BBMP to take the high road to development

BBMP to take the high road to development
Rs 22,000-Cr Plan Unveiled; No More Magic Boxes
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: The BBMP is all set to wave its magic wand and fix Bangalore’s infrastructure. But, you’ll have to wait till 2012 for things to fall in place. On Saturday, it unveiled its mega plan which includes no more narrow magic boxes and underpasses, but escalator-powered skywalks, 12 signalfree corridors, development of 123 lakes and tanks and 272 new parks.
Even as the BBMP gears up for elections, the government announced infrastructure projects worth Rs 22,000 crore. The proposal, to be placed before the next cabinet meeting, seeks constitution of an empowered committee to execute these projects.
The plan includes an elevated corridor on JC Road between Minerva Circle and Hudson Circle to ease congestion in the south corridor. The project also proposes to construct a 16-km elevated north-south corridor between Madiwala and Hebbal and a 12-km elevated eastern connectivity corridor from Vellara Junction to Kundanalli.
Unveiling the blueprint, transport minister R Ashoka said the BBMP would also construct elevated roads on storm water drains of Koramangala, Chalaghatta, Vrishabhavati and Hebbal valleys.
“The development of the city is being dictated by the whims and fancies of those at the helm of affairs. This blueprint ensures the development takes place in a planned manner, irrespective of who is in power,” he said.
BBMP commissioner Bharat Lal Meena said resource mobilisation was not a problem. The HUDCO, ready to finance anywhere between Rs 3,000 crore and Rs 5,000 crore, had agreed to lead the consortium. “BBMP itself was confident of mobilising Rs 5,700 crore on its own, while the BDA, state government and Centre (under Jn-NURM) had agreed to contribute Rs 2,000 crore each. Besides, we are floating bonds/ loans with government guarantee which will fetch us Rs 8,300 crore. We plan to mobilise Rs 2,000 crore through public participation,’’ he added.
Ashoka said the government will not levy any fresh cess on Bangaloreans to mobilize resources for these projects. He added that the government had decided not to have any more magic boxes and underpasses as they’d proved ‘ineffective’ in handling high traffic.
12 SIGNAL-FREE CORRIDORS
122 km at a cost of Rs 2500 crore Dr Rajkumar Road — Yeshwanthpur to Oklipuram — 5 km Chord Road — Mysore road Junction to CV Raman Road — 10.5 km Magadi Road — Chord Road to ORR — 3.5 km Outer Ring Road — Mysore Road to Central Silk Board — 14.5 km Hosur Road — Central Silk Board to Vellara Junction — 6 km Bannerghatta Road — IIM-B to Wilson Garden — 9.5 km Old Airport Road — Vellara Junction to Whitefield —
13.75 km
Agara Lake to Sirsi Circle via Lalbag Fort Road — 8.5 km City centre to Kengeri via Sirsi Circle — 15.5 km Yeshwanthpur Industrial Area to Hebbal — 6.5 km Corridor from Mekhri Circle to Hope Farm via Old Madras Road —
21 km
Cubbon Road to ORR through Kamaraj Road — 7 km Elevated corridors, arterial roads, better parks
Bangalore: The BBMP has released a Rs 22,000-crore infrastructure development plan for the city. Following are some of the plans under it. If approved by the government, they will be due for completion by 2012. Skywalks with escalators along signalfree corridors: Rs 600 crore Elevated North-South corridor between Madiwala and Hebbal: Rs 1,800 crore Elevated eastern connectivity corridor from Vellara to Kundanhalli: Rs 1,200 crore Arterial and sub-arterial roads in new zones: Rs 2,350 crore 40 railway overbridges/underbridges:
Rs 330 crore
Elevated roads over storm water drains (Double Road to National Games Village, and Rajiv Gandhi Circle in Seshadripuram to Mysore Road): Rs 900 crore Remodelling of storm water drains in newly-added areas: Rs 6,600 crore Improvement of lakes, parks: Rs 1,000 crore Cost towards land acquisition for signalfree corridors: Rs 1,000 crore