Centre to bear STRR's development cost: Gadkari

The BJP government in Karnataka received a fresh impetus from the Centre on Tuesday as it received approval for its long-pending infrastructure projects.

In a major relief to Bengaluru’s congested roads, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari offered to bear the land acquisition cost of the ambitious Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) project and readily agreed to increase the annual plan outlay expenditure by Rs 1,769 Crore.

Holding a review meeting of various infrastructure projects with Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and other ministers of the state, Gadkari announced bearing the complete cost of land acquisition for the first phase of the project.

“The work has already begun and we will soon complete the land acquisition process. The cost will be borne by the Centre. The Chief Minister has also agreed to bear the 25% of the land acquisition cost in the subsequent phases,” Gadkari explained.

Going a step further, Gadkari also announced, “The royalty for aggregated sand and stone used for the project will be exempted as also GST on steel and cement. Further, it will be treated as contribution from the state. The Rs 6,000-crore project linking major towns around Bengaluru can be commissioned with immediate effect.”

This apart, the Union minister also declared full support for all infrastructure projects provided the state government completes more than 80% land acquisition and has environmental clearances. He also directed officials to increase the annual plan outlay for Karnataka from the present Rs 2,150 crore to Rs 3,919 crore.

The STRR, covering a length of 204 km, will connect eight major and fast-developing town centres — Dobbspet, Doddaballapur, Devanahalli, Sulibele, Hoskote, Sarjapur, Attibele, Anekal, Tattekere, Kanakapura, Ramanagaram and Magadi.

The road is expected to reduce congestion on arterial and peripheral roads. Though the project was originally conceived in 2006, it was revived recently as part of the Centre’s Bharatmala Pariyojana.