Bengaluru civic works hang fire as DyCM Shivakumar completes 100 days in office

Despite completing 100 days in office, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar seemingly did not give his go-ahead for civic projects.

This is evident from the incomplete works on roads, primary drains and lakes.

Barring a few Congress-represented assembly segments, the neglected civic works have been widespread since the Opposition BJP holds a majority of constituencies in Bengaluru. Project sites where work was halted before the assembly polls remain the same months later without activity.

Contractors had initially stopped work in protest against the government’s probe on the BBMP’s works, anticipating more delays in releasing outstanding payments. The half-done projects continue to languish despite inconveniencing citizens. Contractors are not sure if the government will pay them, or when.

The busy 12th Main Road in Indiranagar, Bull Temple Road in Basavanagudi, and Hosakerehalli Bund Road in RR Nagar are all in a deplorable condition. The civic body has also halted flood-prevention works in all rajakaluves and lakes.

Some walkers have complained that the half-done Haladevanahalli has been a mess.

“The contractor has abandoned the rajakaluve-remodeling work midway,” said a resident of Byrathi, who lives close to St Mary’s School. “Luckily, there has been no heavy rain so far. All our houses will flood again unless the mud dumped in the drain to build the cement walls is cleared before the skies open up again,” the senior citizen said.

A Mahadevapura resident wondered why the government has stopped the work. “Every government changes the allocation of funds for works that have not started. But why stop works that are going to be completed very soon?” he said.

BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath told DH that the works are stopped till November. “I have instructed officials to ensure water moves smoothly in places where the remodeling of rajakaluves is taken up, but the project is incomplete,” he said.

“Regular maintenance of roads has not been discontinued. Till the monsoon is over, we will not take up new works,” Girinath added. 

Meanwhile, Minister Ramalinga Reddy said projects in his constituency have not stopped, even as the BBMP remains evasive about when the half-done works will be completed.