Karnataka Cabinet greenlights 18 km tunnel road from Hebbal to Silk Board in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: In a significant move to address Bengaluru’s traffic woes, the Karnataka state cabinet has approved the construction of an 18-kilometer-long tunnel road connecting Esteem Mall near Hebbal to Silk Board at Hosur Road. The project, which is expected to cost ₹12,690 crore, received the green light on Thursday.
Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil announced the cabinet’s decision during a press meet at Vidhan Soudha. He mentioned that while the proposal has been approved, the detailed project report (DPR) is yet to be submitted. "The tunnel road is a critical step towards easing the city's traffic congestion," Patil said.
In addition to the tunnel road, the cabinet has also approved a tourism-boosting project in Bengaluru. The government plans to construct a sky-deck in the city, providing residents and tourists with a unique bird's-eye view of Bengaluru. The sky-deck project has been allocated an estimated budget of ₹500 crore, although the exact location for the construction is yet to be finalized.
Both projects are part of the government’s broader efforts to enhance infrastructure and tourism in Bengaluru, which continues to grapple with traffic challenges amid rapid urban growth.
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K'taka bypolls: Bagalkot records 43.75 per cent turnout till 1 pm, 37.17 pc in Davanagere South
Bengaluru (PTI): At least 43.75 per cent of voters in Karnataka's Bagalkot, where polling for a by-election is underway, exercised their franchise by 1 pm on Thursday.
Davanagere South recorded a turnout of 37.17 per cent, the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office said.
The bypolls were necessitated due to the demise of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti (Bagalkot) and Shamanur Shivashankarappa (Davanagere South).
While the ruling Congress faces the challenge of retaining both seats, the BJP is aiming to wrest them and deliver a setback to its rival, which is currently witnessing an "internal power struggle" over leadership.
A total of over 2.59 lakh eligible voters are expected to cast their votes at around 319 polling stations in Bagalkot, where nine candidates are in the fray.
In Davanagere South, over 2.31 lakh eligible voters are expected to vote across 284 polling stations, with 25 candidates contesting.
The BJP has fielded former MLA and 2023 defeated candidate Veerabhadrayya Charantimath from Bagalkot, and a fresh face, Srinivas T Dasakariyappa, from Davanagere South.
The Congress has given tickets to family members of the late legislators in both constituencies. Bagalkot candidate Umesh Meti is the son of H Y Meti, while Samarth Mallikarjun from Davanagere South is the grandson of Shamanur Shivashankarappa.
Samarth's father, S S Mallikarjun, is a minister in the Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet and in charge of Davanagere district, while his mother, Prabha Mallikarjun, is a Member of Parliament from the region.
The BJP is looking to make gains in the bypolls and energise its cadre ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections. For the Congress, retaining both seats is crucial, as a loss could be seen as a negative verdict on the performance of the Siddaramaiah-led government.
In the 2023 Assembly elections, H Y Meti defeated BJP's Charantimath by a margin of 5,878 votes in Bagalkot, while Shivashankarappa defeated BJP's B G Ajay Kumar by 27,888 votes in Davanagere South.
