Rs 2,500 crore budgetary fund for Bengaluru infra

Rs 2,500 crore budgetary fund for Bengaluru infra

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. (File Photo: IANS)

Bengaluru, Feb 16 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced Rs 2,500 crore budgetary fund for 2018-19 for Bengaluru's infrastructure development, including work on distressed lakes and roads."A budget of Rs 2,500 crore is being allotted to take up various infrastructure development projects in Bengaluru," Siddaramaiah, who also holds the Finance portfolio, told the Assembly while presenting the Budget.However, the projects announced by the government for Bengaluru's development in 2017-18 at a budget of Rs 2,441 crore will be started only in fiscal 2018-19, he said, without disclosing any details."A special package was announced in 2016-17 for the developmental works in Bengaluru at a cost of Rs 7,300 crore for a period of two years. These works are at their completion stage," he said. The details and status of the projects under the package were not explained in the Budget.The Rs 2,500 crore budget will be spent on the development of 40 of the 88 lakes proposed to be developed by the Lake Development Authority."A budget of Rs 50 crore is being allotted for 2018-19 for the rejuvenation of Bellandur Lake (in the city's southeast suburb), in addition to the Rs 50 crore granted in 2017-18," he said.About 150 km length of the major water drains, 250 km length of footpath in the city and roads in 110 villages within the city limits would be developed in 2018-19, the Chief Minister added.Siddaramaiah said about 100 km length of city's roads would be developed with the funds from the 2018-19 budget.The state intends to take up white-topping (covering roads with portland cement concrete to recover from deterioration) of all the arterial and sub-arterial roads over the next five years.Phase II of the Bengaluru Metro covering 72 km will be completed by March 2021 and the work on preparing a project report for the 105 km metro line under Phase III will be taken up, Siddaramaiah said.--IANSbha/and/mr

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