The CBD paradox: Abundance of funds, questionable priorities

Bengaluru: Just two weeks ago, the government issued two important orders sanctioning over 120 works for Bengaluru, amounting to a total of Rs 2,000 crore. Almost all the works involve either white-topping or tarring (asphalting) arterial and sub-arterial roads. 

Such a large allocation of funds to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) comes close to a year after the government showered over Rs 6,000 crore to the city ahead of assembly polls.

There is one thing common in both these allocations. Grants are being earmarked for works based on the party in power and the bargaining capacity of the local legislator. Little or no attention is given to assessing the necessity of undertaking a particular work, thanks to unwavering support from the bureaucracy. 

Such a forumla has dealt a big blow on large constituencies such as Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli, Bengaluru South, Yeshwanthpur and Byatarapurapura, which continue to be plagued with poor civic infrastructure while the system has benefitted the core zone. 

Take, for example, the BBMP’s latest plan of white-topping 43 roads. Over 35 of these roads are situated in Bengaluru’s core area. Worse, MG Road and Race Course Road – which are in good condition – are among the 43 roads identified for a complete makeover with an allocation of Rs 45 crore and Rs 13.16 crore respectively even though the repair required on both these stretches is minimal.

The BBMP’s Rs 1,200 crore plan – comprising 82 roads – is no different. Only six roads each in Bommanahalli and Mahadevapura zones have been selected while the rest are situated in six other zones, particularly the core area. 

The list comprises a grant of Rs 18 crore to white-top Cubbon road, which is absolutely smooth to drive even after micro-surfacing (asphalting) the stretch in 2017. The BBMP has also included stretches such as Kensington Road, Swami Vivekananda Road, Ejipura Main Road, JC Road etc although these stretches are in a motorable condition and do not require a total transformation. 

The BBMP has argued that the white-topping project can only be taken up on good roads.

“If the stretch is under distress, we have to first asphalt the road and then provide a layer of concrete on top,” BBMP’s engineer-in-chief BS Prahlad told DH. He said the outlying areas not getting adequate funds is a lie. “Since the outer areas are yet to fully get water supply and sanitary lines and that requires digging up of roads, we have not included those roads for white-topping” he said.

With respect to funding, Prahlad said zones such as Mahadevapura have received a lot of funds from various programmes including village development funds (VDF), special funds as part of providing water and sanitary lines in the 110 villages etc.

On the contrary, the BBMP has a long history of repeatedly spending money on select roads while starving other roads of any funding. A four-member committee – which was constituted to study the white-topping project  – had highlighted the unscientific selection of roads for white-topping in its recent report. While laying down six guidelines for white-topping, the Doddihal-committee report had recommended asphalting of roads with ‘L’ gradients or ones with a good drainage system. 

Srikanth Narasimhan, founder of Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP) termed white-topping of good roads as the biggest scam Bengaluru has seen so far.

“Except for this being a money-making racket for ministers and politicians, it does not serve any other purpose,” he said. 

He also said the MLAs deciding the allocation of BBMP is a violation of the fundamental principle of decentralization and democracy through debate. “BBMP elections cannot and should not be postponed any further if the government is truly citizen-oriented,” he said. 

Urbanist Ashwin Mahesh said the very idea of bringing villages and urban local bodies under the BBMP has failed if the far-flung areas are not getting better treatment. “The imagination of those who run the city starts from the centre to outwards. They think from Vidhana Soudha and hence the core areas are pampered with a lot of funds,” he said. 

He suggested the government should bifurcate the BBMP so that the 60% of the people, who live outside the ring road, get better infrastructure.

“Allocation of funds should be based on data and a formula. It should not be left to the preference of the government.”