Start repair work on potholes immediately: CM to civic body

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said the city civic body has been asked to start the repair work of potholes "immediately" while maintaining the quality.
At least four people have died in accidents this month because of the battered condition of some of the city's roads.
Siddaramaiah admitted that "corruption is there in every field" when reporters suggested that rampant corruption and poor standard of work by city civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike was one of the reasons for the pothole menace.
"Potholes are being filled up and I have asked them to maintain quality," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

The chief minister said that whatever is done would not stay as it has been raining and so the civic body has to go in for cold mix, which might stay for just three to four months.
"Earlier I had told them to fix potholes after the rain stops. But because of accidents I have asked officials to start the work immediately," he said.

Siddaramaiah said that once the rain stopped, the potholes would be fixed again with hot mix, which would have longer durability.
He said that he had also directed that officials would be made responsible if anything goes wrong.

Siddaramaiah, who visited one of the accident spots yesterday, had directed the civic agency to make the city roads pothole free within a fortnight.
On the issue of a ruling Congress MLA allegedly abusing and threatening a top IAS officer at the state secretariat for not clearing his son's application pertaining to granting of mining lease recently, Siddaramaih said he has spoken to the MLA and advised him against indulging in such activity.
"I have told Shivamurthy (K Shivamurthy Naik) that such things should not be done, it will create a problem. I have advised him not to repeat such things," he said.