Bengaluru: In their first budgets after the civic split, Bengaluru East City Corporation (BECC) and Bengaluru Central City Corporation (BCCC) have drawn up balance sheets that make one priority clear: spend big on infrastructure and build the revenue base to sustain it.With at least Rs 6 of every Rs 10 channelled into development works — roads, drains, mobility, and urban systems — there is a decisive tilt towards capital expenditure. In the east, BECC has zeroed in on one of the city’s most persistent traffic choke points: the Varthur-Gunjur stretch of State Highway-35. Its headline project, a Rs 150-crore elevated corridor, funded through municipal bonds, aims to extend an ongoing flyover and create a seamless elevated route towards Whitefield and the Outer Ring Road (ORR). Beyond this, East’s public works budget attempts to address infrastructure deficit at scale. Arterial and sub-arterial road improvements across multiple divisions have been budgeted at Rs 298.1 crore — covering Marathahalli (Rs 30 crore), Doddanekkundi (Rs 32.5 crore), Whitefield (Rs 17 crore), Ramamurthy Nagar (Rs 27.4 crore), and KR Pura (Rs 20.5 crore) among others. At the core, BCCC is attempting a different pivot: redesigning infrastructure to respond to climate stress. Its Rs 1,760-crore public works outlay prioritises porous footpaths, flood-resilient drainage, and “blue-green” corridors alongside conventional road expansion. With a majority of funds directed at roads, drains, and ward-level works, the emphasis is on both scale and decentralisation. BCCC has announced a Rs 217.5-crore state grant to fund 145km of arterial and sub-arterial development by May 2026, while Rs 200 crore under the Chief Minister’s Infrastructure Development Programme covers 115km of ward roads and construction of 10 community buildings. Together, the two budgets reflect a shared shift — from piecemeal fixes to system-wide rebuilding. Whether that translates into execution, rather than intent, remains the city’s enduring question.
