BENGALURU: The State Government has decided to get a road maintenance audit done to fix responsibility on the officials concerned. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday informed the State Legislative Council that a detailed audit of main roads, arterial roads and sub-arterial roads will be done and action will be taken against the officials concerned if the roads are not maintained well.
“The audit will cover all details including when the work started? How many times maintenance works were taken up? How many times potholes were filled? When was it asphalted? Which agency has done the work? Who is the engineer in charge of it?” the CM said. Responding to Congress MLC and former Bengaluru Mayor PR Ramesh’s question on the condition of the roads in the state capital, the CM said the condition of Bengaluru roads often comes up for discussion and whoever is responsible for the maintenance of the roads, will be punished, if there are any lapses.
The chief minister stated that in 2015-16, Central and State governments and BBMPgave administrative approval for Rs 20060.02 crore for road and maintenance works in 198 wards. In the City corporation limits, 46 roads have been developed under TenderSure projects with an investment of Rs 436.60 crore.
Responding to a specific question, “except flyovers and grade separators, if there is even a one-kilometer road that is free of thermal cracks, potholes, stripping, debonding, bleeding and ravelling in the city,” the CM said, “It is a very intelligent question. Roads in Bengaluru are built to be free of thermal cracks, potholes, stripping, debonding, bleeding and raveling but due to heavy traffic and other reasons, some modifications would have been done on all roads, and they need to consult technical experts to prepare the report.” Ramesh expressed concern over the poor condition of the roads even after the government spending lot of money on maintenance.