Caught or caused a traffic jam?

CM’s cavalcade caught in traffic jam
The Times or India


Bangalore: Chief minister N Dharam Singh on Wednesday whizzed through some of the city roads to study the rain-affected areas. But his cavalcade of over 20 vehicles ensured that citizens already facing serpentine traffic because of water-logged roads, braved it for a few hours more.

The plight of the hapless ‘victims’ waiting impatiently for the chief minister and his men to zoom through grid-locked roads was best exemplified en route to HSR layout — the cavalcade itself was caught in a traffic jam.

At the Hosur Road-Bommanahalli junction, a 300-strong angry crowd had gathered only to be whisked off by a human chain the police made and the CM’s vehicle had to take a detour to go elsewhere.

Singh said a preliminary assessment of rain damage in the city had amounted to Rs 70 crore, while government had already released Rs 30 crore.
Prior to visiting some of the worst-affected places — Hosur Road, HSR layout, Ulsoor lake — Singh said he had a slew of meetings with cabinet colleagues, the BCC, BDA and the chief secretary, who were constantly updating him on the situation.

Singh, who was accompanied by deputy chief minister M P Prakash and primary and secondary education minister R Ramalinga Reddy, admitted that unplanned growth in the peripheral areas of Bangalore, rampant construction by builders on lakebeds and drain surfaces, had led to a chaotic situation.
He said there is absolutely no funds crunch as they have been releasing funds generously. “They have asked for Rs 100 crore, I have agreed and as of Wednesday Rs 30 crore has been released. Money would be released to the other districts also,’’ he said. Yet nothing was forthcoming when asked why no preemptive measures had been taken after his visits to Puttenhalli, K R Puram and Bommanahalli less than two months ago.