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According to Greater Bengaluru Authority data, a stretch of 47.9km has been covered, which will also be inspected by the chief minister and his deputy during their tour on Saturday
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar with Bengaluru officials. (News18)
Bengaluru is under the scanner when it comes to potholes and the crumbling infrastructure has forced Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar to undertake a city tour.
Between September 20 and 26, a total of 51 roads had been attended to and 701 potholes filled, with patchwork carried out over 31,783 square metres. According to the Greater Bengaluru Authority data, a total stretch of 47.9 km has been covered, which will also be inspected by the chief minister and his deputy during their tour on Saturday.
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Siddaramaiah has set an October 31 deadline to fill all potholes in the city. Following the formation of the five new Bengaluru corporations, the government has stepped up pressure to accelerate pothole-filling across the city.
“This city tour across the five newly formed corporations, travelling through some of the most badly affected roads, will also bring in a sense of urgency to make roads motorable,” explained a senior official.
A week ago, Siddaramaiah had pulled up officials over the poor state of Bengaluru’s roads and given them a one-month deadline to fill potholes and make all city roads motorable. Flaying them for their apathy and inefficiency, he directly questioned whether officials “don’t see the hardships of people and the state of the roads in Bengaluru”.
Chairing a review meeting on road improvements and the traffic system, the chief minister expressed sharp displeasure at the negligence of officials. “Don’t you see the daily hardships of the people? It is your responsibility to take urgent action, and there should be no further delay,” he had said. He also added that strict action would be taken against those who deliver substandard work, especially if freshly filled potholes reopen.
While the politics over potholes continues, with the Congress and BJP indulging in a blame game over whose governance led to the craters, Shivakumar announced that Rs 750 crore has been released to fill potholes in the city. “We are committed to fixing the pothole issue in Bengaluru. The chief minister has released a grant of Rs 750 crore for this purpose,” he told reporters.
The Congress blamed the BJP’s misrule for the poor state of Bengaluru’s roads. Shivakumar said BJP leaders must understand that the Centre has not given any funds for Bengaluru’s development despite the city’s high tax contributions.
The BJP, meanwhile, staged a rasta roko protest in select constituencies, highlighting pothole-ridden roads. Party workers symbolically protested by pointing out potholes and then filling them, to showcase that the state government was not delivering on its promises.
About the Author
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t…Read More
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t… Read More
September 27, 2025, 15:32 IST
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