Better late than never: BBMP set to release Rs 15 lakh for road repair in each ward

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: As the monsoon season comes to an end, the civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has initiated the process of addressing potholes in the city.

According to the BBMP, around 11,366 potholes have been identified across the city. Sources from the BBMP told News Trail that they have set a target to fix 90 per cent of the potholes across the 225 wards in Bengaluru and the drive will begin in November this year.

The BBMP has allocated Rs 15 lakh for each ward to fund pothole repair works, the sources added. However, there is a noticeable reduction in the allocation compared to the previous year, which saw Rs 20 lakhs per ward.

While the reason for this reduction hasn't been officially disclosed, sources within the BBMP suggest that the government is urging prudent spending due to financial constraints in the exchequer.

It is estimated that Rs 15 lakhs can cover the repair of approximately 1,200 square meters of potholes. The BBMP said that fixing potholes is a continuous process as they keep reappearing after rains.

The civic body has called for tenders to carry out road repair works. However, to ensure efficient utilization of these funds, ward committees will be closely monitoring the repair work.

BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath agreed that this year, the officials could not actively carry out road repair works in the city. However, he assured that by November 30, the BBMP would fix almost 90 per cent of the potholes identified by the officials.

Girinath further said that he has instructed zone and ward engineers to begin pothole repairs in November, taking advantage of the allocated funds of Rs 15 lakhs per ward. It's worth noting that some work has already commenced, and the tender agreements are set for a 12-month duration.

The Chief also said that in the previous year, the BBMP had utilised Rs 30 crore towards road repair works. According to the BBMP, there are currently 11,366 potholes in Bengaluru.

Among these, Dasarahalli zone has the highest number of potholes. It has been calculated that there are 845 potholes in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, 319 in Bommanahalli, 595 in Mahadevapura, 411 in Bengaluru South, 422 in Bengaluru West and 423 in Yelahanka zone.

This time the BBMP has earmarked Rs 3.6 crore to fix the roads in Bommanahalli constituency. Similarly, funds of Rs 1.5 crore have been allocated towards fixing potholes in Shivajinagar, Rs 90 lakh each for Chickpet, Jayanagar and Basavanagudi, Rs 75 lakh for Malleswaram, Rs 60 lakh for Govindarajanagar and Rs 15 lakh each for RR Nagar, Hebbala, Pulakeshi Nagar and Shanti Nagar constituencies.

Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister, DK Shivakumar, have directed the BBMP to establish oversight boards to keep track of contractors' names, project costs, and other pertinent details.

Strict actions will be taken in the event of any discrepancies or errors during the repair process, the BBMP said.