Bengaluru: Karnataka plans to upgrade 65 urbanised gram panchayats outside the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits into urban local bodies, D K Shivakumar said while outlining infrastructure plans for the city and its outskirts.
Addressing Bengaluru MLAs and MLCs at Krishna on Tuesday, October 27, Shivakumar said the move was intended to reduce pressure on Bengaluru. Permanent drinking-water supply and sewerage facilities would be developed in these areas in phases, and proposals were being prepared to upgrade roads.
Urban upgrade planned for 65 panchayats
The 65 panchayats have already urbanised, he said. The announcement outlines the government’s plan; the statement does not name the panchayats or give a timetable for their conversion into urban local bodies.
Shivakumar also said the Cauvery Stage 6 project would be taken up to provide additional water to Bengaluru. He assured legislators that funds were being allocated across Assembly constituencies without discrimination and invited proposals for urgent local works.
500 km of new road connections outlined
The broader infrastructure programme includes about 500 km of new road connections, with 300 km of buffer roads along stormwater channels and 68 km of business-corridor development, according to the statement.
Shivakumar outlined a 40-km tunnel corridor, a proposed 120-km elevated corridor and upgrades to 1,500 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads. The 16.5-km north–south tunnel corridor was estimated at ₹17,780 crore, including a ₹7,000-crore State investment, he said.
The 120-km elevated-corridor plan carries an estimated cost of ₹23,165 crore. Corridors shorter than 10 km would be toll-free, he said. He also referred to redevelopment of a 17-km stretch of the Outer Ring Road and an upcoming 18-km white-topping project on the outskirts.
While the State had proposed 37 km of double-decker road infrastructure in the Outer Ring Road area, the Centre had approved only 11 km so far, Shivakumar said.
Public transport and waste collection
Road construction alone would not solve Bengaluru’s transport problems, he said, stressing expansion of BMTC, Metro and suburban rail connectivity. The stated targets include expanding the Metro network from 96 km to 170 km by 2027, adding 4,500 buses to the existing 7,000 and achieving 150 km of suburban rail connectivity by 2030.
On waste management, Shivakumar said tenders had been opened for 21 of 33 packages and work orders would be issued to eligible bidders shortly. New collection vehicles would be required, with mandatory GPS, and contractors neglecting their duties would face action.
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Atul Chaturvedi 
