Lack of coordination among civic agencies is delaying many civil works and is making city roads dangerous for motorists. One such ongoing work claimed the life of actor Ashok Kumar at Gavipuram in the wee hours on Sunday.
After the mishap, the State government has woken up to the need for better coordination among BBMP, BWSSB, BDA, BESCOM, city police and others.
“There is a need for a Coordination Committee headed either by the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department or the District in-charge Minister. Now, I will hold meetings once in two months to ensure that all agencies work in coordination,” Bangalore Urban District In-charge Minister R Ramalimga Reddy told Express.
He admitted that there is no coordination among the agencies.
“In future, if BBMP wants to take up asphalting on any particular stretch, they should convey it to other agencies who take up road digging work to lay utilities. Such works have to be completed within the stipulated time, and BBMP can take up asphalting of roads only after these works,” he said.
Former Opposition leader in BBMP Council M K Gunashekar said, “Water, electricity supply and the transport corporations work under the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation in Mumbail. This will help in better coordination among all the civic agencies. But it is not so in Bangalore.”
Compensation to Actor’s Family
Mayor B S Sathyanarayana gave a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to actor Ashok Kumar’s family. Kumar died after he fell along with his bike into a ditch dug by BBMP workers to lay sewage pipes on Rao Bahadur Hayavadana Rao Road. “I have directed BWSSB officials to inform our concerned ward engineers before taking up any digging works,” he said. “The BBMP and BWSSB are playing a blame game against each other which is not correct,” he added.