Bengaluru: Amid outrage over schoolchildren spending hours in traffic and worsening congestion on the Varthur-Gunjur stretch (SH-35), Bengaluru development minister Krishna Byre Gowda convened a high-level review meeting and directed officials to prioritise pothole repairs, warning that contractors could face action if delays persist.The meeting was attended by officials from Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL), Bescom, Bengaluru East City Corporation (BECC), GBA, the additional chief secretary (ACS) and other senior officials involved in infrastructure works.Gowda directed contractors to immediately repair potholes and damaged stretches between Brigade developments and Gunjur, while prioritising repairs on Varthur-Kodi Road. Sources said officials, when questioned about delays, pointed to the contractor, while also acknowledging difficulties related to land acquisition.Bescom officials, including its managing director, were questioned over delays in shifting electric poles and power infrastructure—an issue residents and officials have repeatedly cited as a major factor slowing road works along the corridor.The intervention comes days after residents highlighted severe congestion on SH-35, with some schoolchildren reportedly taking more than two hours to travel a few kilometres in school buses, triggering widespread public outrage.Officials said the ACS has called both contractors for a meeting Monday to explain the delays. “If there’s no concrete explanation, the ACS is likely to recommend replacing the contractors,” a source familiar with the discussions told TOI.Meanwhile, there were signs of movement on the ground. Local representatives told TOI that contractor representatives visited parts of the Varthur-Gunjur stretch Sunday to assess pending works, while the KRDCL chief engineer also inspected the site.Residents said that if the contractor is deliberately delaying the project or failing to work, the agency should be replaced immediately. They added that the minister and authorities must now shift focus from meetings and inspections to visible progress on the ground.
