Krishna Byre Gowda orders GBA to take disciplinary action against officials for not addressing street lighting issue

Krishna Byre Gowda | Photo credit: FILE PHOTO

Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Saturday directed officials of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to initiate disciplinary proceedings against those responsible for deficiencies in street lighting maintenance.

The directive came after identifying more than 140 out of 222 street lamps that were not working on a key road in central Bengaluru.

In the letter, Mr. Gowda issued instructions to GBA Chief Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao after personally inspecting the stretch between Hudson Circle and Chalukya Circle on August 28. The inspection found that only 82 of the 222 street light poles had working lights.

The Minister said that the GBA has already held two meetings on the maintenance of street lights and issued instructions to the officials concerned. In a meeting held on August 4, officials and contractors were specifically asked to ensure that there were no lapses in maintenance and were given time to correct the deficiencies.

Despite these instructions, the large number of non-functional street lights on the stretch indicated a failure in maintenance, Mr. Gowda said.

He pointed out that the road is a major stretch in the heart of Bengaluru and connects to the Kempegowda bus stand. It runs along the court complex and the seat of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He noted that hundreds of vehicles pass the road every minute.

Mr. Gowda has now directed the commissioner to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the officials who failed to perform their duties and follow directions.

Published – 30 Aug 2026 19:44 IST