Karnataka govt lines up 52 projects across 13 departments for private sector

A high-level committee of the government has approved 52 projects that will be given to the private sector for implementation, with authorities looking at newer ways to fund ideas that have remained on paper for long.

The list of 52 projects spread across 13 departments includes the long-pending peripheral ring road (PRR), a software park with multi-storey parking at Basaveshwara Nagar in Bengaluru, a ropeway at Jog Falls in Shivamogga among others.

These projects were sent to the Infrastructure Development Department, the nodal department for PPP.

“The proposals we received were placed before the state-level committee headed by the chief secretary, and they have been cleared. Next, we will be taking them to the Cabinet,” Additional Chief Secretary (infrastructure development) B H Anil Kumar said.

Under public-private partnership, Kumar explained that private players will fund the project. “Normally, the government provides only the land,” he said. “But in the case of the peripheral ring road, we have a private player who has offered to pay for the land acquisition as well.”

The 65-km road project will connect four highways - Tumakuru Road, Ballari Road, Old Madras Road and Hosur road - to create seamless connectivity with Kanakapura Road and Mysuru Road, two other major highways connecting to Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This project, languishing for nearly two decades, is estimated to cost Rs 21,000 crore out of which land acquisition needs Rs 15,000 crore.

Among the projects proposed for PPP by the Animal Husbandry department are the Pashuloka theme park in Hesarghatta, a dog care centre at Dasenahalli and another theme park in Doddaballapur. The Youth Empowerment & Sports department has proposed PPP for development of the Kanteerava Stadium, an adventure sports academy, construction of stadia in taluks and districts among others.

The Rural Development & Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department wants PPP for its Rural Infrastructure for Water Supply Systems (RIWAS), a Rs 150 crore project.

“We’re inviting private parties to install smart energy and water metres, smart level-controlling sensors in borewells and overhead tanks in the villages,” RDPR principal secretary L K Atheeq said. “This will help save energy and water. The private party will be paid for the investment made out of the savings in energy costs.”

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