BANGALORE: While Bangalore University’s administration is revelling the varsity’s latest ranking (number 9 in the country), it looks like there is no one who is ready to fix the roads in Jnana Bharathi campus.It has been 5 months since Home minister R Ashok inaugurated repair works here, without even remote signs of repair. In the first week of July, State Transport Minister R Ashok along with B U Vice- Chancellor Dr N Prabhu Dev inaugurated the reconstruction work of a four-lane, 5.46 km stretch of road.A bicycle lane too was planned. The entire project was estimated to cost Rs 12 crore. However, the frustrated students allege that the V-C would not know the problems faced by students on campus as he sits in the Central College campus in the City.“We expect to see the VC on campus. I don’t think he has visited the campus in a long time. Only the students know how bad the roads are,” says Adarsh, an engineering student. Last week, he almost fell off his bike when he rode over a deep pothole near the BU Administrative Office circle.Sudarshan, a student of Dr Ambedkar Institute of Technology in Nagarbhavi, uses the Jnana Bharathi roads every day.He says, “There are times I leave the college really late due to project work.Considering how bad the roads are now, and combined with the insufficient lighting in the area, it is a huge risk.” He adds that with the sudden rains, these roads are more dangerous.The original action plan was to convert the main road cutting through the campus — between Outer Ring Road (Ullal Road Junction) and the Women’s Hostel (about 1.1 km) — into a four-lane road; reconstructing the University Administrative Office - Nagarabhavi ; and University Library- Mariyappanapalya roads.Besides widening and reconstructing the damaged roads, the BBMP is mandated to build a 2.5-km bicycle track for university students.Registrar Speaks OutBU’s new Registrar, Dr B C Mylarappa said on the first day of his duty that the infrastructure at Jnana Bharathi campus would be his first priority.When City Express contacted him, he confessed that the condition of roads pained him.“Every time I travel on this road, I can empathise with the students’ suffering.I have requested the BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah to place the issue in the upcoming Council meeting,” he said.As a last resort, Dr Mylarappa said that he would initiate the repair works himself. “I am also looking at prospective donations to fix the roads by myself.But I want to follow protocol as much as possible,” he said.
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