Shivakumar dismisses concerns over pothole repairs in Bengaluru, says 'quality work' underway
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday asserted that the state government was committed to fixing potholes and improving infrastructure in the city, dismissing concerns over the quality of ongoing road repair works.
Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, was responding to complaints about the standard of work undertaken to fill potholes and address road-related issues in the city.
"Everything is getting done well. We are going to change the perception created by the media and the opposition about Bengaluru city. We are at it. We are doing our job," he told reporters.
"Nowhere in the country has a government given the public an offer to show where the potholes are. Only Karnataka has done it. My government and my officials have done it," he added.
On Tuesday, Shivakumar inspected pothole repair and road works underway in different parts of the city. He assured that "quality work" was being carried out, with patchwork, single-layer relaying, concrete roads, and white-topping taken up simultaneously.
"We have more than 1.2 crore vehicles passing through Bengaluru every day, and more than 50 lakh vehicles coming from outside. Still, we are at it and it is our job," he said.
Dismissing reports about a possible ‘congestion’ tax, he clarified, “There have been some discussions and a few opinions shared, but we have not taken it up. We are not at that point yet.”
According to Shivakumar, around 13,000 potholes have been filled so far, and another 4,000–5,000 identified will be repaired in stages.
He said he had instructed officials to draw up a Rs 1,100-crore action plan to develop 550 km of arterial roads in the city.
Last week, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed officials to ensure that all city roads were motorable within 30 days.
The government has been facing criticism over the poor state of Bengaluru’s roads. Industry veterans, including former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai and Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, have urged immediate intervention.
The outrage intensified after online trucking platform BlackBuck announced plans to move its office out of Bellandur on the city’s Outer Ring Road (ORR), citing "commuting difficulties" and "poor road infrastructure".
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CSK's Ayush Mhatre ruled out of remainder of IPL 2026 due to hamstring injury
New Delhi (PTI): Chennai Super Kings batter Ayush Mhatre has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing IPL season due to a hamstring injury, dealing a major blow to the five-time champions.
The franchise said Mhatre, who sustained the injury during CSK’s previous game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 18, will require a rehabilitation period of six to 12 weeks.
"Ayush Mhatre has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2026 due to a left hamstring injury sustained while batting during the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 18.
"Ayush's injury will require a rehabilitation period of 6-12 weeks," CSK announced on its social media on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old, who came in as an impact substitute, was seen in visible discomfort and clutched his hamstring while attempting a run during CSK’s 10-run loss to SRH in Hyderabad.
He required on-field treatment and, although he continued briefly, was dismissed soon after.
"It looks pretty bad, unfortunately. And he's going to be a big, big loss because he's been in really nice touch for us," CSK's batting coach Mike Hussey had said at the post-match press conference.
Mhatre has been CSK's standout batter this season. He lea collecting 201 runs from six matches at a strike-rate of 177.87.
Chennai Super Kings have endured a poor start to the 2026 season, losing four of their six matches to languish in eighth place.
