Bengaluru East City Corporation Commissioner D. S. Ramesh presented the corporation’s first annual budget with a total outlay of ₹3,889.98 crore, prioritising connectivity, infrastructure, and public health.

The budget pegs income at ₹3,888.41 crore, while the opening balance of the city corporation was estimated at ₹1.58 crore, indicating that Mr. Ramesh presented a ₹1.56 lakh surplus budget. Further, the corporation will raise ₹200 crore through municipal bonds, which will make it eligible for a ₹26 crore incentive from the Union government.

A significant 62% of the total outlay has been allocated for development works, as Mr. Ramesh emphasised that last-mile connectivity has been prioritised and will be ensured through an integrated multimodal transport system for seamless mobility. Further, an allocation of ₹112.5 crore has been made for the overall development and maintenance of roads and drains within the corporation’s jurisdiction.

Development projects

Barring two projects that will be taken up through municipal bonds, the corporation has not announced any new development works, instead focusing on the proper upgrading of existing infrastructure.

KRDCL is already constructing a flyover from Varthur Kodi to Varthur Police Station. The corporation will extend this further to Gunjur, covering a stretch of 2 km, at a cost of ₹150 crore. Further, to ease congestion on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) by addressing a bottleneck, the corporation has proposed the construction of an underpass on Alpine Eco Road. Mr. Ramesh also mentioned plans to build footpaths along the Namma Metro viaduct in collaboration with the Outer Ring Road Companies’ Association (ORRCA), as announced in the state budget recently. The corporation will also undertake road development in areas around the ORR, primarily to enhance last-mile connectivity.

The corporation has identified 58 flood-prone areas, of which 38 have already been addressed, and funds have been allocated in this budget to mitigate flooding in the remaining locations. Further, ₹20 crore has been earmarked for the comprehensive development of key public spaces and the preparation of a climate action plan. ₹28 crore has been allocated for the maintenance of 45 lakes within its jurisdiction, while ₹25 crore has been earmarked for the development of four lakes. In addition, 19 stormwater drain works have already been taken up, and funds have been allocated to these projects.

Reacting to the budget, representatives of Whitefield Rising said, “The most important takeaway is the proposed public digital dashboard. It will make all the difference. Many of the projects announced are carryovers that have been promised before but not seen on the ground, and this is where real-time transparency and tracking can drive accountability. The budget itself is strong, with meaningful investments in core infrastructure, public spaces, healthcare, and social welfare, along with a clear push to build administrative capacity”. However, key gaps remain: there is no allocation for public toilets, solid waste infrastructure, parking, road markings and signage, or designated street vending zones. Empowering vendors requires proper vending zones, not just e-carts. they added.