City roads get a blacktop

City roads get a blacktop


The main roads and bylanes of Anandnagar, off Bellary Road, were in a state of utter neglect for the past five years or so. Time and again, the pleas of the residents to repair these roads had been overlooked by the authorities.
But last weekend, asphalting machines rumbled up and overnight, the roads were repaired and turned to smooth, black ribbons. A pleasant surprise, and the reason — you’ve guessed it right! BBMP elections.
With the code of conduct coming into effect on Friday, the ruling BJP is leaving no stone unturned to reap the dividends ahead of the polls, slated for February 21. The best part of the whole exercise is that good roads won’t remain just an empty promise, whatever the poll result.
Not just Anandnagar, most of the lanes and bylanes in the residential areas of the city were widened overnight and given a fresh coat of asphalt, some with concrete. Whatever the treatment, and speed of work, it came as a great relief to road users — never before did one have so many blacktop roads laid simultaneously, especially in residential localities.
And not many residents are complaining. “I am least interested in knowing the reason behind the instant road development programme. I am content that our fiveyear demand for good roads has been finally fulfilled,’’ said R R Patil, a senior citizen of RT Nagar.
“It was a metaphor a rollercoaster ride in our localities. The road had become one gigantic pothole and vehicles had to bounce in and out of craters. But all that is past,’’ said a relieved Sunil Vidwan, resident of Sanjaynagar, where at least seven roads were repaired and asphalted in less than two weeks.
It’s not just roads, though. New water connections, drainages, dustbins, streetlights, buses — the government has fulfilled most of the long-pending demand of the residents, if not all. Official sources said the government must have easily spent about Rs 300 crore since the State Election Commission announced the election date.
Bangalore minister-in-charge R Ashoka and Katta Subramanya Naidu, however, maintained that the ongoing road repairs are a routine matter and that funds were allocated long ago. TNN