BBMP Budget 2023-24: Major Infra Push For Bengaluru With Focus On City Plaza, Flyovers

Ahead of the Assembly elections in Karnataka, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Thursday (2 March) presented its budget, with a major focus on public works in Bengaluru.

Jayaram Raipura, the BBMP's special commissioner for Finance, presented a budget of Rs 11,157.83 crore for the year 2023-24, giving a push to development of flyovers, junctions, building grade separators, and white topping of roads.

The budget has been presented with a firm belief in the norm, "stretch your legs as much as your bed" and is aimed to bring financial discipline, self-reliance and self-sufficiency in the BBMP's finances, he said.

Let’s take a major proposal related to infrastructure in the budget:

1. New Flyovers

• Amidst citizens opposing flyovers, the BBMP has announced 15 flyovers and underpasses in various parts of Bengaluru.

• This includes three flyovers from Gokula Road near Mathikere turn at Rs 40 crore, ORR-Pipeline Junction at Jalahalli at Rs 65 crore and at Sadashiva Nagar Police Station Circle at Rs 40 crore.

2. City Plaza

• Construction of 10 new city plazas in residential areas at a total cost of Rs 50 crore

• New zones in BBMP limits will be developed at the cost of Rs 2 crore each. 

3. Traffic Decongestion

• Widening of roads at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore to address traffic congestion at bottleneck areas which includes development of 75 major junctions.

• Grade separators will be built at Wilson Garden at Rs 85 crore, at Yelahanka flyover at Rs 60 crore, Hoody Junction-ITPL Big Bazaar-Hope Farm at Rs 124 crore, Minerva Junction at Rs 137 crore, and Suranjan Das Junction to Old Madras Road at Rs 104 crore.

4. Improvement of Rail Connectivity

• An integrated over bridge would be constructed from Yeshwantpur Railway Station to New BEL Road in collaboration with Suburban Railway to provide direct connectivity to Mathikere, Sanjay Nagar and Yeshwantpur at a cost of Rs 200 crore.

• An elevated rotary flyover and seamless connecting flyover will be constructed at a cost of Rs 345 crore to provide better connectivity to Sir M Visvesvaraya Railway Station at Baiyappanahalli.

 5. Road Improvement

• The BBMP will take up white-topping on 150 km of road at a cost of Rs 1,410 crore in 2023-24.

• Rs 450 crore has been earmarked for comprehensive development of 350 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads on 'Light Tender SURE' model.

• BBMP has earmarked Rs 20 crore for maintenance of arterial and sub-arterial roads, and roads constructed under TenderSURE and Smart City schemes.

• A sum of Rs 300 crore has been earmarked for reconstruction of the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board-excavated roads in 110 village.