Cong flags inflated cost for road project in Bengaluru

The Congress party on Friday warned of protests if the Karnataka government takes up a road project in the BBMP limits at an “inflated” cost.

KPCC working president and former Bengaluru in-charge minister Ramalinga Reddy said the project of developing 12 road corridors was proposed when B S Yeddyurappa was the chief minister. Back then, the cost of developing 191 kilometres of roads was estimated at Rs 1,122 crore.

Of this, the road cost was Rs 335 crore and the five-year maintenance cost Rs 787 crore, Reddy said.

While rules say contractors must maintain the roads for the first two years, Reddy said the government had estimated the maintenance cost from the first year itself.

Besides, while several stretches of these roads fall under both the KRIDL and the BBMP, the government wants to hand them all to the former agency, he alleged.

It is now being said that the chief minister is reviewing this project.

Reddy warned of protests if the government continues the project at such an “inflated cost”.