The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is contemplating designating a 318 km stretch of new roads being built on buffer zones of stormwater drains as arterial roads or Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) roads. The authority is planning these works in locations where such infrastructure did not exist previously and seeks to formalise the status of the carriageways. The move is intended to integrate the new alignments into the city master plan.

Including the roads in the CDP would allow builders and property owners to cite access to their sites when submitting building plan approvals and could unlock development activity along the corridors. The GBA also plans to levy betterment charges for permitting development on these routes to capture part of the value uplift. Officials indicated the charges would be a tool to fund infrastructure and regulate growth along the buffer stretches.

The matter was discussed at a recent meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, officials indicated. They suggested that levying betterment charges would require appropriate amendments to the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act and the framing of rules to give legal effect. The officials further noted that the roads fall under the jurisdiction of both the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), making coordination necessary.

The proposal covers a 318 km buffer stretch that includes new alignments near Bellandur Lake and other stormwater drain buffers across the metropolitan area. Authorities are weighing administrative and legal changes to balance development opportunities with environmental and planning safeguards. The GBA is considering the CDP route to formalise access rights and secure revenue measures while pursuing the road construction programme.