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A file photo of the electric crematorium for animals in Sumanahalli.

Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Tuesday directed officials to take steps to establish animal crematoria in the four city corporations that do not currently have one, saying the facilities were necessary as the city scales up sterilisation of stray dogs.

Mr. Gowda said around 280 stray dogs were undergoing Animal Birth Control (ABC) surgeries every day, or nearly 7,000 a month. Around 80,000 surgeries are expected to be carried out annually. But at present, Bengaluru has only one animal crematorium, at Sumanahalli. He also directed officials to increase the number of kennels to support the expanded ABC operations.

The Minister was reviewing development works, projects, and programmes being undertaken across the five city corporations.

Mr. Gowda also pulled up B-SMILE officials over the installation of electricity poles along the Outer Ring Road under the High Density Corridor project. While one pole is required every 20 metres in completed stretches, some stretches had poles at intervals of just five to 10 metres, including both old and newly-installed poles.

Questioning the need for duplication, Mr. Gowda asked why old poles were not being removed when new ones were installed and why a uniform design was not being adopted. “Are you working to ruin Bengaluru?” he asked, questioning whether the works were being undertaken in the public interest or just to facilitate payment of bills to contractors.

H.V. Ramesh, executive engineer (electrical), Central Corporation, was suspended for dereliction of duty after 140 of 222 streetlights on a major road in central Bengaluru were found non-functional during an inspection by Mr. Gowda.

The Minister inspected the stretch between Hudson Circle and Chalukya Circle on August 28 and found that only 82 of the 222 streetlights were functioning.

The suspension order notes that the Minister had already held two meetings on the maintenance of streetlights and issued strict instructions to officials and contractors to rectify lapses. However, a report submitted by Mr. Ramesh claimed that almost all the streetlights on the stretch had been repaired by drawing the required wires and cables, with only around 10 to 15 lights remaining damaged, the order said.

Mr. Gowda had also written to GBA Commissioner directing him to initiate disciplinary action against the officials who failed to discharge their duties.

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