Bangalore roads flushed with funds for over a decade
Given the poor condition of roads in Bangalore, it is quite apparent to assume that the Karnataka government did not spend enough on maintenance; however, reality has a different tale. The BBMP has spent a whopping Rs.17800 crore on Bangalore roads in the last 10 years, although the present condition of the roads do not reflect it.
With more money spent on the construction and repair of roads, more work stalls in endless progress, contributing towards deteriorating condition of the roads vehemently. Such condition, in a nutshell defines the infrastructure and civic progress in the city in the last 10 years. The city is filled with battered and potholed road that bears testimony of the ailing civic condition.
According to market experts, funds valuing Rs 17000 crore sanctioned by BBMP in the last 10 years, has been spent on road infrastructure mainly in the core areas of the city. However, the central business districts in the city have the maximum number of potholes, which highlights the lack of government attention in these areas.
In-depth-overview
According to market resources, around 6460 crore were spent on repair and maintenance of roads between April and March 2007. With the Bruhat tag to BMP, the expenditure on roads rose to Rs.8799 crore.
The total length of the roads extending between Karnataka and Kerala is close to 370000 km and over 15000 crore has been spent on maintenance and asphalting
of the roads. To add to it, government officials further emphasised on GIS-based Road History Register to keep a tab on embezzlement of money in the name of road maintenance. Furthermore, according to infrastructure experts, some of the roads in the city violate National Building Code, which may lead to major mishaps and accidents.
Approval of the budget
The government gave a green signal to the BBMP budget of 8521 crore for road maintenance, which is an addition of Rs 54 lakh. The size of the budget previously was limited to Rs 8520 crore, that was revised due to changes in grants.
Before sanctioning of the project, all kinds of queries and questions asked by a corporator were dealt by the BBMP. Since most of the roads in KTPCL and BWSSB were battered, the budget was sanctioned with the sole purpose to strengthen the road for better economic growth and prosperity.
Roads play a crucial role in the overall development of a city. The poor conditions of the road in Bangalore have to an extent affected the real estate growth of the city and have taken a toll on connectivity. To set the city on an upward trend and promote it, it is mandatory that connectivity is smoothened by battered-free and potholed-free roads.
