Give us all the facts, HC tells BBMP on Ballari Road widening

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the BBMP to submit a comprehensive statement by April 18 regarding the Ballari Road widening work.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale passed this direction after going through the affidavit on the works being undertaken from both Cauvery theatre junction to Mehkri Circle as well as on Jayamahal Road.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by Samarpana, a Bengaluru-based socio-cultural trust, over delay in the road-widening work. The petitioner claimed that no action was initiated on the proposed widening of Jayamahal Road (from Mehkri Circle to Cantonment Railway Station) and Ballari Road (from Mehkri Circle to BDA junction), despite directions from the apex court.

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The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) submitted that a major portion of the roadwork has been done and it will complete the remaining work within a month-and-a-half.

The BBMP advocate told the court that 90 per cent of the Ballari Road project, from Gayatri Vihar gate to Cauvery theater junction, is completed.

The bench asked the BBMP to respond with all the facts on the entire road-widening project. It also asked the civic body to provide the time required to finish the project and mention the safety measures taken by the BBMP, given that the roadwork is being carried out in the middle of heavy traffic.

“Accordingly, we expect a proper, comprehensive, self-speaking response and a detailed response from the respondent, the BBMP, by way of the compliance affidavit or by way of a status report of the compliance affidavit.

“Needless to state that the affidavit must disclose all the necessary factual details, including the Ballari Road stretch from Mehkri Circle to Cauvery junction and the stretch between Jayamahal Road and Cantonment, which we referred to as part of our order,” the bench said.