Bengaluru pothole filling picks up pace after residents' tax warning

The Individual Tax Payers Forum wrote a letter to the Karnataka CM, urging the government to stop the Greater Bengaluru Authority from collecting tax if they were not provided with good public infra

Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said the work of filling potholes in Bengaluru is "progressing swiftly", after a group of citizens threatened to stop paying property tax due to the city's "poor infrastructure".

 

According to a report in NDTV, a citizen group called Individual Tax Payers Forum wrote a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, urging the government to stop the Greater Bengaluru Authority from collecting property tax if they were not provided with "good public infrastructure".

 

The forum said, "The citizens and Taxpayers are suffering immensely along with our families and children because of Bad Civic Infrastructure planning by Municipal Authorities (BBMP, GBA), and wish to draw your kind attention to the ongoing, half-measured, Unscientific, and poorly coordinated road White-Topping and Stormwater drainage works in the Varthur-Balgere Panathur area."

 

 

Describing the recent floods in the city as "one of the worst", the forum said instead of completing the drainage network first, the authorities are fixing the issue of filling potholes, and white-topping works in Varthur-Balagere-Panathur.

 

In a post on X, Shivakumar wrote, "Smooth traffic is the government's top priority! Giving priority to smooth traffic in Bengaluru city, the work of asphalting roads at various places in the city and filling potholes is progressing swiftly."

 

Debate over Bengaluru's infrastructure

 

Earlier, Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw also flagged concerns over Bengaluru's infrastructure. In a post on X, Shaw said that she had an overseas visitor to Biocon Park, who questioned the poor roads and the litter around. Citing her visitor, she further added that the state government does not want to support investment.

 

Shaw's remark prompted a response from Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge, who questioned "which part of Bengaluru have they seen". Soon after Kharge's response, another state minister, MB Patil, cautioned against public criticism. Speaking to ANI, Patil added, "Once there were potholes, and heavy rainfalls. Now it's been attended. Thousands of crores have been given, and the work is going on... When the work is going on, you tweeting it again is not in good taste."