Potholes & Politics! Who's to be Blamed?

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Namma Metro Yellow Line, connecting RV Road to Bommasandra, a major IT and manufacturing hub in South Bengaluru.

- Ramu Patil Assistant Resident Editor [e-mail]

Days later, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar opened a new loop from KR Puram towards the city on Hebbal Flyover on the busy airport road, riding his restored 40-year-old Yezdi Roadking. The expansion of the Metro network and road infrastructure is a welcome move to improve connectivity on those stretches. But on the flip side, roads in most parts of the state capital are in tatters.

By Shivakumar's own admission on the floor of the State Assembly, pothole-ridden roads are a major concern. So much so, the government, including DyCM, faces flak from every quarter. In a direct acknowledgement of the situation, the DyCM, who is also the Bengaluru Development Minister, stated that after being asked by the state government, the Police Department provided a list of 10,000 potholes that needed to be filled. Besides that, citizens and MLAs have also provided information about thousands of potholes.