Bengaluru expects huge relief from State Budget

Y Maheswara Reddy | NT

The ever-growing land-locked city that Bengaluru is, keeping pace with the mounting infrastructure demands is always a challenge. The civic body entrusted with this daunting task, the BBMP, has mostly incurred the wrath of the highly participatory citizens of the once Garden City. The agency passes on the buck, saying it has only been able to provide as per funds allocated to it. Y Maheswara Reddy digs deep into the facts.

Bruhat Benga - luru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) expects an allocation of Rs 4-5,000 crore in the State Budget for the year 2022-23 to ensure overall development of Bengaluru. The problem with budgetary allocation is that every year, the chief minister or finance minister makes budgetary allocation, but the actual allocation of funds to the BBMP is “far from satisfactory”.

For example, budgetary allocation for developmental works in Bengaluru has been around Rs 20,000 crore since 2016 but the state government has released only Rs 12,000 crore till date. It is not clear when the BBMP will get the remaining Rs 8,000 crore.

BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta has said that he is expecting the announcement of developmental works worth Rs 4-5,000 crore for Bengaluru in the State Budget for the year 2022-23.

The need of the hour is to upgrade and construct storm-water drains in the city to avoid flooding during monsoon. It is expected that the budgetary allocation will be Rs 450-500 crore for the modernisation and upgrade of storm-water drains in the city.

The BBMP has taken up developmental works worth crores of rupees and many of such works are in different stages. While some of them are in near-completion stage, others are incomplete due to reasons best known to the BBMP authorities.

Recently, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the state government has decided to draw a plan with a “long-term vision” for the development of Bengaluru.

Residents of 110 villages and municipalities that were brought into the BBMP’s jurisdiction more than a decade ago are expecting the CM to allocate more funds for developing the much-needed infrastructure such as roads, underground drainage facilities, and drinking water and street lights in those areas. They said that emphasis should be on the completion of Cauvery 4th Stage and suitable measures should be taken to solve the drinking water problem in the city

Most roads in Mahadevapura, Yelahanka, RR Nagar, Dasarahalli and Bommanahalli zones are dug up for laying water pipes and underground drainage pipes. A majority of these roads, including cross roads, are in a bad shape and need to be asphalted before the onset of monsoon. Residents and motorists are expecting some relief from potholeridden roads in the city.

It is learnt that the state government had issued an order to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) to solve the drinking water problem and extension of underground drainage facilities to all areas in the BBMP’s jurisdiction. Recently, the CM announced an allocation of Rs 6,000 crore for the development of Bengaluru under the Nagarothana project.

The other pressing need is either to allocate funds to the BDA or direct it to utilise its own resources to provide basic infrastructure at Nada Prabhu Kempegowda Layout, where allottees have been waiting for almost six years to construct their dream homes.

A majority of lakes in Bengaluru need to be developed or rejuvenated to increase the groundwater table in the city. Lake activists have demanded that the state government allocate sufficient funds to the BBMP for rejuvenation and protection of water bodies in the city.

Home buyers, who have been exploited by a few builders and land developers, are expecting some relief in the State Budget to make Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority more efficient by providing the much-needed manpower.