop of the alleged factionalism between the two leaders who were locked in a hot contest for the Chief Minister’s post, the first thing that caught everybody’s eye in the Budget speech on Friday, was that there was no separate section for Bengaluru Development, like it has been for many years now, but was clubbed under the Urban Development Department, despite the DCM heading the portfolio. Interestingly, the Budget also doesn’t mention the Tunnel Road project, championed by Mr. Shivakumar. While the project is in its initial stages of consultation, it doesn’t even commit to the project and earmarks no funds for conducting a Feasibility Study or a Detailed Project Report.
Comparison
The Budget Basavaraj Bommai, who also held charge of the city, presented in February this year allocated ₹9,698 crore under the head “Comprehensive Development of Bengaluru”. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in his Budget speech on Friday, said there are ongoing works worth ₹12,000, including works taken up under Amrutha Nagarothana, high-density corridor, road white-topping, solid waste management, anti-encroachment drive, repairs/remodelling of canals and filling potholes in the city. Sources said these ongoing works include works proposed in the 2023-24 February Budget and spillover works from the previous year. While there is a commitment to complete these works, the Budget presented on Friday, has little to offer towards building new infrastructure in the city. The Budget has also slashed allocation for road infrastructure.
The State government has cut 20% of the allocation for white-topping of city roads. In the previous Budget, the then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had allocated ₹1,000 crore for white-topping of 120 km of arterial roads and this has been cut down to ₹800 crore and now white-topping will be taken up only for 100 km long roads. Both Budgets — presented in February and July — reiterate projects to build a rotary flyover at M. Visveswaraya Terminal at Baiyyappanahalli and develop 100 km of major roads that are part of High Density Corridors.
About Peripheral Ring Road (PRR), which was designed to ease traffic congestion, the Budget said the government will resolve all legal hurdles and make sincere efforts to implement the project expeditiously. No allocation was made on this front. No fresh allocation is provided towards stormwater drains, but according to a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) official, the previous allocation of ₹1,800 crore will continue.
