CM Siddaramaiah pulls up civic officials over potholes and poor waste management

After his government faced public outrage and a social media backlash, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah conducted city rounds on Saturday to inspect roads and civic works and came down heavily on engineers, contractors, and civic officials over pothole-ridden roads, unattended waste, and dereliction of duty.

Visibly upset over the poor state of solid waste management, Mr. Siddaramaiah directed Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh to issue a notice to Raghavendra Prasad, Chief Engineer of Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd. (BSWML). The directive came after he visited Ward number 23’s solid waste collection centre, where he found garbage strewn outside despite ample space inside.

With potholes multiplying during the monsoon, the Chief Minister gave civic agencies a one-month deadline to repair roads and make them motorable. He stressed that pothole filling must be carried out with lasting quality, not through temporary patchwork.

Inspects key roads

Mr. Siddaramaiah began his inspection at Windsor Manor Bridge and covered Hennur-Bagalur Road, Benniganahalli Flyover, Old Madras Road, Panathur Road, and Kaadubeesanahalli, where he reviewed asphalting works. He inspected potholes along the stretch from Iblur Junction to Silk Board junction.

At Panathur T-Cross, the Chief Minister noticed large heaps of construction debris dumped along the roadside. Ordering CCTV camera installation and deployment of BBMP marshals, he directed the Police Commissioner and the Corporation Commissioner to take strict action against offenders responsible for illegal dumping.

In the Hennur-Bagalur division, Mr. Siddaramaiah ordered the suspension of an executive engineer after finding that potholes were being filled with jelly stones instead of proper asphalt. He warned that such negligence would not be tolerated.

On Hennur Road, where white-topping is in progress, he insisted that contractors must remain accountable for road maintenance until project completion. With the government spending ₹13 crore per kilometre on the 5-km stretch, he gave the contractor one month to finish the work and ensure the roads were free of potholes.

Metro-related damage

Raising concerns about Metro construction works, the Chief Minister noted that neglected service roads, blocked drains, and water stagnation had damaged freshly white-topped stretches. He directed immediate repairs and proper upkeep of service roads.

At one point along the Ring Road, spotting old construction debris dumped in areas without CCTV coverage, Mr. Siddaramaiah stopped his convoy and instructed officials to trace the offenders, seize their vehicles, and file cases. Angrily questioning civic and traffic officials, he asked, “Do you walk around the city with your eyes closed? Can you not see waste being dumped on the road?”

Concluding his inspection, Mr. Siddaramaiah issued a stern warning that engineers, contractors, and commissioners would be held directly accountable for lapses in road maintenance, pothole filling, and waste management.