DPR getting ready for white topping of 500 km of roads at a cost of Rs 4,000 crore: Karnataka Deputy CM
Bengaluru, October 21
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday said a detailed project report is being prepared to white top 500 km of roads at a cost of Rs 4,000 crore.
Speaking to reporters after kickstarting white topping and road development works in Gandhinagar Assembly constituency, he said, "White topped roads last 25-30 years. We have already taken up 148 km of roads for white topping, and we are spending Rs 1,800 crore for white topping 83 roads."
"Black topping is going on in 350 km of roads at a cost of Rs 695 crore. The CM has given a grant of Rs 1,100 crore and we have taken up asphalting of 550 km of roads," he added.
He said that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to Bengaluru for the inauguration of the Metro Yellow line, the State government had appealed to him for the grant of Rs 1.5 lakh crore for development activities in Bengaluru. But the State government has received no reply from the Prime Minister till now, he said.
"When the PM came to Bengaluru for the inauguration of the Metro Yellow line, we had appealed to him to give us a grant of Rs 1.5 lakh crore for development activities in Bengaluru. We have not received any reply from the PM on this till now," DK Shivakumar said.
"Our government has decided to build 113-km elevated corridor. We are also building 40 km of tunnel roads in the first phase. One loudmouth MP has been busy tweeting about this. Bengaluru has elected five MPs but none of the MPs have got even a single paise for Bengaluru," DK Shivakumar added.
Shivakumar claimed that Bengaluru got a lot of projects and funds during the Manmohan Singh government at the Centre. He alleged that the contribution of BJP MPs for the development of the State is nil.
"We have filled 10,000 potholes till now. The Bommai government had given an affidavit to the court that there were about 20,000 potholes in the city. We have given the opportunity to the public to identify and report potholes," he said.
"We are here to give a new shape to the Bengaluru built by Kempe Gowda. We are committed to taking Bengaluru to global heights. The people of Bengaluru will appreciate our work in 10 years' time. Change is not possible in one day, and we are doing it in a phased manner," he added.
The Deputy Chief Minister noted that the State government has formed five corporations to take administration closer to people.
"This decision will yield great results in the days to come. The Opposition is criticising the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), but they were taken into confidence while forming the GBA," he said.
"The court has stayed decisions on garbage disposal, advertisement policy, and premium FAR introduced by the previous government, but our government is moving forward confidently," he added.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Rs 4,000 crore for 500 km roads? That's Rs 8 crore per km! Seems very expensive. Can someone explain why white topping costs so much? Feels like taxpayers' money is being wasted.
Good initiative but why always blame game? Both state and central government should work together for Bengaluru's development. We citizens don't care about politics, we just want good roads and infrastructure.
As someone who drives daily in Bengaluru, I appreciate the focus on long-lasting roads. White topping lasts 25-30 years - worth the investment if done properly. Hope they maintain quality standards.
Filled 10,000 potholes is good, but why were there so many in the first place? Better planning and quality work during construction would prevent this. Hope the new projects learn from past mistakes.
Tunnel roads and elevated corridors sound exciting! Bengaluru desperately needs these to reduce traffic congestion. Hope they complete these projects within timeline and budget. ðŸ‘
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