Thaindian News

Bangalore, March 21 (IANS) The Karnataka budget proposes to spend a whopping Rs.5,500 crore in the ensuing fiscal (2012-13) for addressing the infrastructure woes of India’s tech hub, including its poor public transport and traffic snarls on its thoroughfares.

“The state government has approved phase two of the Bangalore metro rail project to extend the high-speed service across the city covering 72 km more by 2017-18 at a cost of Rs.26,405 crore,” Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda said Wednesday presenting the budget proposals for next fiscal.

A part of the first phase of the ambitious metro rail, covering 6.7km from the city centre to eastern suburb, was commenced in October 2011 and another 10.4km will be opened up for commutation by this year-end.

“The entire phase one covering 42.3km from east to west and south to north is scheduled for completion by December 2013. An outlay of Rs.500 crore has been provided for the metro project in the next fiscal,” Gowda said in his maiden budget speech.

To ease the vehicular gridlock across the city’s main roads, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will take up five signal-free corridor projects covering 52km across the city at a cost of Rs.426 crore in the fiscal under review.

“Eight parking complexes will be built in the city at a cost of Rs.200 crore while solid waste management centres will be set up at a cost of Rs.200 crore during next fiscal,” Gowda said in his general budget proposals.

The civic body will also be allotted Rs.1,000 crore for funding major infrastructure projects, including road widening, parking and other amenities.

“The state government will come out with a policy to facilitate vertical instead of horizontal development in Bangalore. To preserve lakes and water bodies, I am making a budgetary allocation of Rs.50 crore to protect, restore and rejuvenate lakes across the city,” Gowda added.