Bengaluru: After losing the tag of Smart City, not once but twice by a whisker, this time Bengaluru, has finally been selected for the project with 30 other cities in the third round.
The IT capital joins Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Davangere and Belagavi, the other cities in the state, which are already part of the Smart City mission in Karnataka.
BBMP Special Commissioner Manoj Rajan said of the Rs 1,700 crore allocated for the Smart City project in Bengaluru, Rs 500 crore would be provided by the Union government and the rest by the state.
"We will spend Rs 1,000 crore on improving the roads under TenderSure model and the remaining amount will be spent on improving KR Market, Cubbon Park and cleaning of Ulsoor Lake and Sankey Tank,” he revealed.
While applauding Bengaluru joining the Smart City bandwagon, some experts believe the funds should be spent on improving its transport, garbage disposal and install a solid waste management plan.
“If the transportation is improved in the city, we could breathe cleaner air. The funds should also be spent on tackling the garbage problem, which badly needs attention,” said Mr Srinivas Alavalli of Citizens for Bengaluru.
