By IANS,
Bangalore : The Karnataka government has allocated Rs.18 billion for Bangalore’s infrastructure development in this fiscal’s state budget, tabled by chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa here Thursday.
Yeddyurappa, who also holds the finance portfolio, said Bangalore would require a whopping Rs.360 billion to tackle its infrastructure problems over the next five years.
“Such a huge investment can be made possible through the state government, public-private partnership and support from the 6.5-million citizens of Bangalore,” Yeddyrappa said.
Of the Rs.18 billion, Rs.7 billion will be allotted to the Bangalore metro project, Rs.3 billion to the municipal corporation, Rs.2.4 billion for improvement of roads, Rs.1 billion for drinking water supply to the extended areas through bore wells, and Rs.250 million for improvement of traffic management.
“We will also develop a 65-kilometre outer ring road at a cost of Rs.30 billion under a build, own and transfer (BOT) basis. For smooth traffic flow in the gridlocked roads, 10 flyovers and under-passes will be built at Rs.3.5 billion,” Yeddyurappa said.
To ease the traffic congestion and provide adequate parking space, about 40 multi-storeyed parking facilities will be constructed on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis.
The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) will invest Rs.7 billion to provide roads, drainage and drinking water facilities in the extended civic areas, he said.
“BDA will also form three new layouts to allot housing sites for citizens on priority,” the chief minister said.
Of the three proposed layouts, the Nada Prabu Kemegowda layout will be formed to provide about 60,000 sites, with 20 percent of them reserved for low-income groups.
As part of infrastructure development, the state government has appointed the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) as adviser to implement the 40-kilometre high-speed rail link project – connecting the city and the newly opened international airport at Devanahallion – on a PPP basis.
“Though 34 percent of the state’s population lives in urban areas, accounting for about 80 percent of economic activities, the civic infrastructure has not kept pace with the phenomenal increase in the population and the level of economic growth,” Yeddyurappa said.
To develop urban areas across the state, the plan outlay for the sector has been increased to Rs.50.41 billion this fiscal from Rs.29.23 billion last year.
This was the Bharatiya Janata Party government’s maiden budget.