JOIN USAkrama-Sakrama revenue may be spent on 'pathetic' City roads
The State government was considering using the revenue generated under the ‘Akrama-Sakrama’ scheme for the City’s development, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said here on Saturday.
The chief minister conceded that Bangalore — known as the City of Knowledge, Silicon Valley of India and IT Capital — had been dogged by poor infrastructure and potholed roads in recent times.
“This year, because of heavy rains, roads have become pathetic. They were not given any attention in the last five years,” he said.
“The government will try its best to restore the City to its original glory. We are considering using the revenue generated under the Akrama-Sakrama scheme for developing the City’s infrastructure.” Siddaramaiah further said Mayor B S Satyanarayana had suggested to him to include vacant sites under the said scheme and the proposal was being looked into.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony to lay the foundation stone for an underpass at Magadi Road–Siddaiah Puranik Road Junction and grade separator on Chord Road at 10th Cross Road Junction in Rajajinagar 1st Block.
The chief minister attributed the poor condition of roads to the “lack of vision” while they were being laid. “In the future, our emphasis will be on building concrete roads rather than tar roads,” he added.
On the garbage problem, Siddaramaiah said that two months ago, he had directed the BBMP as well as Bangalore In-charge Minister, Ramalinga Reddy, to address the issue in six months. At the ceremony, the chief minister also launched work on tarring 230 prominent roads which are 440 km long, at a cost of Rs 560 crore.
“I had directed the Palike officials to not invite tenders and instead hand over the project of tarring the roads to the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited.
“It will take six months for processing of tenders and then monsoon will arrive and the work will have to be stopped abruptly. But then the BBMP has already invited tenders and the project will start soon,” the chief minister added. Reddy said that around 14 roads around Vidhana Soudha would be laid at a cost of Rs 130 crore. Besides, Rs 613 crore would be spent on constructing six signal-free corridors. The government had set aside Rs 908 crore for repairing roads and footpaths and constructing flyovers and underpasses, he added.
BIA will be Kempegowda airport after Dasara
The Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) would be christened Nadaprabhu Kempegowda International Airport shortly after Dasara, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said.
The second phase of Namma Metro is in the finalisation process. Siddaramaiah promised he would try to include Magadi Road-Tavarekere line in Namma Metro. Bangalore South MP, H N Ananth Kumar, requested the chief minister to hand over Binny Mill to the railways so that it could be used to set up a suburban (local) train system. Siddaramaiah replied he would take up the matter with the senior railway officials in the coming days.