Ahead of the state budget on July 7, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) held a meeting with senior officials on Monday as it plans to draw up projects for the city. The civic body is also making preparations for the high-powered meeting on June 17, which will be chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
In his budget presented in February, former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai had set aside a total of Rs 9,698 crore for the “comprehensive development of Bengaluru”.
Grants were allocated for projects such as white-topping of roads, building flyovers, water supply, and wastewater treatment, among others. In all possibility, the Congress-ruled state government is expected to overrule these allocations in the new budget.
None of the recent budgets have, however, contributed significantly to improve the quality of infrastructure across the city, particularly on the outskirts. Poor garbage management, bad roads and irregular water are among the major problems in the peripheral areas.
Urbanist Ashwin Mahesh said the government must set aside a certain percentage of GST collections for the development of Bengaluru while adding that the government must allow the BBMP to conceptualise and implement the projects. He suggested that funds be allocated for the development of footpaths, drains, garbage management and safety.
“The problems faced by residents in the core area are not the same as those residing on the outskirts. The focus of the BBMP has largely been on older neighborhoods, which should stop,” he said.