‘Rs 1 lakh per pothole?’ BJP alleges massive corruption in Bengaluru civic works
Bengaluru, April 29 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, on Wednesday, alleged large-scale corruption in the functioning of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), particularly in road maintenance and solid waste management, and accused the state government of misleading the public.
Addressing a press conference at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Bengaluru, Narayanaswamy claimed that the GBA, which has been divided into five zones, has become a “den of corruption”.
He alleged that unchecked irregularities were taking place in pothole repair works as well as in solid waste management.
Referring to statements made in the Assembly by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, Narayanaswamy said the government had claimed that potholes across Bengaluru had been filled. However, he disputed this, stating that in areas such as Yeshwanthpur and Mahadevapura, potholes either remained unattended or conflicting claims were being made.
He remarked that Mahadevapura, Bengaluru’s IT hub, had long been known for its poor road conditions.
Citing official figures, he said the government had reported 41,150 potholes in the city, of which 38,000 were claimed to have been filled at a cost of Rs 33.8 crore. Questioning the expenditure, he pointed to Chamarajpet, where 140 potholes were reportedly filled at a cost of Rs 1.4 crore, averaging nearly Rs 1 lakh per pothole.
“If the cost is Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000, it may be understandable, but how can it go up to Rs 1 lakh per pothole?” he asked.
Narayanaswamy also criticised official data, stating that there were zero deaths, zero injuries, and no compensation linked to pothole-related accidents. Contrary to this, he cited a study claiming that 891 people had died and 86 were injured in pothole-related incidents in Bengaluru this year.
He further alleged that despite claims of zero potholes in Mahadevapura, accidents in the area had claimed the lives of a woman and a child.
Turning to solid waste management, he said the government had spent Rs 311.18 crore on garbage management and Rs 663 crore on road asphalting works, but questioned where the funds had been utilised, given the continued poor condition of roads.
Accusing the government of deceiving citizens, he also criticised the introduction of a new garbage tax and the creation of a separate administrative setup for waste management, which he said had increased expenditure through additional salaries.
Narayanaswamy pointed out that Bengaluru’s 198 wards were earlier divided into 33 packages for waste management contracts, but the system had now been reorganised into five zones. He questioned why the earlier packaging system had been discontinued.
He said Rs 544 crore had been allocated annually for solid waste management and alleged irregularities in the tendering process.
“While the lowest bidder is usually selected, in Bengaluru’s solid waste management tenders, bids that were 14 per cent higher were recommended,” he claimed.
–IANS
mka/snj/skp
