A huge pothole opposite the Congress office on Race Course Road | Vinod Kumar T
BENGALURU: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath has warned the Palike officials of strict action, including suspension, if the potholes in the city are not fixed by November 15.The commissioner’s warning comes in the wake of the Karnataka High Court expressing displeasure over BBMP’s inaction in filling potholes.
Speaking to reporters at the BBMP head office, Girinath said two notices will be issued to the officials. The first will be to warn if a pothole is found uncovered and the second will be about disciplinary action, including suspension.
Few notices have already been issued to assistant engineers, assistant executive engineers, executive engineers and chief engineers in this regard,” the commissioner said, expressing hope that the potholes will be filled much ahead of the deadline.
On Thursday, a division bench of the high court, headed by Chief Justice P B Varale, made pulled up the BBMP while hearing a public interest petition (PIL) filed by Koramangala resident Vijayan Menon and others seeking a direction to the government and the BBMP to fix the potholes in the city. The advocate for the petitioner argued that the number of deaths due to potholes in the BBMP jurisdiction is on the rise. He told the bench that the Palike has not used any technology to cover the potholes.
Reacting to this, the bench said that the BBMP has completely failed in the process of fixing the potholes. The court also instructed the BBMP to submit a report on the action taken by it in this regard. The hearing has been adjourned to November 2.
