Roads dug up barely 3 months after asphalting

Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

Bengaluru: Residents in Hebbal Assembly constituency were very happy three months ago when the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had asphalted roads that were riddled with potholes or craters. They appreciated and thanked MLA Byrathi Suresh for making it happen.

However, their joy was short-lived, and now they are shocked to see the roads were being dug up indiscriminately by private telecom service providers. “The roads were asphalted three months ago. Most of the roads in the locality are being dug up by people engaged by telecom service providers. The men are not responding when asked about the permission letter to dig up roads. Most of them are in an inebriated condition,” rues N Manjunath, a resident of Gangenahalli Extension, adding that a resident was injured due to uncovered ditches on the road.

Blaming the BBMP authorities for not acting tough against those digging roads, Ganganagar Residents’ Welfare Association founder member Basheer Ahmed has said that he got injured when his two-wheeler skidded due to uneven surface of the road in front of his house. “I was injured 15 days ago. I have informed the ward engineer about the unsystematic digging of roads but in vain,’’ Ahmed said.

M Nandeesh Kumar of Manorayanapalya has said MLA Byrathi Suresh had taken the initiative to asphalt the roads that were full of potholes and craters. “All of us were very happy when our MLA directed the BBMP authorities to asphalt and concrete roads in our locality. We are not happy with digging of roads that were asphalted recently,” said Nandeesh Kumar

Meanwhile, Hebbal MLA Byrathi Suresh has inspected various roads that were dug up by telecom service providers. He wrote a letter to the BBMP Chief Commissioner stating that he had received complaints from the residents against digging of roads by telecom service providers. “The telecom service providers have not restored the roads that were dug up for laying optical fiber cables. They have damaged many roads and caused a lot of inconvenience to the public,” the MLA stated in his letter.

Suresh said that he had enquired the BBMP engineers who gave permission to the telecom service providers but in vain. “It seems the BBMP engineers have no clue on who allowed the telecom service providers to dig the roads. I want a detailed report on permission given to the firms, except the Bescom, to dig up roads in the last two years,” he told the BBMP Chief Commissioner in the letter.