The New Indian Express ·
Karnataka CM puts Bengaluru roads, traffic, flood control, civic services in focus
BENGALURU: A major push for Bengaluru’s infrastructure and civic services was on the agenda of the second meeting of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) on Thursday, with road development, traffic management, flood control, public transport, waste management, lake conservation, welfare schemes and urban planning emerging as key areas of focus.
Chairing the meeting, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the creation of the GBA had helped reduce the administrative pressure on the chief commissioner by distributing responsibilities across the five commissioners. He also said as per the Supreme Court’s order, local body elections would be held, adding that the electoral process would have been completed but for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
The agenda for the meeting was focused on all-round development of Bengaluru with priority on road infrastructure. White-topping and road development works covering 120.69 km are being taken up at an estimated Rs 1,700 crore, with 64.09 km already completed. Another 378.95 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads are being upgraded at Rs 694 crore, of which 306.19 km has been completed. Under the CSSIP scheme, road works covering 788.28 km are being implemented at Rs 1,241.57 crore.
An additional Rs 2,000 crore has been provided for 2026-27 for development of roads, parks, playgrounds, buildings and cemeteries, covering nearly 1,041 km of ward roads.
Traffic decongestion is another priority. A 4.72-km Rotary Flyover at Byappanahalli, estimated to cost Rs 380 crore, is under construction. Tenders are also progressing for 11 elevated corridors covering 75.60 km at Rs 13,262.70 crore.
Flood management and lake restoration also received attention. With World Bank assistance, 173 storm-water drains and 80 drain-upgradation works are being taken up at Rs 2,000 crore. Improvement works are under way in 24 lakes, while around 300 acres of aquatic weeds have been removed.
Public transport connectivity is set for further expansion. BMTC has been directed to procure 200 small buses for first- and last-mile connectivity, while BMRCL has proposed 500 mini-buses with Rs 125 crore in funding.
Waste management is another key area highlighted by the CM. GPS-enabled vehicles, transfer stations, biomethanisation and dry-waste and construction-waste processing facilities are among the measures being pursued.
The meeting also considered a GIS-based Master Plan for the Greater Bengaluru Local Planning Area, with IBI Group India–Arcadis JV emerging as the L-1 bidder at Rs 15.22 crore.
On governance, the GBA is proposing an Integrated Financial Management System and continuation of the Integrated Command and Control Centre for real-time monitoring, grievance redressal and disaster response. Draft regulations for an Economic Development Agency are also being considered to attract investment, generate employment and promote PPP projects.
The authority is examining the creation of 28,729 posts, including 3,691 additional posts, and direct recruitment to 1,119 vacant posts. The government is also strengthening e-Khata implementation, with Shivakumar stating that issues are being addressed as and when they arise. Slum development has been given attention too, with a proposal for Rs 466.19 crore to improve basic infrastructure in 413 declared slum areas and explore PPP-based redevelopment and housing for economically weaker sections.
