BENGALURU: The high court on Thursday directed Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to undertake a fresh survey of all roads in Bengaluru to identify potholes and take necessary steps to fill them. The civic agency has to complete the exercise by March 31.
A division bench headed by chief justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka also directed the Palike to appoint the civil engineering department of Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to conduct audit of pothole-filling work undertaken on 74 roads, which the civic body claims are crater-free.
BBMP has been directed to ensure all ongoing works, including TenderSURE project and those undertaken by other entities like Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company and Gas Authority of India Limited, are completed as per schedule.
Regarding availability of compensation in pothole-related accidents as well as grievance redressal mechanisms available to citizens of Bengaluru, the court directed BBMP to give wide publicity to the matter. Referring to BBMP’s claim that newspaper advertisements could be costly, the bench said the agency can choose other modes.
Notices to mayor, his deputy
In a related development, the court directed the registrar general to issue notices to mayor Goutham Kumar Jain, deputy mayor CR Ram Mohan Raju and five others.
The court has sought their response by March 16 regarding the assertion made by BBMP commissioner BH Anil Kumar in his affidavit filed on November 27 last year. The Palike chief had stated he’d held a meeting with these people in connection with July 31 and September 9 orders of the court saying BBMP is bound to compensate victims of pothole-induced accidents and has to publicise the same.
However, in another affidavit filed on February 4, he said he only held consultations with the mayor and others and there was no meeting. Use of the term ‘meeting’ in his November 27 affidavit was inadvertent and unintentional, he said.
Notices have also been issued to KA Muneendra Kumar, leader of ruling party in BBMP; Abul Wajid, leader of opposition; Lavanya Ganesh Reddy, chairperson of the standing committee for major public works; SP Hemalatha, chairperson of taxation and finance committee, and Mujahid Pasha, chairman of standing committee for public health.
The court is hearing a PIL filed by Vijayan Menon and others seeking a series of directions, including one to BBMP to place a report on action taken to repair killer potholes. The next hearing is fixed for April 1.
A division bench headed by chief justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka also directed the Palike to appoint the civil engineering department of Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to conduct audit of pothole-filling work undertaken on 74 roads, which the civic body claims are crater-free.
BBMP has been directed to ensure all ongoing works, including TenderSURE project and those undertaken by other entities like Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company and Gas Authority of India Limited, are completed as per schedule.
Regarding availability of compensation in pothole-related accidents as well as grievance redressal mechanisms available to citizens of Bengaluru, the court directed BBMP to give wide publicity to the matter. Referring to BBMP’s claim that newspaper advertisements could be costly, the bench said the agency can choose other modes.
Notices to mayor, his deputy
In a related development, the court directed the registrar general to issue notices to mayor Goutham Kumar Jain, deputy mayor CR Ram Mohan Raju and five others.
The court has sought their response by March 16 regarding the assertion made by BBMP commissioner BH Anil Kumar in his affidavit filed on November 27 last year. The Palike chief had stated he’d held a meeting with these people in connection with July 31 and September 9 orders of the court saying BBMP is bound to compensate victims of pothole-induced accidents and has to publicise the same.
However, in another affidavit filed on February 4, he said he only held consultations with the mayor and others and there was no meeting. Use of the term ‘meeting’ in his November 27 affidavit was inadvertent and unintentional, he said.
Notices have also been issued to KA Muneendra Kumar, leader of ruling party in BBMP; Abul Wajid, leader of opposition; Lavanya Ganesh Reddy, chairperson of the standing committee for major public works; SP Hemalatha, chairperson of taxation and finance committee, and Mujahid Pasha, chairman of standing committee for public health.
The court is hearing a PIL filed by Vijayan Menon and others seeking a series of directions, including one to BBMP to place a report on action taken to repair killer potholes. The next hearing is fixed for April 1.
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