HC seeks report on assault by BBMP engineer on road tech company directors

The High Court on Tuesday asked the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to inform the action taken on the complaint filed against Chief Engineer B S Prahlad for his alleged assault on the directors of American Road Technology Solutions, the company operating Python equipment. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi has directed the BBMP to submit the action taken report on the next date of hearing on June 6.

Senior counsel representing the company informed the bench that in a meeting held on May 27, B S Prahlad allegedly assaulted the husband of the managing director and one of the directors of the company. The court was informed that the chief engineer assaulted, punched and pushed the directors during the meeting when other staff of the BBMP intervened. The advocate stated that a written complaint has been submitted to the chief commissioner in this regard.

The company and the BBMP are in disagreement over the price for filling of potholes by Python machines. The company claims it has already executed the work of repairing potholes on 182 kms of roads in the city without receiving any payment from the BBMP.

According to the company, it has been demanding the scheduled rate fixed by PWD (for pothole repair by machines). Whereas, the BBMP is offering the rate much below which is applicable for the manual work, the company further claimed. According to the company, the BBMP has not made any payment for the work already completed.

The counsel representing the BBMP requested a time of two days and submitted that the chief commissioner will personally look into the matter and try to resolve the matter relating to the rate. The court granted time and adjourned the matter.

The PIL was filed in 2015 by Vijayan Menon and others seeking directions to the BBMP for a concrete action repairing potholes in the city. The petition also prayed for a direction to provide a mechanism to enable citizens to file complaints about the bad condition of roads in the city.