BENGALURU, 5 MARCH

As Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is set to present his 16th state budget on 7 March, all sectors are keenly waiting for allocations to carry out developmental works.

With the budget is expected to exceed Rs 4 lakh crore, civic experts are voicing strong opposition to large-scale infrastructure projects such as tunnel roads and flyovers. Instead, they urge the government to accord priority to public transport and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure to address Bengaluru’s traffic congestion.

Sandeep Aniruddhan, founder and convener of Citizens Agenda in Bengaluru, criticised the government's approach, calling budget allocations for new projects as "bad behavior" that fuels unplanned urban expansion.

“No funds should be allocated for new infrastructure projects unless the city empowers the Metropolitan Planning Committee and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) to formulate a master plan. Until then, funds should only be used for maintaining existing infrastructure. Otherwise, no real improvement will happen,” Aniruddhan said.

In the run up to the Union Budget, the State government had sought Rs 75,000 crore from the Union Finance Ministry for infrastructure development. Aniruddhan questioned the need for such projects when Bengaluru's existing infrastructure is in disrepair.

“It’s unfortunate that the government keeps promoting grand but poorly planned schemes while the city’s roads are riddled with potholes and encroachment. There is no last-mile connectivity to mass transit, the suburban rail project has been delayed by 45 years and the metro is inefficient due to the absence of a master plan. We don’t have enough buses,” he said.

Raj Dugar, Convenor of Citizens for Citizens, said, "To reduce traffic congestion, the government must act swiftly on three key aspects of public transport: double the number of buses and introduce efficient feeder services, expedite pending Metro projects while reversing fare hikes and fast-track all four corridors of the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project, extending them to nearby towns," Dugar said.