The Hindu Business Line : IIMB students, staff, IT cos protest against bad roads in Bangalore

UNITED WE STAND: Students and staff of IIMB, IT companies and local residents blocking the Bannergatta road in Bangalore on Monday to protest lack of infrastructure. - Murali Kumar

Bangalore , Oct. 4

AFTER months of negotiating on pothole-filled Bannerghatta Road, the staff and students of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, and the employees of several companies located on the road, took out a protest march on Monday.

More than 1,500 citizens, who use the road to commute to work everyday, expressed their wrath with placards bearing messages such as `We want better roads,' and `Action Beku'.

As news of the protest spread, several engineers of the Public Works Department and the BESCOM (Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd) rushed to the spot. After prolonged negotiations, the protestors were assured that work on the repairing and resurfacing of the road would begin immediately. The worst stretches would be repaired within 10 days, the authorities promised.

Later addressing a press conference, Dr P.G. Apte, Director, IIMB, said, "IIMB has extensive interaction with the industry and academia throughout the year; the road's state does not help the image of the institute, or of Bangalore."

Vista, the annual management event of IIMB, is coming up in early November and it draws over six thousand student and corporate participants from across the globe. A student lamented that the sorry state of the road, "will be an embarrassment for Bangalore if this is the impression of the city that they take back with them."

The residents, too, voiced their concern of having to endure the atmosphere of thick automobile emissions all day, apart from damage to their vehicles.

According to a spokesman of a resident association, a 2-km stretch of the road dotted by a mix of premier corporate houses and residential complexes had been in a state of neglect for over two years. This was despite an agreement between the residents of both corporate tenants, including some of the premier BPO and software companies that the cost of the repair works and other infrastructure would be shared between the local authorities and the residents and corporate tenants in the commercial buildings.

The spokesman said that it had been agreed that the residents and corporates would contribute Rs 2 crore while the PWD (Public Works Department) would spend Rs 3 crore. Bannerghatta road, which comes under the Coty Municipal Corporation of Bommanahalli, is part of the highway traversing through IIM, Mantri Elite, Mantri Paradise and L&T SouthCity residential complex.

Besides, the fast-growing colony has been identified by some leading corporate hospitals to build their facilities.

The residents said that local authorities have agreed to initiate the repair works in 10 days to first repair the potholes and undertake carpeting the road itself.

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