BENGALURU: The High Court on Wednesday warned Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) that will would ask the government to take over the civic body, after it was informed by its counsel that the measurement books (MBs) will be prepared only after completion of the works.
“There can’t be a bigger joke. If this is the way the BBMP works, something needs to be done to take over the administration. You examine yourself where BBMP stands,” a division bench of Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice S G Pandit told the BBMP counsel V Sreenidhi.
As the public interest litigation (PIL) was listed as item No. 32 on Wednesday morning, the bench had requested BBMP’s counsel to ensure that relevant MBs of pothole-filling works being executed be placed before it for perusal. However, when the matter was taken up around 1.25 pm, the MBs were still not produced. It was submitted that the BBMP had already filed a status report.
As the HC had directed production of the MBs on Wednesday itself, the BBMP’s counsel was queried again as to why they were not produced. But the BBMP counsel sought some more time. The court took up the matter at 2.25 pm. But the MBs were still not produced. Then the BBMP counsel K N Puttegowda submitted that as regards the work being executed in about 198 wards, different contracts were given and all the MBs could not be collected for production before the court.
To this, the court observed: “Don’t think we are making jokes here! We are rather surprised and record with strong disapproval that not a single measurement book has been produced before us while dictating this order at 2.50 pm. Prima facie, a clear case of drawing adverse inference against the BBMP as also all its relevant officers is made out,” the court said.
Then BBMP’s counsel submitted that the related measurement books will be produced during the course of the day. However, the court still granted an opportunity to BBMP to produce the relevant books, besides copies of the work orders, before the Registrar (Judicial) of High Court by 4.30 pm on Wednesday. “The measurement books and the work orders, if so produced, shall be placed before us for consideration on Thursday,” the court said.
Palike claims only 1,685 potholes in city, RWAs disagree
If we go by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) data, there are only 1,685 potholes on BBMP’s 93,000 roads stretching over 14,000 km. Resident welfare associations and experts feel the numbers are misleading, incorrect and highly underestimated. According to the statistics given by BBMP authorities, there were 23,574 potholes in BBMP limits, of which they have attended and filled 21,889 potholes. With this, there are 1,685 potholes only. Statistics reveal that there are very few potholes left in some zones. For instance, there are 66 potholes in Rajarajeshwarinagar zone and 78 in West zone.
Residents says the number is totally incorrect. “From Rajarajeshwarinagar arch on Mysuru Road to Pattanagere, there are more than 100 potholes on the stretch. This is just one road, but there are many more. The number goes more than 400 to 500 potholes, how can they say 66? This isn’t true,’’ Ravi M R, resident of Ideal Homes in RR Nagar said. It can be noted that BBMP allocates Rs 5 crore annually just to fill potholes and claim to spend more than `800 per pothole of one metre by one metre width. “We outsource it to the contractor who do not do it scientifically. They do not use good quality material, but bills are claimed for higher amount,’’ BBMP official sources said. Rajkumar Dugar, a resident of Vasanthnagar and General Secretary of Vasanthnagar RWA said potholes in Bengaluru are countless, just like stars in the sky. “BBMP must re-visit its definition of potholes,’’ he said.