Will Bengaluru finally get pothole-free roads soon? Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday issued an ultimatum to fill all the potholes amid a raging debate over the issue in the state.
Siddaramaiah on Tuesday directed officials to fill all potholes in the city within a week, reinforcing his earlier order that had set October 31 as the deadline for repairs across the five corporation limits.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also shared an update alongside Siddaramaiah, highlighting the government’s citizen-friendly reporting system and progress on road repairs.
"Is there any other government that allows citizens to take photos of potholes or garbage and send them to officials for action? Only under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's leadership have we implemented such a system," he said.
Shivakumar added that over 10,000 potholes have already been closed, compared with 20,000 reported under the previous BJP government.
Also Read | Bengaluru’s potholes to be gone by November? DK Shivakumar issues final deadline
What did Siddaramaiah say?
Siddaramaiah, speaking after flagging off road development projects, including white-topping in Gandhinagar, said, “I was speaking to officials, including Chief Commissioner of the Greater Bengaluru Authority Maheshwar Rao and Additional Chief Secretary to the Government, Urban Development Department Tushar Girinath. Within a week, potholes should be filled,” according to an NDTV report.
{{/usCountry}}Siddaramaiah, speaking after flagging off road development projects, including white-topping in Gandhinagar, said, “I was speaking to officials, including Chief Commissioner of the Greater Bengaluru Authority Maheshwar Rao and Additional Chief Secretary to the Government, Urban Development Department Tushar Girinath. Within a week, potholes should be filled,” according to an NDTV report.
{{/usCountry}}Addressing the gathering, he noted, "Because of the rains, there have been delays in filling potholes; that’s the issue. There have been more rains this year."
Noting that white-topping work is underway in various parts of the city, the CM said it would help reduce the pothole problem, as white-topped roads can last 25–30 years. "We will fill the potholes and also do white topping of roads in the city," he added.
Siddaramaiah also highlighted the allocation of ₹8,000 crore in the budget for the development of all MLAs’ constituencies. "The funds are being given to both urban and rural MLAs, also opposition MLAs, because we want all-round development," he said.
Shivakumar reiterates and "empty vessel" remarks
Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio has earlier assured that the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is prioritising road repairs.
Taking a dig at BJP leaders, Shivakumar said the opposition had even criticised the government's decision to develop a 113 km corridor and a city tunnel project. Without naming anyone, he referred to a BJP MP as "an empty vessel who only makes noise and tweets."
Challenging Bengaluru’s BJP MPs further, he asked, "There are five MPs from Bengaluru—has even one of them brought a single rupee from the Centre for the city? Nirmala Sitharaman herself is a Union Minister, have they managed to bring even 10 rupees for Bengaluru? If they have, I will accept any punishment you choose."