Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) commissioner M Lakshminarayana has directed the officials to fill all potholes on arterial and sub-arterial roads within 15 days. In a release, the BBMP commissioner said, “Due to recent rains, many roads have been damaged. This has affected vehicular movement.”
The commissioner also held a meeting with chief engineers and directed them to ensure that potholes are filled.
The release said BBMP has allotted Rs 5 lakh per ward to fill potholes. Considering it an emergency, the commissioner directed the engineers to hand over the pothole-filling task to Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL). He said if roads come under defect liability period (maintenance period), then the contractors concerned have to do the work again.
“Officials have to estimate the cost to fill potholes of the remaining roads and execute work within 15 days, failing which action will be initiated against them,” he said.
A senior BBMP official said the potholes were supposed to be filled before monsoon. “As our officials, were on elections duty, it has been delayed,” he said.
Palike to spend Rs 17 crore
“We have entrusted the work on roads that are not under maintenance period to a US-based company. BBMP will pay Rs 80,000/ km per annum, which comes to around Rs 17 crore,” said K T Nagaraj, superintendent engineer.