Corruption eats into Bengaluru roads

In the last year, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahana gara Palike (BBMP) has used less than half of the money allotted to it to improve road infrastructure in the city. There's no real explanation of why the rest wasn't spent--and going by the state of the roads we use every day, we aren't convinced what has been spent so far well spent. In the 2014-15 budget, BBMP was allotted Rs2,160 crore for road infrastructure projects such as development of arterial and sub-arterial roads, road widening, construction of rail bridges, TenderSURE roads and grade separators, and framing of new parking policies. Its accounts show that only projects worth Rs 1,000 crore were approved during the same period. And of this Rs 1,000 crore there are no clear accounts for how Rs461 crore was spent.They're recorded under the head `special works' but without any further details. Similarly, Rs 18.5 crore was sanctioned to fill potholes in 2014-15 but the next year's budget had no updates on whether this money was spent. About 34,000km of roads criss-cross the 850 sqkm under BBMP's jurisdiction. Most of these are in ter rible shape, covered with potholes, badly laid and without infrastructure such as medians, markers and scientific speed breakers. Most roads laid by BBMP last less than a year. Experts say this is because they want to float a new tender for asphalting every year. "BBMP calls it chip carpeting, which is just laying one inch of thick tar so that it will wash away after a spell of rain," says Naresh V Narasimhan, an architect and urban expert. "They never lay a road that will last." The tender process appears to be a means for corrupt officials and politicians to make money off contractors, who pay kick backs to land contracts to lay roads.Only half the money sanctioned is actually spent on the project, say sources. The vicious circle continues.This system of do ing shoddy work so that repairs can be taken up frequently runs through all types of projects that BBMP takes up, say sourc es. Even large infrastructure projects such as construction of grade separators, flyovers, footpaths and medians are caught in this tangle. The corruption in road tenders is not unknown: In 2013, the Comptroller Auditor General pointed out irregularities to the tune of Rs579 crore in road projects worth Rs 707 crore by BBMP between 2005 and 2012. Commuters bear the brunt of this corrupt system. For instance, in April, two sisters were thrown off a bike and killed when their mother slowed down to negotiate a pothole near Ulsoor Gate police station. A bus hit the twowheeler from behind, and Shama, 13, fell on the road and came under its wheels. Her sister, Ayam, 1, hit her head on the pavement and died later. Pedestrians are also at risk as BBMP pays even less attention to pavements. Non-profit group Janaagraha did a study on walkability in Bengaluru in 2013 and found that 20% of city roads lack footpaths. -TOI