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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Former minister C M Ibrahim announces to launch new regional party for Karnataka
Kalaburagi: Two years after being expelled from the Janata Dal (Secular), former minister C.M. Ibrahim has announced that he will launch a new regional political party in Karnataka on January 24, reported Deccan Herald.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Andolana in Kalaburagi on Sunday, Ibrahim confirmed the birth of the new party.
The 77-year-old politician stated he would soon be meeting with other like-minded individuals to choose a symbol for the party.
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Ibrahim emphasised that the organisation would be guided by the principles of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna and the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
A veteran politician, Ibrahim served as Union Civil Aviation Minister during the tenure of H.D. Deve Gowda as Prime Minister and later headed the Karnataka unit of the Janata Dal (Secular). He was expelled from the JD(S) in 2023 on charges of anti-party activities.
His exit from the party followed sharp differences over the JD(S) decision to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As the then state president of the JD(S), Ibrahim had publicly criticised the alliance, claiming it was finalised without his knowledge. He had also reportedly convened meetings of his supporters and expressed support for the INDIA bloc.
