K'taka Govt to take up Bangalore's development in a big way

Bangalore, Mar 16 (UNI) Various measures, including implementation of a 'valley project' to ensure proper directed flow of storm water and road improvement works, involving an investment of over Rs 800 crore are being taken up to ensure improved infrastructural facilities in the city.

Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who also holds the Finance portfolio, revealed his plans for development of the rapidly growing city in his budget presented in the Assembly this afternoon.

Giving details, he said that to ensure planned development of the city, the Government had constituted the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike by merging the areas of seven city municipal corporations, a town municipal corporation and 110 villages around the city with the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike from January 16. With this, the jurisdiction of Bangalore had increased from 225 sqkm to nearly 741 sqkm.

Mr Yediyurappa said the Government would spend Rs 640 crore under the 'Valley Project' and another Rs 100 crore would be earmarked for road improvement works in various parts of the city. The Government would also spend Rs 30 crore in each of the newly created five zones for improvement of main roads, roadside drains and foot paths. It would earmark Rs 50 crore for construction of overpasses in nine locations here. A tunnel from Bangalore Development Authority point to Minsk Square would also be built by spending Rs 50 crore during the year. The ongoing Metro Rail project was expected to be completed by 2009 and the Government had earmarked Rs 173 crore for the purpose during the year. Once it was introduced, it would mitigate the problems of urban commuters, he hoped.

He said the slums of the city would be developed at a cost of Rs 160 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The Government would spend Rs 54 crore towards development of Tumkur as a satellite town of Bangalore.

UNI