GBA chief’s inspection on Saturday
Following interactions with residents and officials, Rao said one of the key issues affecting progress was the involvement of multiple agencies operating independently on the same stretch. This comes in the backdrop of multiple reports by The Times of India highlighting the pathetic state of road infrastructure in the area, which is dotted with apartments occupied by those working in the tech sector. Residents too had hit the streets to protest severe traffic snarls, poor road conditions, and a lack of coordination among multiple agencies executing infrastructure works in the fast-growing corridor. Rao walked along the stretch from Varthur Kodi to Varthur police station, inspecting ongoing roadworks, bottlenecks and commuter facilities. “I’ve asked Bengaluru East City Corporation (BECC) to form a task force to speed up the work. Apart from the long-term road widening works being executed by Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited, Rao stressed that authorities must immediately focus on improving day-to-day commuting conditions for residents. Dust, another major complaint from residents, also came under scrutiny during the inspection. “There are sections where loose jelly stones have been dumped. We’ve instructed officials to take measures to control dust and make the road more commuter-friendly while the main project continues,” he added. The latest intervention comes amid growing pressure on authorities to expedite works on the Varthur-Gunjur corridor, where residents say years of rapid development have far outpaced infrastructure creation, resulting in chronic congestion, damaged roads and increasing commuter hardship.