BBMP chief vows to rid Bengaluru roads of potholes within a week

Bengaluru: Bengaluru MahanagaraPalike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said that the city roads will be free from potholes by June 6. The work on fixing the city potholes which had been halted for 25 days due to heavy rains in May, restarted now and it will be completed within the deadline, he said.

Speaking to media persons, Tushar Girinath,who took charge as BBMP chief recently, assured that the unrepaired 5,500 potholes will be fixed soon. "Contrary to our estimation that the potholes were not bigger thanone square meter in size, we have found out that they are five square meters and even bigger. As many as 250 lorry loads of hot tar mixed with gravel stones are required to fill them instead of estimated 60 lorry loads. "So, there is a slight delay," he said and denied any shortage of raw material.

Order to investigate

An order has been passed to investigate the complaint against BBMP's chief engineer (road infrastructure) BS Prahlad and AMERICAN ROAD TECHNOLOGIES SOLUTIONS (ARTC), a python supplier. Head of the Engineering Division, BBMP Special Commissioner (Project) NB Ravindra has been given charge of the investigation. Tushar Girinath said the report would be submitted to the High Court soon.

ARTC has demanded that all old bill payments to be cleared and new work prices to be increased. In this connection, Prahlad had conducted several meetings. Chief Engineer (Planning) M Lokesh explained that due to the complaint filed against them, the responsibility of maintaining the pending bill payment process has been given to him. If the sewer or other works in SWD are carried out in the rains, the water will not flow smoothly. The Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board has been told not to undertake any work. By June 1, time has been granted to complete the work in progress and remove the machinery on the Rajakaluve(SWD). He said he will check and take action after that.

Maintenance of flyovers

It has been noticed that the maintenance of the city's flyovers has deteriorated. Maintenance will be funded by the Amruta Nagarothana Plan grant this year. This grant is not available every year. He said the grant would be earmarked for maintenance of flyovers from next year.

Commissioners will be available at the zonal offices

"The Zonal Commissioners will sit in the BBMP Zone offices from next week and it will problems of people visiting the BBMP Central Office," said Tushar Girinath.

To increase the basic infrastructure work, it is being done at zonal offices. If own buildings for office are not there, they can get a rented place. The Commissioner will hold meetings at the zonal offices on issues related to the respective zones. If people know that an IAS officer is going to be in the zonal office, they will find solutions there," he said.

The re-structuring draft of the BBMP wards is almost ready. "It will be submitted to the government in two to three days," Tushar Girinath said.

According to the 2011 census, 84.65 lakh voters are in the BBMP, which is divided into 243 wards. There will be an average of 34,750 voters per ward. He said that in few places were railway lines and roads are divided there will be 10 percent less or more.

The drafted is ready in Kannada and English, which is over thousand pages. So the summary will be submmited. He said that all the process would be completed in the time given by the Supreme Court.

There is no BBMP role in the ward reservation. The government had asked for the details of palike members who have represented the wards, since 1992. We have submitted even that, he added.

HC warns BBMP officials of facing contempt of court

The Karnataka High Court has once again warned BBMP officials to fill the potholes in the city or face action. The High Court had given June 6 as the deadline for filling up all the potholes in the city.

The Karnataka High Court has warned Bengaluru civic body officials of initiating contempt of court proceedings if the Bruhat Bengaluru MahanagaraPalike (BBMP) failed to follow its order not to fill potholes in the city. It would no longer accept the BBMP's excuses as the municipal corporation failed to complete repair despite the court granting repeated deadlines. To which, the civic body informed the court that there was a dispute regarding the cost of filling potholes which has been resolved.