Bengaluru city gets lion’s share in state budget

Thrust for comprehensive development of the city

Bengaluru, March 4: With the eyes rivetted to upcoming BBMP polls and also the assembly polls in the coming year the state government has announced an allocation of whopping Rs 8,409 crore for Namma Bengaluru.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who also holds finance portfolio presented his maiden budget with a total outlay of Rs. 2,65,720 crore. Importance has been accorded to areas like infrastructure, health, education and others, he said in his budget speech.

Under the ‘Amruth Nagaroththana’ scheme, Bommai has proposed to invest Rs 6,000 crore for the comprehensive and planned development of garden city Bengaluru in the next three years.

The projects include road improvement, grade separator, parks, solid waste management, street lights, lake development, major storm water drain development, slum area development et al.

To bailout Bengaluru from the recent rain havoc during the monsoon, a

Mega grant of Rs 1,500 crore has been announced for development of storm water drains. The drains are aimed easing and improving carrying capacity of drains and to prevent possible floods in the city.

The whopping allocation of Rs. 8,409 crore has made city MLAs, especially those representing BJP happy!

It may be recalled that former Chief Minister, B S Yediyurappa had allocated Rs 7,795 crore for the development of Bengaluru. The issue of holding polls to the BBMP which is pending for over one-and-a-half years is pending before the Supreme Court. The dates for the BBMP elections are likely to be announced anytime soon. Further, assembly elections are slated for next year.