Rs 7,300-crore infrastructure works in the offing for Bengaluru

Governor Vajubhai Vala on Monday said the government will take up infrastructure works worth Rs 7,300 crore in Bengaluru in the current and next financial year.

Addressing the joint session of the legislature, Vala said the infrastructure work included road development. However, he did not specify other works to be executed.

Referring to Namma Metro, the governor said the BMRCL was poised to complete the 42.38-km Phase 1 by April this year. The works under Phase 2 are being executed at a fast pace. He said that the government was pro-active in introducing the suburban rail for
the Bengaluru metropolitan area in collaboration with the Railways. The government recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Railways.

Noting that special emphasis had been laid on development of rail network and airports across the state, the governor said the preliminary work for constructing the second runway and second terminal of the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru was in progress.

Upgrading of the existing airports at Belagavi and Hubballi was being done by the Airports Authority of India. Construction of the Kalaburagi airport had commenced, he said.

A large number of railway projects had been taken up on a cost-sharing basis with the Railways, Vala said.

Out of the 10 major railway projects under way in the state, Ramanagaram-Mysuru (doubling), Hassan-Bengaluru, Bidar-Kalaburagi lines, Bagalkot-Kajjidoni section of the Bagalkot-Kudachi line and rail coach factory at Yadgir were expected to be completed during the current year, he said.

The governor, referring to the newly launched startup policy, said Karnataka had retained its lead as one of the startup capitals of the world. Over 4,000 startups have received investments of over $1 billion over the past two years.

The governor said that under the drive to reclaim encroached government lands in Bengaluru, 4,700 acres had been recovered in the last three years.
DH News Service