Karnataka capital Bengaluru got a major push for infrastructure development works in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) budget for the fiscal year 2023-24, presented on Thursday by Jayaram Raipura, BBMP’s special commissioner for Finance. The BBMP budget had a total outlay of ₹11,157.83 crore.
In his budget speech, Raipura set a lens on maintenance of existing infrastructure in the city such as slaughters houses, crematoriums and burial grounds, with ₹182.25 crore dedicated towards PoW works. Officials are set to take up de-silting, pothole filling, and footpath development works in the city, he added.
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In a bid to ease the city’s traffic woes, the BBMP allotted ₹150 crore for the improvement of 75 junctions. Apart from this, the state budget had allocated ₹350 crore for the construction of a five-kilometre elevated road in Bengaluru to further tackle congestions. ₹300 crore was further allocated for construction of roads in Bengaluru, while ₹1000 crore was granted for white-topping of 120 kilometres. The state budget was presented by chief minister Basavaraj Bommai last month.
Storm Water Drains (SWDs) were also a matter of huge concern for the authorities given the floods that wrecked the city in monsoon last year. The BBMP allocated ₹70.2 crore towards SWD maintenance in this regard, with ₹15 crore towards emergency monsoon works. Apart from this, CM Bommai had announced a project of ₹3000 crore in the direction of climate control in his state budget speech last month.
READ | Roads, footpaths & drains are key priorities for Bengaluru residents in BBMP budget
Raipura meanwhile said ten new plazas will come up in Bengaluru at the cost of ₹50 crore, while new zones in BBMP limits will be developed at the cost of ₹2 crore each. ₹38 crore will be provided to fund maintenance of streetlights, he stated. The BBMP gave ₹15 crore for new parks and ₹5 crore for construction of underground parking spaces.
Bengaluru city also got ₹210 crore towards construction of flyovers and underpasses, ₹17.25 crore for additional electrical fittings and ₹5 crore for special development works at Freedom Park. Raipura further said ₹80 crore will be given to improve slums, while ₹195 crore will be allotted towards the ongoing construction of nine flyovers in the city.
