Bengaluru
Ahead of the assembly elections in the state, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) presented its annual Budget for 2023-24 on Thursday with a total outlay of ₹11,163 crore, giving a push to improve infrastructure and ease traffic congestion in the IT city.
Calling it an ‘Atma Nirbhar Budget’, BBMP special commissioner for finance Jayaram Raipura presented a surplus budget of ₹6.14 crore. “While the total receipts will be ₹11,163.97 crore, the total expenditure will be ₹11,157.83 crore, thereby resulting in a surplus budget of ₹6.14 crore,” Raipura said in his budget speech.
The BBMP said that there are 42 flyovers and 28 under bridges in Bengaluru city, and four more flyovers and four under bridges will be added this year. Flyovers are expected to be constructed near Gokula road, Mathikere, ORR– pipeline junction at Jalahalli, over Mekhri circle underpass on Jayamahal road, and Sadashivanagar police station circle.
White topping work of 150 km road will be taken up at a cost of ₹1,410 crore in 2023-24. Similarly, ₹450 crore will be earmarked for comprehensive development of 350 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads on light-tender-sure model.
“ ₹20 crore has been earmarked for the maintenance of these flyovers, under bridges and pedestrian subways. Another ₹20 crore has been earmarked for maintenance of arterial and sub-arterial roads and roads constructed under Tender Sure and Smart City Schemes,” the special commissioner said.
In order to address the slow movement of traffic, widening of roads will be taken up at a cost of ₹150 crore, and the proposals also include developing 75 major junctions which have been identified by the department for development.
The BBMP has also kept aside ₹195 crore for the nine ongoing projects across the city. Works on Tumkur Road to Nayandanahalli junction, West of Chord Road to Kurubarahalli, RR Nagar to Magadi Road, Bannerghatta Road, Wilson Garden, Yelahanka, Hoodi junction, Minerva Junction and Old Madras Road will be benefitted from this allocation.
In view of flooding in 2022 following rains, the BBMP has reserved ₹55 crore in 2023-24 for repairs and maintenance of primary and secondary drains. The special commissioner said Bengaluru received record rainfall of 1,958 mm during 2022-23, which is a new record since 1858.
“‘Rajakaluves’ and ‘Pillagaluves’ (primary and secondary drains) of Bengaluru need periodic repairs to be ready to face any flood situation. ₹72.90 crore has already been earmarked for maintenance of tertiary drains at ₹30 lakh per ward. ₹55 crore is reserved in 2023-24 for repairs and maintenance of primary and secondary drains with an expectation to prevent any flooding or any untoward incident in future,” the budget copy read.
The BBMP also announced that the newly established 243 wards will be sub-divided into two to three wards for better administration. “Understanding the humongous task and difficulty in managing the administration of 243 wards, it is proposed to have sub-divisions with 3 to 4 wards, a division with 2 to 3 sub-divisions and a few divisions making up one zone,” Raipura said.
A sum of ₹15 crore has been earmarked for development of 15 new parks in 2023-24 and ₹80 crore for maintenance of existing parks. The BBMP has decided to plant 1.5 million tree saplings every year from 2023-24.
The BBMP has proposed opening three bulk waste collection and transportation centres. “A 100-acre integrated solid waste management centre will also be opened on the outskirts of Bengaluru under PPP mode without any financial burden on BBMP,” Raipura said.
While civic experts welcomed some of the proposals, they said that the budget lacks vision, and its move to construct more flyovers and widen roads will not decongest the city, which is fraught with traffic issues.
Civic activist and convener of Citizens’ Agenda for Bengaluru, Sandeep Anirudhan, said, “The budget is more or less directionless, lacking vision or understanding. Given the lack of capacity within BBMP, it is understandable. The government needs to build capacity urgently within MPC, BBMP, BDA and BMLTA with teams of urban planners and transport planners, and other technical staff, so that are more informed and holistic budgets in future.”
“Measures like more flyovers and road widening projects will only increase traffic congestion, by the widely studied phenomenon called the ‘induced demand’, more the space you create, more the traffic that would be generated to fill that space up,” Anirudhan pointed out. He also slammed the white-topping project, calling it “disastrous and ill-advised.”
“What Bengaluru’s roads ail from are lack of quality execution, as well as constant digging for utilities. This cannot be solved by concrete roads, even these concrete roads will now be dug up, increasing the losses to the city,” Anirudhan said.
Kathyayini Chamaraj, activist and executive trustee of CIVIC, said that the ad hoc flyovers and underpasses are being budgeted against scientific advice and even before the BMLTA starts working to prepare the Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Bengaluru. “Will the ₹1,600 crore going to be spent for SWM be for transporting and dumping garbage at landfills or for creating ward-level wet-waste processing units as ordered by the HC? We will not be able to get a comprehensive idea of what kind of development is happening in Bengaluru if the BBMP budget focuses largely on road infrastructure and we have no idea how much money is coming to the anganwadis, schools and PHCs/hospitals, or BWSSB, Slum Board, etc. which are still in the hands of the state government. All this money should be given as devolution of funds under the 74th CA to the Metropolitan Planning Committee so that a comprehensive development plan for Bengaluru can be devised.”