Councillors and MLAs urged the BBMP Commissioner to restart the works that were stopped following a report by the Technical Vigilance Cell under Commissioner (TVCC) report which had recommended for stopping these civil works.
Following the report from the TVCC, the then Commissioner Siddaiah had ordered for stopping 1,970 works worth `522 crore, which according to the TVCC were “unnecessary”.
Mayor D Venkatesh Murthy accused Siddaiah of stopping some works in some wards while allowing works in some other wards.
“How can the parameters change from ward to ward? When the state government approved our budget, it had asked us to take up work and mobilise funds for them. All those works that have been stopped were part of this. How can Siddaiah stop those works?” he asked.
Replying to their queries, Commissioner M Lakshminarayana said there was a meeting with District In-charge Minister R Ramalinga Reddy, Urban Development Principal Secretary and other authorities.
“The minister has directed the BBMP to take up work on priority basis. We will take up works in two stages. Some of the works that were stopped will be restarted and orders have been issued.”
The Commissioner said, at present, 22,850 works are going on at all eight zones.
The Commissioner asked Councillors to keep the BBMP’s finance condition in mind.
‘Tough to Clear Encroachments by Influential People’
Lakshminarayana said it is difficult to clear encroachments of storm water drains (SWD) in many places where influential people are involved in such acts.
“Encroachment has resulted in flooding during monsoon. Many SWDs have been closed to construct buildings, but we are not able to take up a drive to clear such encroachments as influential people are involved,” he said while replying to a debate on storm water drains at the BBMP Council meeting on Tuesday.
“It is difficult to clear such storm water drain encroachments, but we will certainly take up the work,” he assured the meeting.