BENGALURU: The city could end up writing a cheque of nearly Rs 14 crore to whitetop a mere 1.9-km stretch in Yelahanka if civic body BBMP approves the plan suggested by a legislator. At Rs 70,531 per metre, including GST and maintenance components, this would be the most expensive single whitetopping work in Bengaluru and perhaps the state, according to at least two civic officials.The estimated cost of Rs 13.9 crore, listed in the detailed project report (DPR), is particularly baffling because the road , from Seshadripuram First Grade College to Aroma Bakery, is just 7.5 metres (roughly 25 feet) wide. In the past, the same work on broader stretches with six lanes has cost less, Rs 10 crore to Rs 12 crore per km, according to officials.The Yelahanka proposal still needs to clear the BBMP’s and state government’s scrutiny; a technical advisory committee of experts appointed by BBMP will determine if the pricey plan has any merit. Civic engineers said a sum of Rs 13.9 crore could help achieve much more than just whitetopping. One could develop a high-density corridor with that kind of money, they said.“The estimated cost is what we generally incur on roads which are 21 metres wide. The one in Yelahanka is only 7.5 metres wide,” an engineer said.MLA SR Vishwanath, in whose constituency the stretch is located, had sent a request to whitetop it to the additional chief secretary of the urban development department. Vishwanath is also a political adviser to chief minister BS Yediyurappa. The department sent it to the BBMP commissioner for consideration.Vishwanath’s reasoning is that whitetopping projects appear to be becoming more expensive by the day, so authorities should move quickly and carry out the work on the said stretch before costs escalate further.“As it is anticipated that the cost is becoming more, which is also brought to the notice of the chief minister, we have decided to take up project at a cheaper cost which should become role model for the city (sic),” Vishwanath states in his letter to the additional chief secretary. He also forwarded it to the DPR. “But the project report has not yet been placed before BBMP’s technical advisory committee. The committee will check if the proposal meets all specifications for white-topping,” said another civic engineer with knowledge of the matter.According to the DPR, carriage improvement will cost Rs 4.3 crore, traffic signs, markings and other road appurtenances Rs 13 lakh; utility ducts, lines, power crossover chambers and sewer chambers Rs 2.6 crore; rainwater harvesting Rs 14 lakh; roadside drain Rs 2.6 crore; footpath improvement Rs 1.8 crore on footpath improvement; and dismantling work Rs 42 lakh.The basic cost works out to be around Rs 12 crore. The report says maintenance will cost 2.5% of the construction budget, which is around Rs 30 lakh, and GST components of 12% and other charges, including for quality control, will push up the bill further. The final figure: Rs 13.9 crore. The numbers could still change once the proposal comes up before the committee.