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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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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