Rs 800 crore for white topping of 24 roads! Cabinet plans big for Bengaluru

The state government has decided to extend a Rs 800 crore grant to BBMP for taking up white topping of 24 selected roads across Bengaluru. A decision in this regard was taken by the Cabinet on Wednesday, where the proposal to make major roads pothole free was discussed.

Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mr T.B. Jayachandra said that the government wanted a permanent solutions to potholes on major roads and the BBMP would execute the project with the grant given to it.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet decided to frame special rules for making direct payment to pourakarmikas, who work in all city corporations and other Urban Local Bodies(ULBs) in the state.

At present, tasks related to pourakarmikas are outsourced and the money is paid to contractors. The contractors in turn pay money to the pourakarmikas. The government has now decided to make direct payment to them, he said.

The Cabinet also completed the task of handing over all illegal mining cases to the Special Investigation Team(SIT) transferring them from the Lokayukta. They include cases against Janthakal Mining company, Black Gold Iron and other minerals company, Matha Minerals, Kumaraswamy Mining company and four other cases.

Mr Jayachandra said that the decision to hand over the cases to the SIT had been already taken and it was ratified in the cabinet. Since the cases do not come under the purview of the Lokayukta, they were handed over to the SIT. Some of the company owners had obtained a stay from the Supreme Court and the investigation would resume after the stay is vacated, he added.