The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : BMP asked to submit status report on roadworks

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 29, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

BMP asked to submit status report on roadworks

Staff Reporter

HIGH COURTROUND-UP

BANGALORE: Taking to task the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) for the sorry state of roads in Bangalore, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed the BMP to file within three weeks a status report on the roads indicating what work has been done on repairing, remodelling or relaying the roads.

A Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice, Nauvdip Kumar Sodhi, and Justice B.S. Patil passed the order on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition by A.V. Amarnathan, a lawyer, seeking a direction to fill potholes on all roads.

Bad condition

The petitioner said the BMP has not paid adequate attention to roads, and some of the roads that were repaired two months ago now have trenches and potholes. He listed 70 roads in bad condition.

The Bench said the PIL has been filed with photographs to substantiate the fact that the roads are in bad condition and need repairs. It said the BMP is in charge of maintaining roads and directed it to file a status report on the maintenance and relaying of the roads from January this year.

The BMP submitted that it had assigned the work of repairing roads to contractors, but the contractors have not done a good job. The petitioner contested the BMP statement and said that roads asphalted two months ago have been washed away in the recent rain and many other roads are in bad condition. Perturbed over the state of the bad roads, the Bench observed that the BMP did not want the roads to stay for more than two months. It further observed that the quality of workmanship and work was poor and the material used was of poor quality.

When the petitioner sought the constitution of a committee to go into the condition of roads and monitor its repairs, the Government advocate said a panel of engineering experts can be asked to do the job. The Bench observed that this is not practical as the city is too large. The Bench adjourned further hearing on the petition till August 2.

Adjourned

Justice Mohan Shantanagouder on Tuesday adjourned a petition by senior Congress leader and president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, B. Janardhana Poojary.

Mr. Poojary had petitioned the High Court to stay the issue of summons by a city court after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashwath Narayana had filed a complaint on the use of coupons resembling currency notes.

The High Court had earlier stayed the lower court order. When the matter came up, the parties sought an adjournment.

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