Road cutting cuts into pockets of the common man!
“One of the most critical permissions given by BBMP is the road cutting permission to get BESCOM and BWSSB lines to the apartment.” says a respondent from Bangalore who paid a bribe of one lakh rupees for the same. Complaints regarding bribes paid to secure permission to cut through the road to lay pipelines for water connections and electricity connections are commonly posted on our site.
The BBMP officials allegedly charge exorbitantly to grant permission to perform the task, failing which the process is delayed by months. One such report substantiates the statement. A resident from Hyderabad ended up paying a bribe of Rs.2000 to avoid hassles related to the process of cutting through the road and to seek permission to cut trees obstructing the path of his water pipeline. After being made to run from pillar to post, the complainant found paying a bribe a more viable option instead of holding up the work on the construction of his house. Another person reported a complaint stating that he paid a bribe of Rs.4425 to regularise sewage connection and get a water connection.
Officials capitalise on the complainants’ situation as they are faced with the urgency to get their work done. Eventually, most people have no other option but to pay the bribe.
By Juwairia Mehkri