The 2022-3 State Budget’s commitment towards the overall development of Bengaluru is underwhelming, especially as polls to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are expected to be held in a few months.
Though the Budget allocates ₹8,409 crore for the city, many of the projects mentioned are either those that were announced earlier or are ongoing.
Moreover, a majority of the ₹8,409 crore comes from ₹6,000 crore allotted under the Amruth Nagarothana scheme that is to be implemented over the next three years. This has come under sharp criticism from the opposition Congress.
The scheme, announced by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Independence Day last year, covers various projects such as development of roads, grade separators, lakes, stormwater drains, parks, and slums
Some of the projects that have found a repeat mention in the Budget include decongesting traffic at Goraguntepalya junction for signal-free vehicular movement and the development of a small and micro-industrial park.
After heavy rains wreaked havoc on Bengaluru’s infrastructure, Mr. Bommai had announced ₹1,500 crore for stormwater drains. The same has found mention in the Budget, along with proposed development of the Madiwala and the Yele Mallappa Shetty lakes.
Policy specialist on urban governance Mathew Idiculla maintained that the Budget was along expected lines with no major surprises or pathbreaking ideas for developing Bengaluru. “But for a few interesting proposals like the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Park and Namma Clinics in all wards, in terms of infrastructure, there are no new initiatives. Unfortunately, the Government continues to rely on the public-private partnership model and top-down ad-hoc schemes like Amruth Nagaroththana for infrastructure development,” he said.
Other old projects that find a mention in the Budget include a ₹45-crore skywalk at Banashankari junction connecting the metro station with the bus stand, rejuvenation and modernisation of 20 sewage treatment plants (STPs) at ₹1,500 crore, and construction of roads, drains, underground drainage and STPs (₹404 crore) by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) at Sir M. Vishveshwaraiah, Banashankari 6th Stage, and Anjanapura layouts.
The 5th stage of the Cauvery Water Supply Scheme to bring additional 775 million litres is expected to be completed by 2024-25. The rejuvenation of the T.G. Halli reservoir will be completed this fiscal at ₹312 crore to utilise 1.7 tmcft from the Yettinahole project.
The Peripheral Ring Road, which has been pending since 2006, will now be taken up as a PPP project under the ‘Design Build Finance Operate and Transfer’ model where the contractor will bear the cost of both the land acquisition and the construction.
Though expected, there is no solution to the conversion of B-khata to A-Khata in BBMP limits. The Budget plainly states the issue will be examined in light of Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act and the Karnataka Land Revenue Act.
While the ruling BJP hailed the Budget, the opposition Congress stated that there is no vision for the city’s development.
M. Shivaraju, former Congress councillor, said the Budget shows there is no will to hold BBMP polls. “Democracy continues to elude citizens. The Budget also offers no solution to the nearly ₹20,000 crore burden on BBMP, which includes ongoing works, spillover works, pending bills and loans,” he said.
Countering this, N.R. Ramesh, former BJP councillor, said it was a good Budget and all projects should be implemented in a time-bound manner. “Civic agencies must implement them; no project should be handed over to Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd,” he said. While hailing the allocation of ₹1,500 crore for drains, he sought an investigation into the spend of ₹2,983 crore released for drains over the past six years.
