Deputy Chief Minister, D.K. Shivkumar. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Bengalurians will have to brace themselves for more digging and road closures, as Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced on Monday (October 20, 2025) that a Detailed Project Report (DPR) is being prepared for the white-topping of 500 km of roads in Bengaluru at a cost of ₹4,000 crore.
Speaking after inaugurating the white-topping and comprehensive road development work in the Gandhinagar Assembly Constituency, he said the city has 1,650 km of major roads, with white topping currently being done on 104 km of new roads.
“White topping roads last for about 25 to 30 years and the work has already been undertaken on 148 km of roads. A total of ₹1,800 crore is being spent on the development of 83 roads. Black topping work is under way on 182 roads covering 350 km, costing ₹695 crore. The Chief Minister has allocated a new grant of ₹1,100 crore, from which we have undertaken the asphalting of 550 km of roads,” he said.
‘Bumper compensation’
On the Bangalore Business Corridor (BBC), Mr. Shivakumar said, “In the last Cabinet meeting, it was decided to build an 117-km long corridor. According to the BDA Act, there is no provision for double compensation. However, our government has decided to give bumper compensation to farmers — three times the standard compensation, Transferable Development Rights (TDR) or Floor Area Ratio (FAR). No previous government had shown such courage.”
Mr. Shivakumar said he had requested ₹1.5 lakh crore for city development when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Metro Yellow Line, highlighting that Bengaluru pays the second-highest taxes after Mumbai. “But I have not received a reply from him so far,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister also mentioned that the government has decided to build 113 km of elevated corridors.
Critising BJP MPs, “The people of Bengaluru have elected five MPs. If a single MP brings even ₹10 to Karnataka, I will bow to the punishment given by the people. During Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s time, grants were being received for everything. The contribution of current BJP MPs to the State is zero.”
More than 10,000 potholes fixed
Speaking on potholes, Mr. Shivakumar said the authorities have closed more than 10,000 potholes across the city. “Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai government had submitted an affidavit to the court citing 20,000 potholes. The court was examining this. But our government has empowered people to report issues directly via photos, whether it’s a pothole or garbage. This work has been done by the Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar governments.”
Mr. Siddaramaiah, speaking on the occasion, also instructed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao to close all potholes and lay one layer of tar within a week.
In Gandhi Nagar
White topping and road development works worth ₹58.44 crore have been approved in Gandhinagar Constituency, covering 5.57 km. The project includes power, water and drainage ducts, rainwater system and parking bays.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who launched the modernisation of Chickpet in Gandhinagar constituency, along with the white topping of roads in the area, speaking about the uniqueness of the streets in the area, which dates to Kempegowda’s time, said, “We once thought about widening the roads here. But Dinesh Gundu Rao did not agree. ,” he added, praising the Gandhinagar MLA for planning and implementing the modernisation of roads and the development of Chickpet instead of widening them.
Published – October 22, 2025 06:45 am IST
