Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya Tuesday doubled down on his criticism of the civic infrastructure within the metropolis, a day after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) claimed pothole-free roads in the course of the TCS World 10K run.
In a submit on X, Surya stated, “Okay, BBMP, now that you’ve stated, we’ll consider that Bengaluru roads don’t have any potholes. They’re the most effective roads. And, you’re merely the most effective. Gradual claps.”
Surya had earlier expressed displeasure over the situation of Bengaluru roads after participating within the TCS 10k run Sunday. The ten-km stretch began from RSI Membership on M G Street and concluded at Manekshaw Parade Floor on Cubbon Street, by way of Dickenson Street, Raj Bhavan, and Okay R Circle.
In an open letter to Deputy Chief Minister and Benglauru Growth Minister D Okay Shivakumar and former BBMP chief commissioner Tushar Giri Nath, Surya stated Sunday, “Whereas it was a matter of nice delight to see near 40 thousand folks, together with a few of the world’s finest athletes, senior residents, take part within the occasion, it was equally disappointing to witness the state of our metropolis’s roads and public infrastructure – proper within the coronary heart of the CBD. The Central Enterprise District (CBD) roads, that are imagined to be the most effective roads within the metropolis, was in a completely pathetic state – just like the roads in the remainder of the town.”
“Many runners stay up for this occasion for years. They practice, journey and take part with pleasure. What we supplied them was an impediment race as an alternative of a world-class expertise,” he stated in his submit.
He complained that not a single stretch of the route was freed from potholes and claimed that many runners stumbled and sprained their ankles in the course of the run.
Responding to Surya’s claims, the BBMP Monday issued a clarification saying that the organisers of the run had stated there have been no points with the roads. It additionally famous that Abhishek Pal, who broke all earlier information by finishing the marathon in a time of 29 minutes and 12 seconds, attributed the success to the “good situation” of the roads.
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The BBMP’s government engineer, East Division, submitted a report back to the civic company, dismissing Surya’s claims as “unfounded”.
“I used to be conscious upfront of the ten,000-meter marathon occasion organized by TCS on the aforementioned date. Accordingly, I personally inspected the complete race route ranging from April 21, accompanied by Claudius Saldanha, the organizer of the World’s Premier 10K Run. Throughout this inspection, minor highway joints, floor cracks, and potholes alongside the course had been recognized and scheduled for restore. On your reference, I’m attaching geo-stamped pictures taken in the course of the inspection.”
The engineer added, “Moreover, white-topping works in progress on Maingard Street, Shivajinagar, had been hid utilizing inexperienced shade nets. Ample lighting and different essential security measures had been additionally being applied to make sure public security and stop inconvenience. In view of the above, I wish to respectfully make clear that the considerations raised relating to the situation of the roads and the protection of the race seem like unfounded.”
In the meantime, Shivakumar, who flagged off the occasion, has not issued any assertion on the matter.
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Based on the BBMP’s 2024 efficiency report, the Pothole Repair app, launched by the civic company, obtained roughly 20,235 complaints of potholes. The BBMP claims to have mounted 11,309 potholes, whereas 1,449 stay unaddressed. It, nonetheless, reported that 6,249 complaints about potholes had been discovered to be false.