BBMP to white-top newly asphalted roads, sparks outrage

3rd Main Road in Chamarajpet in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: K. BHAGYA PRAKASH

In what is perceived as unnecessary spending, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has started digging newly asphalted roads to white-top them, sparking outrage.

It has now come to light that the civic body issued work orders for asphalting seven roads in Chamarajpet on February 2, 2024, and floated a tender for white-topping the same set of roads the same day.

According to documents accessed by The Hindu, the BBMP, on February 2, 2024, issued work orders for the comprehensive development of roads, drains, and footpaths at 2nd Main Road, 3rd Main Road, 5th Main Road, 7th Cross, 9th Cross, Pampa Mahakavi Road, 1st Cross, Albert Victor Road, 1st Main in Chamarajpet.

The tender for the work was invited on September 17, 2022. Star Infratech bagged the tender, and the work was also completed. The total cost of the project was ₹23 crore.

3rd Main Road in Chamarajpet in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit:
K. BHAGYA PRAKASH

For white-topping, the BBMP issued a work order to JMC Constructions Private Limited on June 20, 2024, and the total cost of the project was estimated at ₹98 crore. The work order also included the comprehensive development of footpaths apart from white-topping. It means, within months, the BBMP would be spending ₹98 crore more on the roads which were asphalted at a cost of ₹23 crore.

The BBMP issued the tender for white-topping after Chamarajpet MLA, B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan wrote to BBMP Chief Engineer appealing to him to implement the project on priority. The letter was written on October 26, 2023. Mr. Ahmed was unavailable for comment.

Move slammed

Sriramegowda, President of Chamrajpet Nagarikara Okkuta, said the civic body had violated its own rules. “According to rules laid down by the civic body, there is a blanket ban on digging of roads for three years from the date of completion of work. It is not uncommon for other agencies to dig the roads. But in this case the BBMP has itself violated the rule,” he said. He demanded that the civic body should immediately withdraw the work order for white-topping these roads as they have been recently asphalted.

Probe ordered

Chief Civic Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath told The Hindu that he had directed the civic body’s engineer-in-chief to investigate the issue.