Bengaluru: With its blacktop peeling off and potholes surfacing on it with metronomic regularity, Malagala Main Road in Nagarbhavi, south Bengaluru, has been crying for attention for years. Residents say though their requests to BBMP are met with replies that money has been released twice for fixing the stretch, nothing much has changed due to shoddy patchwork. Local BJP MLA Munirathna Naidu, who represents RR Nagar assembly constituency under which the road falls, blames the govt’s vindictiveness for the mess.
Anil Kumar, a resident of Malagala said, “In the past six years, BBMP hasn’t asphalted the road even once. When potholes appear, they are patched up temporarily, but the patches come off within days, creating potholes again. When we complain to BBMP, they ignore and don’t take any responsibility for it or just give us false promises.”
Shwetha K, a homemaker, said, “We heard BBMP has been releasing funds but officials and local representatives siphon them off. We end up suffering. The state of road is a challenge, especially for senior citizens and women who pick their children from schools.” According to her, two-wheeler riders find it tough to negotiate potholes and uneven patches on the road.
A senior BBMP official told TOI, “We are aware of the road condition. We are currently working on fixing major stretches now. Once that is done, we will work on other roads, including Malagala Main Road.”
Asked about allegations of funds being siphoned off, the official said: “These are just allegations and we cannot comment on them.”
Munirathna Naidu said, “The govt is barely doing anything; they are just busy making DPRs for tunnel roads and other big-ticket projects. If they are really interested in development and Brand Bengaluru, they should look at the city as one and not have a divide-and-rule policy. The govt is responsible for all areas and not just ones represented by Congress MLAs.”