Bengaluru: After criticism from biz leaders, city gets Rs 2,296 cr for civic works

Bengaluru: In a major step to improve Bengaluru’s infrastructure after facing strong criticism from business leaders, the Karnataka cabinet on Thursday approved Rs 2,296 crore for a wide range of civic and road projects under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). The plan covers large-scale road asphalting and city development work across five corporations.

Of the total funds, Rs 1,241 crore will be used under a special scheme to develop infrastructure in the newly formed city corporations that come under the GBA. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil said the cabinet had cleared a detailed action plan to improve road quality. “The funds will mainly be used for asphalting roads,” he said.

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The remaining Rs 1,055 crore from the approved amount will go toward development works and essential infrastructure under the Chief Minister’s Infrastructure  Development Programme announced in this year’s budget. The minister added that the cabinet has directed officials to call for short-term tenders and obtain both administrative and tender approvals at the same time to ensure that work starts quickly.

This decision follows growing complaints about Bengaluru’s poor roads, which recently led to harsh criticism from the city’s tech community and local residents. The new projects include road resurfacing, drain repairs, better footpaths, and the construction of community halls, markets, shops, and multipurpose buildings across several constituencies.

The government also shared details of constituency-specific works: decorative tusker poles in Yelahanka, park improvements with gym facilities in Basavanagudi, a bhajana mandira and anubhava mantapa in Vijayanagar, a new government higher primary school in Malleswaram, CCTV cameras in Chamarajpet, and renovation of a section of KR Market.

The cabinet also decided to send a recovery and reconstruction report to the Central government, asking for Rs 1,545 crore as relief for public infrastructure damaged by recent floods in North Karnataka. “This is the first time the state has sought financial help for infrastructure losses,” Patil said, adding that a separate report would be sent for crop damage compensation.

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Additionally, the cabinet approved Rs 69 crore for the Cauvery IT Cell, the technical division of the Stamps and Registration Department, which will now be managed externally for five years. It also cleared the establishment of “Technology Business Incubators 2.0” at a cost of Rs 80 crore over five years under the Karnataka Start-up Policy 2022–27.

These incubators will be set up across eight districts — three in Belagavi, two in Mysuru, and one each in Bagalkot, Mangaluru, Shivamogga, Dharwad, Tumakuru, and Hassan. The cabinet also gave the green light to the “Karnataka Strengthening Coastal Resilience and Economy Project,” a joint initiative with the World Bank aimed at boosting ecological restoration, climate resilience, and sustainable livelihoods in the coastal and Western Ghats regions. For this, Rs 20.47 crore has been sanctioned for technical and management consultancy services.