BJP govt gets down to fixing Bengaluru roads as Assembly polls draw closer

BENGALURU: Faced with widespread criticism over the condition of the city’s roads and the relentless Opposition attack, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has instructed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to fix the roads ahead of the election.

The CM is reportedly angry that the bad state of roads had dented Brand Bengaluru’s image and the Opposition using it as a stick to beat the government with. The BJP wants to save itself from any embarrassment with the Assembly election approaching.

All major and interior roads are being given a facelift.

The government has released RS 3,000 crore under the Amrut Nagarothana scheme and zonal officials of the BBMP have been asked to fix all potholed road. Major as well as interior roads are being fixed on a warfooting and officials have been directed to attend to all complaints received on the Fix My Street app. They have also been told to monitor road cave-ins and engineers get experts to study the issue. Zonal officials have been asked to remain in touch with citizens and ensure all basic amenities.

In the last one week, the city has witnessed cave-ins on Brigade Road, in Mahalakshmi Layout and at Ittamadu, posing danger to road users. Palike Engineer-in-Chief B S Prahalad pointed out that all utilities like water and sanitary lines, power, internet, OFC cables and even gas lines are laid under the road surface. The reasons could be water seepage and leakage, or not properly closing dug-up pits, he reasoned.

In the last one week, cave-ims were witnessed on Brigade Road, in Mahalakshmi Layout and Ittamadu.

“The Mahalakshmi Layout and Ittamadu incidents were because of water leakage in the BWSSB pipelines. We have also questioned the BWSSB why they are digging up roads which have been asphalted and sinkholes cropping up. The CM has already issued instructions that any agency taking up any work has to take permission from the BBMP and after completion, restore the road as it was. If this is not followed, we will take action against those agencies”, he added.