BMP to give top priority to road widening

BMP to give top priority to road widening
The Hindu

BANGALORE, DEC. 31. The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike will give top priority to road widening and aligning in the New Year.

The BMP Commissioner, K. Jothiramalingam, and his team of officials met the Lokayukta, N. Venkatachala, on Friday and informed him that road widening will be on top of the agenda of the civic body in the coming year.

They briefed him about the civic body's plans to create more parking areas on roads.

"We only hope that there won't be any legal problems in our road widening project and we need your cooperation in this," Mr. Jothiramalingam told the Lokayukta. Mr. Venkatachala replied that no one can come in the way of the civic body when it recovered its own property for road widening.

When the commissioner said that the BMP needed to acquire private property at some places, the Lokayukta asked him to take up widening of roads using BMP property in the first phase.

"Don't go for acquisition of private land first. Use your property and widen roads first," the Lokayukta said.

Vehicle parking

The commissioner also informed the Lokayukta about the BMP's plans to fill potholes and asphalt roads as per specifications.

He assured Mr. Venkatachala that the civic body will identify areas in public places, including roads, for parking of vehicles uniformly.

"We will do our best to prevent unauthorised persons or even parking contractors from harassing the public at parking lots for a fee," the commissioner said.

Illumination

Roads will be properly illuminated to avoid accidents, especially for the two-wheeler riders who bump into road dividers, he said.

The Lokayukta said these assurances indicated that "the commissioner and his staff are interested in serving Bangaloreans and providing them with all facilities as is expected of them."

The Lokayukta Directors (Vigilance), K.V. Vasudevamurthy and M.D.Singh, the BMP Special Commissioner, Subash Chandra, and the Additional Commissioner (Finance), P.K.Srihari, were present.