Yediyurappa announces ₹7,800 crore for Bengaluru, mostly for ongoing projects

Even though the Karnataka government set aside ₹7,795 crore for the development of Bengaluru in the 2021-22 budget, most of the schemes announced were old.

Projects such as the Peripheral Ring Road, fast-tracking the implementation of the suburban rail project, doubling railway lines, creating tree parks and automatic ticketing system, were either part of earlier budgets or the recently announced Mission 2022 plan.

One of the prominent announcements was speeding up the development of the Peripheral Ring Road in Bengaluru to ease the traffic situation in the city. Land acquisition for the project had started in 2006 itself. The only new aspect in the budget was the introduction of a private party for the land acquisition.

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During his budget speech, Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa announced the construction of Bengaluru Signature Business next to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). The agency responsible for construction, Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, had listed this project on their website in 2018 itself.

A grant of ₹850 crore has been announced for the year 2021-22 for the suburban rail project, which is underway.

Other projects, such as developing 52 stations to accept One Nation, One card; the doubling Yeshwanthpur-Channasandra and Bommanahalli-Hosur railway and the construction of three foot overbridges in Bengaluru were announced earlier as well.

The development of Experience Bengaluru Centre on the land belonging to Mysuru Lamps Works Limited, the implementation of the K-100 project at an expenditure of ₹169 crore to develop Koramangala Valley as a tourist attraction, the development of tree parks in NGEF situated in Byappanahalli and in three other places, had already been announced as part of CM Yediyurappa’s Mission 2022.

The budget, however, did detail some new projects, such as a new multi-speciality hospital in North Bengaluru. A 50-bed capacity sub-centre of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology in KC General Hospital at the cost of ₹20 crore and the sstablishment of Janarogya centres at an expenditure of ₹10 crore in 57 wards of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).