Bengaluru: To address challenges arising during the execution of Bengaluru development works, road infrastructure, traffic management, and civic coordination, Karnataka Chief Secretary Dr. Shalini Rajneesh chaired a high-level review meeting at Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday.
The meeting, aimed at improving inter-departmental coordination, was attended by Tushar Giri Nath (ACS, Urban Development Department), Maheshwar Rao (GBA Commissioner), Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (Biocon Chairperson), urban expert R.K. Mishra, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasad Manohar, BMTC MD Ramachandran, BESCOM MD Dr. Shivashankar, Metro MD Ravishankar, KPTCL MD Pankaj Kumar Pandey, civic commissioners, traffic police, KIADB, PWD, and other stakeholders.
Key Focus Areas Discussed
- Road infrastructure and pothole filling: Emphasis on using VG-30 grade tar for durability. Contractors using substandard material will be blacklisted, with payments withheld unless quality checks are passed.
- High-density corridors and monitoring: Major projects worth ₹694 crore will be monitored via a central dashboard and app-based system to ensure progress tracking, accountability, and timely completion.
- Decentralization of GBA: Zones into five Corporations has empowered commissioners to directly oversee and respond to local road and civic issues, marking a “game-changer” in Bengaluru governance.
- Traffic and congestion control: The government is considering a congestion charge for single-occupant vehicles on the Outer Ring Road (ORR), encouraging carpooling among the city’s 25 lakh IT employees.
- Drainage and waterlogging issues: With 117 identified flood-prone locations, integrated pothole filling and drain-cleaning operations will be taken up to ensure long-term road quality.
- Corporate participation: Discussions included involving IT companies in sustainable mobility solutions, including carpooling and last-mile connectivity between campuses.
RK Mishra: “Good Work Must Be Highlighted Too”
Urban expert R.K. Mishra, speaking to the media after the meeting, said:
“Today’s review led by the Chief Secretary focused on road infrastructure, traffic congestion, and coordination among agencies. While problems are reported, a lot of good work is happening and needs to be highlighted too. The creation of five GBA zones is a major reform—commissioners now take pride in their areas and citizens can approach them directly, instead of everything being centralized at BBMP headquarters.”
He further stressed on timeliness, quality, and accountability, noting that projects must be tracked via a digital project monitoring system. Mishra also revealed that October has been fixed as a deadline month to make all major city roads motorable, beyond just pothole repair.
Also Read: “Bengaluru is rich, everyone can buy a car”
Government’s Stand
Officials emphasized that the focus is not just on supply (new roads and infrastructure) but also on demand management, reducing vehicle load through carpooling, congestion pricing, and Metro expansion. The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister have also issued strict directives on quality monitoring and blacklisting of violators.
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