The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Infrastructure gets a lion's share

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Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Infrastructure gets a lion's share

Staff Reporter

Budget lays emphasis on improving road network in the city

BANGALORE: To address the infrastructure woes of the burgeoning metropolis, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has set aside Rs. 5,215 crore, which accounts for 62 per cent of the total budget outlay, for infrastructure works during the current financial year.

BBMP Taxation and Finance Committee chairman P.N. Sadahiva's budget speech on Monday laid emphasis on improvement of road network in the city. Under the Bharat Ratna Sir M. Visvesvaraya Infrastructure Plan, the palike will not only keep up the pace of developing the infrastructure, but also take up several new works, Mr. Sadashiva said.

Plans are afoot to improve arterial roads that connect national highways to the State capital. The civic body has earmarked Rs. 178.24 crore for an elevated road from Sirsi Circle Flyover to Nayandahalli on Mysore Road. It will spend Rs. 3.95 crore to provide signal-free traffic between Yeshwanthpur and Goraguntepalya on NH 4.

While junction improvement works are proposed at West of Chord Road's junctions with Basaveshwaranagar Main Road and Shivanahalli, the palike intends to construct 50 grade separators at various locations. Adopting the new technology of white topping (laying concrete on asphalted roads), it will spend Rs. 25 crore for a 30 km stretch of arterial roads.

The budget proposes to construct one elevated steel bridge between Minerva Circle and Hudson Circle to ease traffic congestion. Also, it proposes to construct tunnel roads between Majestic-K.R. Market and Majestic-Okalipuram.

It has also proposed to spend Rs. 40 crore to develop approach roads to the international airport.

Footpaths

The budget promises to take care of pedestrians who are the victims of development, by spending Rs. 20 crore in the central business district to widen the footpaths and Rs. 24 crore elsewhere in the city.

The palike will spend Rs. 200 crore for solid waste management in the next five years. It has also earmarked Rs. 200 crore for traffic management and vehicle parking.

A project management unit will be set up to design programmes for timely implementation by adopting new technology and by mobilising revenue through government and private participation.

Parking complexes

Realising of late the need for parking complexes in the city to alleviate road users' woes, the civic body through the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) will get 10 multi-storeyed vehicle parking lots under public-private partnership.

The parking lots will come up on palike properties near Freedom Park; Gandhibazar Main Road; near Garuda Mall; Jayanagar Shopping Complex; Sirur Park Road; near Akkithimmanahalli Stadium; near Malleswaram West Temple Road; near Cantonment Railway Station; near Russel Market and Kumbargundi.

Refurbishing markets

While the budget talked about refurbishing some old market places/ complexes in the city, it also spoke about constructing new market complexes under PPP at other places. The palike will provide a separate entrance to the unused first floor of the K.R. Market Complex to make the same usable.

Comprehensive development of Madiwala and Mavalli markets; redevelopment of Malleswaram and Jayanagar markets through BDA; remodelling of the Kalasipalyam Bus-Stand with BMTC at a cost of Rs. 226 crore and construction of a new multi-purpose market complex at a cost of Rs. 152 crore at K.R. Puram are some of the projects announced in the budget.

Burial grounds

The civic body has proposed to beautify burial grounds at Chamarajapet, K.R. Puram and R.T. Nagar. A detailed project report is getting ready for the comprehensive development of storm water drains in the city.

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