CM pushes fast-forward button

With an eye on BBMP poll, govt shifts focus to City infrastructure

With the BBMP election drawing closer, the focus is clearly shifting to the City’s infrastructure. Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday issued fresh guidelines to civic agencies to speed up the implementation of infrastructure projects.

After reviewing the developmental works, the chief minister told mediapersons that guidelines have been issued to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board to take up infrastructure development works, maintaining quality.

The CM said the BDA was to spend Rs 700 crore in the areas added to the BBMP during the previous financial year. So far the BDA had spent Rs 623 crore on 1,544 works. Of the 1,544 works, 695 are yet to be completed. The CM directed the BDA to get the works completed before July. The works include development of roads, drainages, playgrounds, parks and electrical works.

As many as 511 works will start on May 20, at a cost of around Rs 195 crore.

Yeddyurappa said the construction of flyovers at 14 junctions on the outer ring road will start in June and October. A total of Rs 750 crore will be spent on these flyovers, which should be completed by December 2010. Four hospitals on the lines of Victoria and Bowring Hospital will come up on the outskirts of the city. Development of the lakes in Bangalore was also on the agenda.

Road works

Regarding the BBMP works, the chief minister said the Sheshadri Road widening work will be completed by the end of May. Similarly, the widening and development of Race Course Road, Bellary Road and Palace Road will be over  by June 2009. The BBMP will complete the 15-km stretch from Central Silk Board to Hosur Road by July 15, the CM said.

Tenders have been called for the disposal of waste products, said the CM, who informed that an organic company had agreed to pay Rs 27 per metric tonne of waste to BBMP.
Out of 13 slums, developmental works in five slums have been started. The CM said about 4,800 beneficiaries have received the hakku patraas.

Yeddyurappa has instructed to change the design of the underpasses as the present design needs to be improved. The government has granted approval for seven skywalk escalators in various parts of the city and the work would start soon.

The CM also instructed authorities to construct pavements on either side of the roads during widening. The BBMP has also been directed to develop the remaining 286 parks in the city. He said the BBMP has evolved a special programme to ease the traffic by developing 12 signal-free  corridors.

What’s in store

* Flyovers in 14 junctions on the outer ring road

* All lakes to be developed

* Rs 800 crore to BDA for infrastructure development

* Seven skywalk escalators

* 12 signal-free corridors

* Borewells to be electrified

* 1,000 borewells to be sunk