Karnataka orders road audit for pothole-free roads in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government is all set to get the roads audited to ensure quality and fix responsibility for their poor condition in Bengaluru.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has assured to get the auditing of all roads done following complaints about their pathetic condition in Bengaluru.

Replying to a question by Congress MLC P.R. Ramesh, Bommai on Thursday said that from 2015 both the Union and state governments and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) have released Rs 20,060 crore for the construction and management of roads in all 198 wards of the Bengaluru city, Bommai said.

Under the Smart City Project, the construction of 26 roads has been taken up. As many as 46 roads are being developed under the Tender Sure model at a cost of Rs 426.60 crore, he said.

"In the last five years, though thousands of crores have been spent, the quality of roads remained substandard and a large number of roads are full of potholes. To end this, auditing of all roads will be done in Bengaluru," Bommai stated.

Once the auditing is done, all details pertaining to the year of construction of roads, details of contractors, in-charge engineers and maintenance period everything will be available. In case of non-maintenance, the government can initiate action and fix responsibility on officers, Bommai said.

C.R. Ramesh, Congress MLC while highlighting the plight of roads in Bengaluru, said, if the expenditure on roads by the government is considered, it occurs that Rs 1.50 crore to Rs 2 crore has been spent for the construction of every one-kilometre road.

"Whoever gets the contract for building roads should ensure maintenance for 5 years. No one is bothering about maintaining the road after construction. Magadi road is full of potholes a few months after construction work," Ramesh said.