Bengaluru: Residents of Doddamara Road, which connects Hosa Road with Sarjapur Road in the city tech corridor, got some relief with chief minister DK Shivakumar’s office (CMO) directing public works department (PWD) to seek funds for improving the key stretch of the road. It has been in a pathetic condition for nearly a decade.Following directions from CMO, the assistant executive engineer (AEE), PWD Anekal sub-division, has written to senior department officials seeking approval for a Rs 7.6-crore project to upgrade a 1.8-km stretch of Bengaluru-Hosur Road via Doddamara Road corridor under MDR Improvements programme.Officials from CMO clarified that the amount has not yet been sanctioned and that the proposal has been forwarded to higher authorities for consideration. According to officials associated with the CM’s office, funds are proposed to be sought from chief minister’s allocation once approvals are secured.The intervention comes after years of complaints from residents who say the stretch has remained in a poor condition despite repeated representations since 2016. In a recent report, TOI highlighted how residents along Doddamara Road in Rayasandra continued to battle potholes, damaged carriageways, inadequate drainage and persistent waterlogging, while a private school on the stretch recently asphalted a small portion of the road after parents raised concerns over accessibility.According to the proposal, the project includes development of the road along with drainage infrastructure, a long-standing demand of residents who argue that inadequate drains have accelerated road deterioration and led to recurring waterlogging during rains. An official associated with CM’s Office said while full-fledged works are unlikely to begin immediately due to the ongoing monsoon, PWD has been asked to undertake temporary pothole-filling measures as an interim relief measure once weather conditions permit.Vaishnavi K, officer on special duty to CM, told TOI: “Most of these such get stuck largely due to communication gaps between departments. We do not simply forward complaints and leave them there. We follow them to their logical conclusion, seek updates from departments regularly and remain available to citizens throughout the process. This issue is also being actively monitored. And we will ensure to get the road and drains are done at that stretch.”
