Bengaluru potholes to stay? Contractors refuse work over unpaid dues pending since 2013

Bengaluru's pothole crisis worsens as contractors refuse to repair roads until payment issues are resolved.

Bengaluru's infamous potholes may not disappear anytime soon. With the October 31 deadline for repairs fast approaching, the BBMP Contractors’ Association has made it clear that work will not resume until the government clarifies who will pay for pothole filling, especially for roads that fall outside the Defect Liability Period (DLP).

The issue stems from long-pending payments and unclear responsibilities. ( X)

According to KT Manjunath, General Secretary of the Association, the issue stems from long-pending payments and unclear responsibilities, The New Indian Express reported.

“Of the ₹2,400 crore due to contractors since 2013, only ₹500 crore has been released after repeated protests and warnings,” he said according to the publication, adding that even those funds have not reached contractors.

Now, the government has directed contractors to fill potholes, but many of those stretches are no longer under DLP, which means the responsibility for maintenance has expired.

Manjunath also blamed corruption and bureaucratic delays for the city’s deteriorating roads. “Had officials cleared pending bills on time, contractors would have voluntarily stepped up to fill potholes. Instead, corruption has created killer potholes in Bengaluru,” he alleged, TNIE reported.

More confusion since GBA?

Manjunath further said that the recent creation of five new corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has only added to the confusion.

Each of the five new corporations reportedly received rS 100 crore, but contractors say none of that money has reached them. “This is the first time both contractors and municipal workers have gone unpaid,” Manjunath claimed.

Responding to the allegations, GBA Chief Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao said delays were due to the Dasara holidays and the transition to the new administrative system. He assured that all corporations have been instructed to release payments according to the work executed within their jurisdictions, the report further added.

Until then, Bengaluru’s potholes, some of them death traps, are likely to remain a daily nightmare for commuters.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the Chief Minister has set a strict deadline for officials to repair all Bengaluru roads by October 31 and has promised an additional ₹750 crore grant to tackle the city's pothole problem.