Finalise deal to start filling potholes: Karnataka HC to BBMP

Highlights

• The Karnataka High Court directed BBMP to finalise its agreement with American Road Technology Solutions (ARTS) to start pothole-filling work immediately, in areas assigned to it. A division bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Ashok S Kinagi passed the order after BBMP counsel V Srinidhi informed the court, on instructions from the Chief Commissioner, that the civic agency has agreed to pay a rate of Rs 551 per sqmtr as basic price for filling up of a pothole.

• Recording the submission, the court asked BBMP to file a status report with regard to repair of roads within 10 days. The court was hearing a PIL filed by Vijayan Menon and others in 2015, on the condition of roads in the city.

• Before this, senior advocate Jayna Kothari, representing ARTS, informed court that they have filed an affidavit against BBMP Chief Engineer BS Prahlad (Road and Infrastructure) on how he manhandled and assaulted the husband of the Managing Director of ARTS, and one of its directors, at a meeting in his office. The court said it is satisfied that Prahlad is not to continue to supervise work done by ARTS, and the Chief Commissioner should authorise another chief engineer, the court said.