Bengaluru civic body fines consultant ₹5 lakh after tunnel project blunder: Report

BBMP officials said the penalty was imposed after it was confirmed that the errors stemmed from a "compilation issue".

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has fined New Delhi-based Rodic Consultants Private Limited ₹5 lakh after glaring errors were discovered in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a proposed ₹9.5 crore underground tunnel road project in Bengaluru, Moneycontrol reported.

The DPR sparked outrage after it mistakenly included traffic data from cities in Maharashtra.

The project, aimed at addressing the city’s traffic woes, envisions a tunnel connecting Hebbal Esteem Mall Junction to Silk Board Junction.

The DPR sparked outrage after it mistakenly included traffic data from cities in Maharashtra—Malegaon and Nashik—instead of Bengaluru locations.

BBMP officials said the penalty was imposed after it was confirmed that the errors stemmed from a "compilation issue" in the executive summary, the report added. Specifically, Table 15 on page 29 of the summary listed traffic data between Malegaon and Nashik in eight columns. However, officials clarified that the core traffic analysis in Chapter 7 of the draft DPR was accurate and relevant to Bengaluru.

In response, Rodic Consultants issued an apology, acknowledging the mistake and pledging to prevent such errors in the future. “We regret the inadvertent compilation error in the executive summary and assure that corrective measures are underway. The final DPR submission will not contain such inaccuracies,” the consultant stated in a letter to BBMP, as reported by the publication.

The firm also emphasized its commitment to transparency and accountability, noting that internal investigations were being conducted to identify those responsible for the lapse.

BBMP chief admits to errors

BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath admitted to the errors, describing them as a "compilation mistake" rather than a fundamental flaw in the DPR. Despite assurances from both BBMP and the consultant, the incident has raised questions about the quality of work delivered for high-stakes projects.

The controversy has intensified scrutiny on the BBMP and its consultants, with critics questioning how such a critical project could proceed with glaring errors in its documentation.