In the process of making Bengaluru’s roads motorable again, the
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has cracked the whip on its
own. As many as four engineers have been suspended in two days after the
deadline set by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to get rid of potholes
ended. Next in the firing line are contractors.

Though complaints of potholes dominate, there have also been a large number of complaints of shoddily done pothole-filling work.

Mayor
R. Sampath Raj said the palike is prioritising filling up potholes,
after which it will set its sights on the quality of work. “As of now,
of the around 30,000 potholes, at least 28,000 have been filled. Work to
fill potholes is still on. After we complete this, we will start
inspecting the quality of work. If it is not satisfactory, action will
be taken against the contractors,” he said.

The BBMP had recently
published a list of contractors with their contact numbers. These were
contractors who were still liable for repairs under the maintenance
period, during which they bear the cost of repair as well. Now, BBMP
Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad has sought a report on the roads which
still have potholes after the deadline — which got four engineers
suspended — and if they are under the maintenance period.

“If a
particular road is under the maintenance period and if there is no work
done or the work done is shoddy, it is the responsibility of the local
engineer to get it done by the contractor, who is also held responsible.
If the maintenance work on a particular road is over, then the engineer
is responsible completely to get it laid or repaired. Prima facie, we
have taken action against engineers of wards where roads still have
potholes despite repeated instructions to have them removed,” Mr. Prasad
said.

He added that if the roads were under the maintenance
period, show cause notices will be issued to the contractors. “We will
also confiscate the security deposit and blacklist them,” he said. In
2015, the BBMP had blacklisted 40 contractors for shoddy work.

As of now, of the around 30,000 potholes, at least 28,000 have been filled

R. Sampath Raj

Mayor