Repair works underway at Church Street.
Credit: DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V
Bengaluru: Church Street, Bengaluru’s lively party hub, has gained a new caretaker despite its current shabby look after an expensive makeover.
City-based nonprofit Unboxing BLR Foundation has taken responsibility for maintaining the one-kilometre stretch for two years.
The nonprofit will also maintain three TenderSURE roads across the city that were upgraded to international standards but have suffered from inadequate upkeep.
The initiative to involve private entities in the maintenance of 12 TenderSURE roads was promoted by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, also the Bengaluru Development Minister, under his 'Brand Bengaluru' programme.
In January, the BBMP advertised for private agencies to fund the programme through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) budgets.
Four private organisations expressed interest, including Unboxing BLR Foundation and real estate firms Brigade Enterprises, Sobha Ltd, and Prestige Estates. Notably, three of these agencies expressed interest in maintaining both Church Street and Vittal Mallya Road.
Prestige Estates Projects showed the highest interest, offering to maintain nine roads, while Unboxing BLR Foundation and Brigade Enterprises offered to maintain three each, and Sobha selected two.
However, the BBMP, after learning that the Ministry of Corporate Affairs declined permission to use CSR funds for road maintenance, partnered solely with Unboxing BLR Foundation due to its nonprofit status.
Unboxing BLR Foundation will maintain Church Street, Mallya Hospital Road, and Richmond Road (Trinity Circle to Richmond Circle).
“We are aiming to give Church Street the facelift it deserves. It is also among over eight stretches planned for ‘Hubba in Your Street’ as part of BLR Hubba, launching on November 30. Church Street has already been prepped as a pilot and will host the festival across three weekends,” said Malini Goyal, CEO of Unboxing BLR Foundation.
While Goyal did not disclose the foundation’s planned expenditure for maintenance, the BBMP agreement requires the NGO to ensure cleanliness, repair broken interlocks, paint bollards, maintain ornamental plants, and fix streetlights on these roads.