Special cell soon at BBMP, BDA to maintain roads, fill up potholes in B'luru city: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, May 22: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that a special cell will be set up in the civic bodies Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to maintain roads in Bengaluru and fill up potholes immediately.
With the monsoon round the corner, officials have been instructed to fill over 6,000 potholes on the roads of the city, and also repair bad stretches, by the end of this month, he said.
Siddaramaiah, along with Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, and a few ministers and officials, inspected various parts of the city that faces flooding during rains, and also took stock of the preparations made to manage the situation ahead of monsoon showers.
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"According to a census by the Bengaluru city corporation, in ward roads there are 5,500 potholes, and in arterial and sub-arterial roads there are 557 potholes. D K Shivakumar, who is in-charge of Bengaluru Development, and I have instructed the Commissioner and the Administrator (BBMP) to fill up all these potholes by the end of this month," Siddaramaiah said.
While speaking to reporters after the city rounds, he said, "There are some 67 bad reaches in the city, and all of them will be repaired immediately. We have given these instructions to BBMP officers."
"In order to maintain the roads and fill up the potholes as soon as it occurs, instructions have been given to set up a special cell at the BBMP and BDA," he said, adding that officials have also been directed to take all measures to ensure that there is no flooding and water does not enter houses in the city during rains.
Stating that monsoon showers will start from June, Siddaramaiah said, the pre-monsoon showers from May 1 to till now have been above normal, because of which there was flooding in some parts and there are reports of water entering houses in some areas.
Bangalore city has 860 km of storm water drains, he said, adding that when he was the CM earlier, 491 km of it were cleared from encroachments and redeveloped. "The previous (BJP) government took steps to clear 193 km in January 2023 and the work is to be completed in January 2025. If this work had been done earlier, there would have been no problem now," he said.
Rs 1,800 crore is being spent on this storm water drain work, and 174 km is left, Siddaramaiah said, adding that the World Bank will grant about Rs 2,000 crore for the project.
About 12 cases are in civil court regarding the storm water drain project, he said, adding, "Lawyers are attending this to vacate the stays and if necessary, a special lawyer will be appointed for the cases to be settled. For about 12.15 km there are cases pending in court."
The CM said instructions have been given to officials to expedite the delayed works, to take up dredging, cutting of dead branches of trees and to repair pavements immediately.
Directions have also been given to prevent dumping of waste in the storm water drains, and to conduct desilting of storm water drains and drainage pipes before the onset of the monsoon, he added.
Siddaramaiah said that engineers at the city corporation have been warned that they will be made responsible if there are any lapses.
Further noting that Bengaluru has a population of more than one crore, he said, there were 400 lakes in the city and many of them have either been encroached or have silted up now. "So instructions have been given to clear encroachments and desilt these lakes and their catchment areas."
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Conspiracy afoot to 'tarnish' image of Dharmasthala: Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Aug 14 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said there was a “conspiracy” to tarnish the image of Dharmasthala.
His comments come amid an ongoing investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into serious allegations of mass burials in the revered temple town in Dakshina Kannada district.
“A conspiracy is being hatched to destroy hundreds of years of legacy. It is not correct to tarnish someone just like that. It has all happened due to one complainant,” he said.
Noting that some Congress MLAs have called for action against those involved in the slander campaign at the legislature party meeting, he said, “ I have told them that action must be taken against those who are indulging in a slander campaign. The CM has also said that action must be taken against such people.”
“I have information on this case. Religious feelings should not be hurt in any manner. Culprits must be punished,” he told reporters, according to a release from his office.
Responding to a question, Shivakumar said the Congress party will not allow the image of any religious place to be tarnished.
“We see everyone equally when it comes to religion,” he added.
The SIT, formed by the state government, is probing claims of mass murder, rape, and mass burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.
The complainant, a former sanitation worker whose identity has not been revealed, alleged that between 1995 and 2014 he was forced to handle bodies—including women and minors—and that some showed signs of sexual assault. He has given a statement before a magistrate.
As part of the probe, the SIT has been conducting exhumations at multiple locations identified by the complainant-witness in the forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala, where some skeletal remains have been found at two sites so far.
