Technical panel to probe asphalting of all B'luru roads in last decade

 A technical committee will investigate irregularities and illegalities in all asphalting of roads carried out in Bengaluru from the year 2005-06 onwards, the State Cabinet decided on Monday.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was under the administrator rule from 2005-06 to 2010. The BJP held the reins of administration between 2010 and 15. A retired judge of the High Court will head the technical committee which will also have retired engineers. The committee will look into as many as 5,903 cases where illegalities have been noticed but not probed.

The government had ordered an enquiry into a total of 6,188 road works that were found to be illegal. But just 78 cases were investigated. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been asked to continue investigation into 283 cases, while the committee will look into the rest.

The Cabinet also decided to continue B-Trac (Bangalore Traffic Improvement Project) at a cost of Rs 175 crore for the next three years. The project will be implemented through the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL). The government has set aside Rs 66.04 crore for the 2015-16 action plan. The Cabinet also ratified the notification on the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority Bill, 2014.

The Cabinet has dropped a departmental enquiry against L Raghu, a BDA executive engineer who had come under the Lokayukta scanner. The Upa Lokayukta had written to the government asking for a departmental enquiry into corruption charges against Raghu.