News Brief
DK Shivakumar Seeks Rs 1.5 Lakh Crore Central Push For Mega Infra Overhaul In Bengaluru, Eight Priority Projects Unveiled
DK Shivkumar. (Arijit Sen/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar, has sought Rs 1.5 lakh crore in central funding to address Bengaluru’s chronic traffic congestion and the mounting strain on its urban infrastructure.
In a detailed proposal letter submitted to the Prime Minister during his Bengaluru visit, Shivakumar sought urgent central support for eight priority projects designed to decongest arterial roads, modernise public transport, and improve essential services.
The eight priority projects are:
Urban tunnels and elevated corridors on erstwhile National Highways (77.6 km), including underground links from Hosur Road to Bellary Road (NH-7) and KR Puram to Mysore Road (NH-4 & NH-275), plus an elevated expressway on Kanakapura Road.
Peripheral Ring Road (PRR), a 73.04 km, eight-lane bypass to divert heavy vehicles and ease congestion on the ORR.
Metro Phase 3 and 3A expansions, adding 81.65 km, plus five new corridors totalling 128 km to link peripheral and satellite towns – cost under approval.
Double-Decker elevated roads along Metro viaducts on the JP Nagar–Hebbal and Hosahalli–Kadabagere routes.
Roads along stormwater drain (SWD) buffer zones – 300 km to tackle encroachments and add new capacity.
Phase 6 of the Cauvery Water Supply Scheme, adding 500 million litres per day (MLD) by 2028.
A Rapid Rail Transit System consisting of five corridors connecting Bengaluru with Mysuru, Kanakapura, Tumakuru, Chikkaballapur, and Kolar, modelled on the Delhi–Meerut RRTS.
"Contributing substantially to the national GDP and hosting India's largest IT/ITES base, global investments, research institutions, and skilled talent, Bengaluru drives the country's economy and innovation. However, rapid urbanisation has created urgent challenges in mobility, water supply, waste management, drainage, housing, and overall infrastructure," his letter stated.
Shivakumar urged the Centre to allocate “requisite funds… from the central budget...and treat Bangalore at par with Delhi, enabling the city to emerge as a truly global metropolis."
