Bengaluru: After walking nearly 100km across localities in north Bengaluru and studying civic infrastructure first-hand in the past 210 days, Bengaluru North City Corporation (BNCC) commissioner Pommala Sunil Kumar Saturday presented a civic budget with an outlay of over Rs 4,300 crore, seeking to improve 1,000km of pavements across seven assembly constituencies.This is the first time in recent years a bureaucrat is prioritising pedestrians. “Pedestrians are increasingly walking on roads. This has to change, we need to get all the elements right and fix the footpaths for pedestrians,” said the 44-year-old IAS officer, whose public outreach programmes have drawn appreciation. BNCC, which comprises areas such as Yelahanka, Pulakeshinagar, and parts of Rajarajeshwari Nagar, manages 2,545km of ward roads and 334km of arterial and sub-arterial roads. “Footpaths are the biggest concern for our corporation because the situation is horrible,” Sunil Kumar said, pointing to encroachments, electric poles, trees, and street vendors. He added that despite allocations in previous budgets, little has changed on the ground. Referring to his daily morning inspections, undertaken on foot, he said it revealed the extent of the deterioration of both roads and pedestrian infrastructure. “After walking across the corporation, we identified several roads that needed restoration,” he said.Allocation per wardAt the ward level, each of the 72 wards will receive Rs 2.2 crore, with Rs 75 lakh earmarked for maintenance efforts such as drain desilting (Rs 20 lakh), pothole filling (Rs 10 lakh), traffic-related works (Rs 20 lakh), and footpath repairs (Rs 25 lakh). An additional Rs 1.5 crore per ward will go towards broader development works, including road improvements. Crucially, Rs 25 lakh has been set aside per ward specifically for footpath reconstruction, targeting nearly 1,000km of pedestrian pathways. The corporation has also allocated Rs 50 crore for pedestrian-friendly junctions, skywalks, and related infrastructure.Lake rejuvenation forms another major component of the 2026-27 budget, with Rs 40 crore allocated for restoring waterbodies. “Many lakes have turned into dry land or even playgrounds. We need to excavate them and restore them with BWSSB’s support, even if it means creating man-made lakes,” Kumar said, citing instances such as Banaswadi and Srinivasapura where lakes have been degraded significantly. BNCC has 36 lakes, of which 30 have already been developed and are under maintenance. Work is ongoing at Hebbal and Nagawara lakes, while Srinivasapura and Mallasandra Gudde lakes are slated for comprehensive development.What else is in budget?Marriage assistance for civic workers: For the first time, financial aid of up to Rs 2 lakh will be provided to civic workers to support their daughters’ marriage expensesTransgender welfare: Financial assistance of up to Rs 50,000 per beneficiary has been proposed to promote self-employmentAkka Cafe initiative: Under the National Livelihood Mission, Rs 27 lakh has been allocated to launch women-run ‘Cafe Sanjeevini’ (Akka Cafe) serving affordable foodRodent-control measures: A sum of Rs 8.8 crore has been earmarked for rodent-control activities across the corporationKeeping spaces green: A total of Rs 62 crore has been allocated for park development and maintenance, with Rs 37 crore earmarked for maintaining 336 parks and Rs 25 crore set aside for park development and upgradeReactionsArun Pai | coordinator, WalkaluruFootpaths used to be an afterthought, but now we have a pedestrian-first budget. Footpaths were not even mentioned separately in earlier budgets… It’s encouraging that the GBA and the chief commissioner have taken serious interest and officials are more aware. Most people don’t realise the issue until they actually walk. Better coordination between agencies will be crucial. Earlier, footpaths were simply treated as part of road developmentKavya Gowda | resident of KempapuraThe budget is good and we are looking at development, but what we need is transparency. Bengaluru North is the entrance to Bengaluru and is growing vastly. Infrastructure development, including roads and footpaths, is the key to the city’s growth and beautification
