Bengaluru residents cut pothole-themed cake to express outrage over bad roads. Watch video

This stretch connecting Gunjur, Varthur, and Belagere to the Outer Ring Road (ORR) has become a daily nightmare for commuters.

In a creative form of protest, around 200 residents from Bengaluru’s Panathur area took to the streets on Saturday, cutting a cake designed to mimic a pothole-ridden road. Their demonstration brought attention to the deteriorating condition of the infamous S-Cross Road, urging the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to take swift action to widen the road and resolve the long-standing pothole problem.

Exactly a year ago, on December 14, 2023, over 500 residents protested by forming a human chain along the Belagere-Panathur stretch. (X/@BalagereConnect)

The 1.5 km stretch connecting Gunjur, Varthur, and Belagere to the Outer Ring Road (ORR) has become a daily nightmare for commuters, The Hindu reported. This stretch, especially near the 100-meter Railway Under Bridge, is plagued by potholes and poor conditions.

Exactly a year ago, on December 14, 2023, over 500 residents protested by forming a human chain along the Belagere-Panathur stretch, demanding that the road be widened. Now, a year later, these residents are once again expressing their frustration.

Watch the video here:

How did the residents react?

Residents of the area shared videos on social media highlighting their plight, with one user commenting, "Pathetic road condition... full muddy road... nightmare for 2-wheelers."

Many X users reacted strongly to the situation. One user wrote, "It should be celebrated throughout the city. No concerned ministers or government employees want to face these issues. All accountable departments fail to address the problem, even as general employees pay the highest taxes and yet face the worst roads and lack of infrastructure."

Another resident added, "Being a tax-paying person for years, roads should have been a basic requirement. But in Benagaluru (Balagere), it has become a luxury. This cake-cutting celebration is not just for one year of suffering but represents at least 10 years of hardship—and many more to come."

Misappropriation of funds

Allegations of large-scale corruption recently surfaced as the Karnataka Anti-Corruption Forum filed a complaint with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against nine individuals, including serving and retired IAS officers and contractors.

The alleged misappropriation involves funds totaling ₹46,300 crore, released for road development projects under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

The forum’s president, Ramesh NR, submitted the complaint on Tuesday, urging the ED to investigate the misuse of funds allocated between 2013 and the 2023-24 financial year.