Ramesh NR, President of the Anti-Corruption Forum, has lodged a formal complaint with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleging large-scale misappropriation of ₹46,300 crore allocated for road development by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) over a decade (2013-2023).
Allegations Highlighted in the Complaint:
- Funds Allocation vs. Ground Reality:
- ₹46,292.23 crore was disbursed for road development in Bengaluru’s 198 wards, including flyovers, underbridges, and white-topping projects.
- Despite this, BBMP roads are riddled with potholes—more than 30,000 identified across 1,980 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads between October 11 and October 24, 2024.
- Pervasive Corruption in BBMP Departments:
- The complaint accuses the BBMP’s “Roads Infrastructure Department,” “Project (Central) Department,” and “Divisional Executive Engineers’ Office” of colluding with rogue contractors.
- It alleges that senior officials have obstructed efforts to construct a laboratory to test the quality of materials, despite such a facility costing only ₹2-3 crore.
- Substandard Workmanship and Lack of Oversight:
- Bengaluru reportedly has some of the poorest-quality urban roads in India, with rampant pothole formation year after year.
- The BBMP lacks an in-house laboratory for material testing and instead relies on facilities in Hyderabad and Pune, increasing inefficiency.
- Impact on Contractors:
- Local contractors, disillusioned by corruption, have stopped participating in BBMP tenders.
- Tenders are now being awarded to contractors from neighboring states, raising concerns about quality and accountability.
- Potential for High-Quality Infrastructure:
- The complaint sarcastically notes that if the funds had been properly utilized, Bengaluru’s roads could have been paved with “gold plates.”
Call for Action:
The letter urges the ED to investigate the alleged misuse of public funds and the corruption within BBMP’s departments. It also highlights the need for immediate reforms, including the establishment of a local laboratory to ensure the quality of road construction materials.
Broader Implications:
The allegations against BBMP underscore systemic issues in governance and urban planning, particularly in one of India’s most important metropolitan cities. Effective resolution of these issues will require not only accountability for past misdeeds but also proactive measures to ensure transparency in future infrastructure projects.