The BBMP has earmarked Rs 900 crore to white-top over 70 roads in the city.
Credit: DH Photo/Pushkar V
Bengaluru: Having set its eyes on shattering property tax collection records, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is rolling out an ambitious Rs 1,200-crore plan that includes 82 infrastructure projects this year.
This is also the first time the civic body — traditionally reliant on the state's support for its infrastructure works — will be setting aside a significant portion of its own revenue for long-lasting upgrades.
Generally, revenue from property tax gets swallowed in road maintenance, park upkeep, and drain cleaning, leaving very little for larger, transformative infrastructure work.
The BBMP plans to spend the Rs 1,200 crore in the next three years. Of that, Rs 900 crore has been earmarked to white-top over 70 roads, while Rs 50 crore has been allowed to asphalt roads in Mahadevapura — the zone that brings in the lion's share of the tax revenue. A further Rs 50 crore is also set aside for similar works in Bommanahalli.
Officials said the remaining Rs 200 crore will be spent to protect, improve and develop rajakaluves, which will include building roads on the buffer zones.
“We have been collecting about Rs 2,800 crore in property tax, which gets spent on minor works,” BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath told DH.
“As we expect to collect more tax, we have decided to keep aside Rs 400 crore for big projects as part of the 'Brand Bengaluru' programme,” he added, noting that the idea is to ensure funds are not spent extravagantly.
The BBMP plans to create an escrow account where it plans to deposit Rs 33.3 crore monthly from its revenue collection. Funds from this account will be spent on the 82 projects.