Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has refused to comment on the deadline set for filling potholes in Bengaluru, which is due to expire on Friday midnight, stating that it is for Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, to answer.
CM Siddaramaiah made the statement at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Friday. When reporters questioned him about the expiry of the pothole repair deadline, he simply replied, "Please ask DK Shivakumar," and walked away. This reaction by CM Siddaramaiah amid ongoing infighting within the ruling Congress party has led to speculation and discussions in state political circles.
It is noteworthy that the Chief Minister had previously directed officials to fill all potholes in Bengaluru within a week, reiterating an earlier order that set October 31 as the deadline for completing road repairs within the city's corporation limits. The directive followed a fatal accident on October 24th that claimed the life of a 26-year-old banker— the second pothole-related death in less than a month.
Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar stated that over 10,000 potholes had been filled so far in Bengaluru. He also referenced an affidavit filed by the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government, led by former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, which had mentioned that the city had approximately 20,000 potholes. Shivakumar further said that the authorities had given the public and traffic police an opportunity to identify and report additional potholes, claiming that the government was working transparently.
However, captains of Bengaluru's IT industry, including Biocon Chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and former Infosys Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Mohandas Pai, have publicly criticised the Congress-led Karnataka government over the city’s poor road infrastructure, expressing concern that industries are shifting to other states. Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar maintained that IT companies "cannot blackmail the government." Ministers MB Patil and Priyank Kharge also targeted Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, stating that she raises her voice only in Karnataka and that if she had made similar remarks in BJP-ruled states such as Uttar Pradesh or Maharashtra, she would have faced a severe backlash.
Also read: Siddaramaiah to serve full term as CM, says son Yathindra
Follow us
