Karnataka HC asks civic body about action taken on its chief engineer

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday questioned the advocate representing Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) as to what action has been taken against its chief engineer B S Prahalad.

The chief engineer tasked with filling up potholes on Bengaluru roads is accused of assaulting the husband of the managing director of a pothole-filling firm during a meeting.

A Division Bench of the Court directed the BBMP to appoint another chief engineer to take care of the pothole-filling. BS Prahalad should not be entrusted with this task anymore, the Bench ordered.

The court was informed that the BBMP Commissioner has directed an enquiry into the issue of assault and a senior IAS officer has been tasked with the enquiry.

The report is expected to be filed within the next three or four days. The court was also told that another chief engineer has been roped in.

During the hearing of the public interest litigation (PIL) regarding the potholes on city roads, the BBMP advocate informed the court that the American Technology and Solutions Ltd would be given the task of filling the potholes. The work would be a mechanised operation and the cost of it has been worked out.

BBMP would pay Rs 551 to the company for every square metre of pothole filled. The High Court directed the BBMP and the company to fill up the potholes in the city at the earliest and not to delay the task. The hearing of the case has been adjourned to June 22.