The Hindu 23.08.2013
BBMP engineers get 10 days’ time to fill potholes, clear debris
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)
engineers have been given 10 days’ time to get their act together and
fill the increasing number of potholes on the city’s roads, clear debris
and garbage dumped indiscriminately across the city. This direction was
issued by Transport and city in-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy on
Wednesday.
The Minister met with the BBMP’s zonal
additional/ joint commissioners, chief engineers, executive engineers
and ward-level engineers here. He noted that the directions had been
issued even during the previous review meetings and inspections. BBMP
Commissioner M. Lakshminarayan too had released funds for the engineers
to take up these works.
“It is unfortunate that not
much has been achieved. The potholes remain on our roads affecting the
movement of vehicles. This is the last warning. If there is no progress,
the officials who are working in the BBMP on deputation will be
repatriated to their parent departments. Disciplinary action will be
initiated against BBMP engineers as well,” he warned.
Later, he sought details of the number of potholes filled and those pending from the zonal commissioners.
He
warned them against providing false information and stated that he
would inspect the city after 10 days. He pointed out that potholes on
Hosur Road, Hosur Lashkar Road, St. Philomena Hospital junction, Trinity
Circle, Ulsoor Road, Shantinagar, Nrupatunga Road, Vijayanagar Main
Road and Mysore Road remain unfilled.
Empathy needed
“If
you sit in your offices, you will not know how the citizens are being
inconvenienced. The engineers must routinely inspect their
jurisdictions,” he said, and added that Mr. Lakshminarayan would grant
one-time approval to clear the debris.
Pradeep Singh
Kharola, managing director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.,
said the BMRCL would repair the stretches under Namma Metro alignment.
Mr. Lakshminarayan said that while the BBMP’s road infrastructure
department would fill potholes on arterial and sub-arterial roads, ward
level engineers are responsible to maintain the other roads in the city.
Mayor D. Venkatesh Murthy was present.