BJP leader alleges graft as Church St crumbles

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: BJP leader NR Ramesh has written to the BBMP administrator and chief commissioner regarding the poor condition of Church Street, paved from granite cobblestones under the TenderSure project.

He alleged that the 700-metre long road, adjacent to Brigade Road, was constructed at a cost of more than Rs 18 crore in 2018-19; however, it could not even survive three years. “It has been proved several times that the white topping schemes are only there to loot the money of taxpayers in the city.

Surprisingly, Rs 18 crore was spent on building such a poor-quality road at Church Street. Even though it is very obvious that 90 per cent of the money has gone to corruption,” said Ramesh. He also compared that similar roads in Yediyur ward (not under TenderSure) are still intact even with less amount of money spent on it.

“Five roads of 100 to 120 metres in length each have been developed in the same Tender Sure model at a very low cost of only Rs 4 lakh each in Yediyur ward of Padmanabhanagar Assembly Constituency. These roads are in a very good condition. But Rs 18 Crore was spent to build a 700 m project and it has deteriorated in just three and a half years,” added Ramesh.

He has asked the authorities to start an investigation process and look into the matter. “So I have written to the Chief Minister asking him to take legal action against the then officials of the Public Planning (Central) Department who have spent more than Rs 18 crore on a road that could have been built in a few lakhs and against the concerned contractors who have looted crores of rupees along with the officials and request that the investigation of this case be handed over to CID or Lokayukta,” he said.