BNP Files Lokayukta Complaints Over Alleged Bengaluru Road Fund Diversion

The Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP) filed two complaints with the Karnataka Lokayukta on Thursday alleging major irregularities and the diversion of funds from a ₹2,000 crore road infrastructure package in Bengaluru. The civic party claimed that a significant portion of the funds meant for road development was redirected to unrelated municipal works and distributed unequally to favor specific political constituencies.

According to the complaints, more than 30% of the ₹2,000-crore road development action plan, amounting to approximately ₹662 crore, comprised projects with substantial non-road components. The BNP alleged that these funds were diverted to works such as the construction of MLA offices, the installation of name boards, and the building of multi-purpose facilities.

The BNP's complaints arose from an analysis of the fund allocation across Bengaluru’s 28 Assembly constituencies. The party alleged that around ₹274 crore of the total package was allocated to 60 standalone projects that were entirely unrelated to road infrastructure.

Srikanth Narasimhan, the founder and general secretary of the BNP, criticized the allocations, pointing out that large sums meant for road development have been channeled into projects that have nothing to do with road safety. He noted that these diversions are occurring while Bengaluru citizens continue to deal with potholes, waterlogging, and deteriorating roads.

Furthermore, the party alleged that the ₹2,000 crore allocation across the city's 28 constituencies was made without any publicly disclosed criteria. This lack of transparency, the party claimed, resulted in Congress-held constituencies receiving a disproportionately higher share of funds compared to those represented by opposition parties.

The BNP has demanded a comprehensive audit of the ₹2,000 crore package and a review of the unequal distribution of funds.

When issues over the fund distribution previously arose, Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda defended the allocation arrangement. He argued that Congress-held constituencies had been victimized during the previous BJP tenure and were receiving these funds to bridge the existing deficit gap.