BMP to heighten farce

BMP may add more roads to contest
The Hindu

Work on 80 more packages started on Wednesday

# BMP may issue advertisements on listing the roads identified for the contest
# Many feel deceived because the list was not published
# BMP studying the condition of the roads based on calls received from the people

BANGALORE: Encouraged by the fact that citizens have not been able to spot any pothole on the identified 142 roads in the city in the last three days, Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) is gearing to add more roads to the list.

After the BMP announced the "spot a pothole and win Rs. 100" contest on February 6, people from every nook and corner of the city have called the zonal offices and complained about potholes in their areas.

"As no pothole is located on the identified stretches, we have not given them any prize.

But we are using the information to intensify our pothole-filling drive.

The calls and locations have made our work easier and we will soon add more roads to the list for the contest," BMP Engineer-in-Chief Ramegowda told The Hindu on Wednesday.

Although the BMP is elated over the "perfect job" done by engineers in making the identified stretches pothole free, some citizens are irked over the conditions and specifications announced by the BMP for a "standard pothole". "There are so many potholes around us.

While the BMP has done a good thing by announcing the contest, it has at the same time tried to fool us by prescribing the size specifications," Vishwanath Gowda, a resident of RPC Layout, said.

"Whenever we call, the officials say we cannot get the prize because the location is not in the identified list.

Unless the BMP publishes the list of roads, how do we know which roads are in the list," he asked.

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The BMP has now decided to put up advertisements in newspapers with the list of roads.

"We have announced these roads as pothole-free after a month's effort.

Although we are sure, our engineers are still on the job everyday to check if any pothole has appeared on the identified roads. All this is to ensure that worn out tarred pits on the roads do not hinder smooth flow of traffic," Mr. Ramegowda said.