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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Allen, Raghuvanshi, Green power KKR to 29-run win over GT
Kolkata (PTI): Finn Allen blasted a 35-ball 93, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi hit an unbeaten 44-ball 82 as Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a 29-run win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL match here on Saturday.
Sent in to bat, Allen went on a six-hitting spree, smashing 10 maximums and four boundaries to add 95 off 41 balls with Raghuvanshi (82).
Raghuvanshi then shared another 108 off 53 balls with Cameron Green (52 not out) to power KKR to a challenging 247 for 2.
In reply, GT could manage 218-4, riding on skipper Shubman Gill's 49-ball 85 and a 35-ball 57 from Jos Buttler. Opener Sai Sudarsan was retired hurt but returned to make a 28-ball 53 not out.
Sunil Narine (2/29) claimed two wickets and Saurabh Dubey snapped one for KKR.
For GT, Mohammed Siraj (1/50), Sai Kishore (1/38) were the wicket-takers.
Brief Score:
KKR: 247 for 2 in 20 overs (Finn Allen 93, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 82 not out, Camero Green 52 not out; Mohammed Siraj 1/50).
GT: 218 for 4 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 85, Sunil Narine 2/29).
