Bengaluru: Road history unchecked, transparency wrecked

Bengaluru residents push for access and accountability

Over the past six months, one could frequently observe roadside drains—some in good condition—being broken to construct new ones, cement blocks along the footpaths being replaced without a sense of urgency, or witness the rapid resurfacing of roads.

While local MLAs take credit for the work by erecting posters, crucial details such as the defect liability period of the existing project, the nature of the new work, and project cost, among others, are not available in the public domain. Furthermore, despite the government's directive, the BBMP has quietly abandoned the 'road history' project, which was intended to address all inquiries regarding the extensive network of over 13,000 km of roads.

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According to the government order issued in October 2019, the BBMP was expected to integrate the 'road history' software into its official website, providing three types of data (general, work details, and contractor details). The BBMP was not permitted to issue any work orders or clear bills without routing them through the new software. The responsibility for monitoring the system was entrusted to the BBMP's engineer-in-chief.

Although the software was launched briefly, public access has once again been restricted. Currently, only BBMP employees can log into the system. With the absence of the elected body and irregular ward committee meetings, transparency in the BBMP, which is overseen by senior bureaucrats, has hit an all-time low. It should also be noted that the Rs 118 crore fake bill scam, uncovered by the Lokayukta, took place under the noses of these bureaucrats.

'Make road history public'

Citizens who are actively engaged with the BBMP want the civic body to make the road history portal public. "When I lodged a complaint on the portal against a contractor who had only partially asphalted a road, he called me because the BBMP had withheld his bills. The road history was functioning well, although there was room for technological improvements. It had an option to provide feedback on every project. It should be reinstated," said Murali Govindarajulu, a resident of Hagadur ward.

Officials say the project was operational when Malleshwaram MLA Dr C N Ashwath Narayana was the minister, as it was his pet project.

"Since the responsibility was not assigned, the project fell through," explained an officer, stating that the road history project is a comprehensive document containing all types of records necessary to prevent double billing, fake billing, or unnecessary work if the public has access to it.

Speaking to DH, BBMP's Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath stated that the civic body only approves bills after they have been routed through the road history portal. "We have upgraded the software, and it is semi-public as access is provided through the IMFS portal. I am not aware of the 2019 government order," he said.

Srikanth Narasimhan, Founder and General Secretary of the Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP), urged the BBMP to make the road history public, considering that over 70 per cent of its budget is allocated to roads and drains.

"This will bring accountability to the BBMP, which repeatedly performs the same work on the same set of roads year after year," he said.

Need for transparency

"What is needed is radical transparency in the full lifecycle of every civic work from job code creation to payment. We also need to involve ward committees in monitoring the progress and quality of ward-level works. The BBMP's website must prominently carry disclosure of works and payments, where citizens are able to easily see a road identity and then the status of work from start to finish. This must come with the contractor's name and budgeted and actual cost and date, preferably on an interactive map. This data must also be made available at ward committee meetings," said Srikanth Viswanathan, Chief Executive Officer, Janaagraha