BENGALURU: Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byregowda has set an 8-month deadline to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to complete the road development works under the Rs 2,000 crore grant announced by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar recently.
The minister said this after a meeting with the GBA Chief Commissioner here on Thursday. He asked the officials to identify roads that need repair, prepare the estimates, call tenders, and start the work within two months.
Addressing the media, Byregowda said, people in Bengaluru expect good roads. “The decision to fix ward roads is being taken following the announcement of Rs 2,000 crore for the asphalting of roads in the city by the CM.
The fund announced is for the repair and asphalt of ward roads on priority. In some places, arterial and sub-arterial roads will also be accommodated,” he said and added that the government has issued an order Thursday to identify the deteriorated ward roads in the jurisdiction of five City Corporations.
He also added that, from the identification of such roads to the preparation of an estimate for new asphalting and completion of the short-term tender process will have to be completed in two months’ time, and work should be taken up and completed within six-months.
The minister clarified that the fixing of ward roads in six months and the tarring of roads will also depend on weather conditions, as asphalting will be taken during dry spells. “Keeping in mind the monsoon season, the necessary works will be carried out during the non-rainy period without compromising quality,” said the minister.
He flayed civic agencies in Bengaluru for their lack of coordination resulting in bad condition of roads due to constant digging. “This is a trend since Ramakrishna Hegde’s days, when I was a school boy. Agencies like KPTCL, GAIL, BESCOM and BWSSB will start digging within months after roads are repaired. There is a gap (in coordination). The asphalting work will be carried out in coordination with all the agencies concerned as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Strict action will be taken to ensure that no roads are dug up without prior permission,” Byregowda said.
He said he would conduct site inspections during the road asphalting works. The officers have also been instructed to conduct regular inspections. “Improving the quality of the roads is our priority, and there will be no compromise on quality,” said Byregowda.
