The recent floods and the terrible condition of roads in the city filled with potholes causing multiple deaths may have dented the image of the ruling Congress. As the opposition BJP tries to capitalise on the crumbling infrastructure, the Congress, which is in power both in the State and the civic body, has ensured that work orders to overhaul roads to the tune of ₹2,220 crore have been issued. These projects, which include the previously announced white-topping of major roads, are one of the biggest one-time spends on Bengaluru’s roads.
Apart from the ₹723 crore on white-topping of 93.5 km of roads, another ₹1,497 crore will be spent on re-asphalting major roads as well as interior ward roads.
Though most of the works are part of the 2016-17 and 2017-18 State budgets, work orders are being issued now, with a completion deadline set for February 2018, just months before the Assembly polls scheduled for April-May 2018.
The overhaul will be funded through the Nagarothana Scheme of the State government, which has earmarked ₹4,200 crore for fiscals 2016-17 and 2017-18.
The process of sanctions for these works was hastened and completed over the last one month, under instructions from the State government, said a senior official. Work orders for most of the works were issued recently and work is set to begin next week.
A senior ruling party councillor said roads and traffic have always been the biggest talking points among citizens and the party is working towards the goal of giving the city a facelift by February 2018. “While work orders have been issued for re-asphalting of major roads, they are yet to be issued for interior ward roads,” said a senior engineering official. “White-topping of roads has a longer timeline of one year for completion. Re-asphalting of roads, both major roads and interior roads in the wards, have been given a strict deadline and are to be completed by February-end,” said a senior engineering official.
BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad denied that the works are poll-related. “The works were part of budgetary allocations made in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 State budgets. Identifying the roads, preparing DPR, calling tenders and getting cabinet approvals, took over 11 months to complete. This is the biggest one-time spend on the city's roads in recent years,” he said.
However, it’s yet to be seen whether these projects will pacify frustrated and angry citizens. D.S. Rajashekhar, president, Citizen Action Forum, an umbrella organisation of over 110 Residents Welfare Associations, said that though spending on roads is welcome, there is no accountability. “Moreover, unless the civic body ensures the roads are not dug up again, most of the money will be a wasteful expenditure,” he said.
Urbanist Ashwin Mahesh said that though the State government is ready to pump in money, the system does not have the ability to spend that kind of money in a short time. “Re-asphalting of roads will only address the problem at the surface level. Overlay of a layer of asphalt will stand only for a couple of months, whose timing may also be wrong as works are being taken up during the onset of the North East monsoon,” he said.
GFX
Highlights of the project
Re-asphalting of Major Roads: 575 km: ₹797 crore
Re-asphalting of interior ward roads: ₹700 crore
White-topping of Major Roads: 93.5 km: ₹723 crore
Total cost: ₹2,220 crore
