The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to allocate Rs 9.45 crore for the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for an 18-kilometre tunnel road connecting Hebbal and Silk Board Junction. This decision has raised eyebrows, especially when compared to the much lower cost incurred by Namma Metro for similar projects.
Comparison with Namma Metro Costs
Namma Metro recently prepared a DPR for a 37-kilometre stretch of the Sarjapur-Hebbal line, covering the same area, for just Rs 1.58 crore. This significant difference in costs has sparked discussions about the efficiency and financial prudence of the BBMP’s decision-making process.
Last month, the BBMP awarded the contract for preparing the DPR for the tunnel road project to Rodic Consultants Pvt Ltd. This decision was made after a tender process that saw only two bidders participate. The BBMP ultimately selected Rodic Consultants as the lone bidder after rejecting the second bid, as it had already engaged Altinok Consulting Engineering INC to prepare a feasibility report for the same project.
Justification for the High Cost
BBMP officials have defended the high cost of the DPR, explaining that the project is highly complex and the first of its kind in Bengaluru. BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath stated, “Not many consultants participated in the tender. We went with the lowest bidder in the second attempt. What was quoted by the bidder was less than our estimates.”
The original estimation for the DPR was Rs 15 crore, representing 0.1% of the total projected cost of the tunnel road. The decision to proceed with the Rs 9.45 crore expenditure was justified by officials as being in line with the complexity and uniqueness of the project.
Comparison with Other Infrastructure Costs
The cost disparity becomes more pronounced when compared to other infrastructure projects in Bengaluru. For instance, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) spent only Rs 1.56 crore on the DPR for the 37-kilometre Sarjapur-Hebbal line, which will pass through key areas such as Agara, Koramangala, and Dairy Circle. Additionally, Namma Metro is set to spend Rs 1.2 crore for a feasibility study connecting the metro to Tumakuru, and just Rs 78 lakh for a feasibility study for a double-decker (road-cum-rail) corridor along metro lines.
Project Significance and Next Steps
The proposed tunnel road is a flagship project of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who has advocated it as a critical solution to Bengaluru’s chronic traffic congestion. The state cabinet recently approved the project, and the BBMP is expected to invite tenders for the civil work after securing funding.
Despite the high costs associated with the DPR, the BBMP is moving forward with the project, which is anticipated to play a significant role in easing traffic in one of the city’s busiest corridors.