BENGALURU: The potholes in Peenya Industrial Area are a direct result of corruption in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Bengaluru vice-president B T Naganna has alleged.
“It’s a very horrible situation. They have installed four-inch underground drainage pipes which are not sufficient since the area is now also becoming residential. So, every few months there is a blockage. To clear the blockage, they ask for more money and there is another indent for the road where they have dug up and asphalted the roads,” Naganna, who also owns a factory in the area, told The New Indian Express.
He said that roads riddled with potholes or haphazardly asphalted are recurring issues every few months.
“It seems like an avenue to make money. Hundreds of crores are poured into this constituency, yet the roads are in a pathetic situation,” he said. In addition, piles of garbage are left unattended in the area, turning them into black spots, he noted.
Another factory owner, Narasimha Murthy, told The New Indian Express, “All across Peenya, the roads are full of potholes and cause much hardship for schoolchildren, workers, drivers of trucks and other vehicles, residents and factory owners alike. We have given many complaints to the BBMP corporator, but to no avail. They just tell us that it will be fixed, but nothing happens.”
“They need to fix the issue, or else we will block the roads and stage protest. The issues are long-pending and there needs to be some kind of accountability as to where the funds are going,” Naganna said.
“This is the first time that the issue has been brought to my attention. I will direct my officers to deal with the issue. As of now, BBMP is working in many areas every day to deal with citizens’ concerns,” Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta told The New Indian Express.
“There were no official complaints filed with the BBMP so far. But we will take up these problems seriously. Local issues need to be addressed at the local level. This will help officers have a better understanding of what is wrong,” he said.