The Public Works Department has started filling potholes in the Bangalore-Mangalore Road passing through Hassan ahead of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s proposed visit to the city on October 8.
The work on filling potholes on the road stretch between Dairy Circle and N.R. Circle started on Thursday. The road, asphalted only a year ago, has developed several potholes.
The condition of the road connecting N.R. Circle to KSRTC bus-stand is worse. “There is no road at all. One has to look for patches of asphalt amid potholes here. This stretch was asphalted a year ago. Substandard work is the reason for the poor state of the road,” said Nataraj, a resident of K.R. Puram in the city.
Most of the roads in the city were in a bad shape a year ago. The work on improving B.M. Road and a few other roads were taken up later. However, it was back to square one within a few months after the completion of the repairs.
‘Insufficient funds’
When this was pointed out to H.S. Prakash, Hassan MLA, he refuted that substandard work was the reason for the poor condition of the road.
“The condition of roads deteriorated fast because of heavy rain this year. The State government has provided funds for repairs at the rate of Rs. 18,000 a km. This is insufficient,” Mr. Prakash said.