Salesmen at BVK Iyengar Road say street vendors have taken advantage of the idle construction site. The unfinished road has provided them space to set up stalls, they say.
Credit: DH PHOTO/SK Dinesh
Bengaluru: The ongoing white-topping project on a 300-metre stretch of BVK Iyengar Road, between Sulthanpet and Chickpet junctions, has stretched over seven months.
Alleged inefficiencies among workers have led to an idle, unfinished portion now crowded with street stalls.
Work on one side of the road was completed and opened to the public last month, but the other side remains under construction. Local vendors and shop owners have voiced frustrations, accusing road workers of irregular attendance and sluggish progress.
“It has been more than a month since they started digging on this side, but there has hardly been any progress,” said a salesman from a clothing store, who requested anonymity.
Ramesh, a salesman at an electronics store, noted that street vendors have taken advantage of the idle construction site. “The unfinished road has provided space for them to set up stalls daily,” he said.
The ongoing construction and street stalls have caused significant inconvenience for both vehicles and pedestrians. The narrowed footpaths make it difficult for pedestrians to navigate, while the partial road closure forces vehicles headed from Sulthanpet Junction toward Chickpet Junction to detour via Balepet Main Road.
Traffic police stationed at Sulthanpet Junction report that additional personnel are deployed during peak hours to manage congestion.
Meanwhile, the area remains plagued by piles of garbage that, vendors said, have been neglected by the BBMP.