The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike on Monday told the High Court of Karnataka that an inquiry is under way on the allegation that Chief Engineer (Road and Infrastructure) B.S. Prahalad had assaulted a director of city-based American Road Technology and Solutions Pvt. Ltd., which was given contract to fill potholes using automatic machine called Python.
A submission in this regard was made on behalf of BBMP before a Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Ashok S. Kinagi, during a hearing on PIL petitions on the poor maintenance of city roads.
The BBMP Counsel also said that the Chief Commissioner has ordered an inquiry into the allegation and the report is expected in about three days.
During an earlier hearing, the company’s managing director had alleged before the court that her husband, who is also a director of the company, was assaulted during the meeting in BBMP office and the court had asked the BBMP to act on the complaint.
When the Bench told the BBMP Counsel that Mr. Prahalad cannot oversee works assigned to the company in the light of the allegation, the Counsel said that the Chief Commissioner had already assigned that company’s works to another Chief Engineer.
Meanwhile, the company’s Counsel told the Bench that the company is agreeable to carry out pothole-filling work at a basic rate of ₹551 per sqm instead of its earlier demand for ₹1,249 per hour as against BBMP’s earlier offer of ₹426 per sqm. The new price was suggested by a committee set up by the State government to look into the dispute over the payment.
Following this, the Bench directed the company to immediate take up the work in view of exigency due to ensuing rainy season, and adjourned further hearing in the petitions.
