Road craters will go but no promises of moon

Road craters will go but no promises of moon

The newly-elected mayor says he has set his own goals to make the City a better place to live.

Deccan Herald

Critics may doubt his ability to lead the civic body of the IT Capital, as he lacks experience and exposure like some of his predecessors. But the newly-elected Mayor of Bangalore Mahanagara Palike R Narayanaswamy has set his own goals in making the city a better place to live.

Though he is the first time corporator from HMT ward, he has been in the Congress party for the last two decades. He could occupy the coveted post with the ‘support’ of MLAs M R Sitaram and Ramalinga Reddy.

Born in 1959 in Bangalore, Narayanaswamy is also serving as Secretary to Nirmal Jyothi English School in Yeshwanthpur. He is married to Kasturibai, a house-wife, and has two daughters and one son. All the three children are studying in Bishop Cottons.

The first citizen of the city shared his plans with Deccan Herald on the second day in his office.

DH: What are your plans to improve amenities?
Mayor: I do not want to promise moon to people, like some of my predecessors did. In fact, people do not want one either. What they need is better civic amenities to lead a decent life. I will try my best to perform to meet their expectations.

What are your immediate goals?
I will first undertake inspection of all 100 wards to identify civic problems. I will select some of the serious problems that need immediate attention and try to solve them on priority within my term.

What according to you is the major drawback in BMP’s administration?
There should be a proper coordination among various utility providers. BWSSB and BESCOM recklessly dig up roads and footpaths. This not only causes inconvenience to citizens but also results in wastage of tax-payers’ money. This has to be checked. I will strive to bring in proper coordination among these agencies.

Do you have any plans for the urban poor?
Compared to other cities, Bangaloreans have been provided with better civic amenities. But the condition of the poor here is worse compared to other places. Therefore, I will ensure that urban poor living in slums will get better amenities. The 18 per cent grant set aside in the budget will be used appropriately for this purpose.

Deputy Mayor N Shanthakumari
N Shanthakumari, who was sworn in as the 41st Deputy Mayor of Bangalore, is known for her outspokenness. Though she is aware of limited powers of her post, the second-time corporator from Moodalapalya ward, Shanthakumari, has several plans to improve the City.

Her husband Ravikumar is a businessman. Their two sons are studying in middle school. She says unlike husbands of other women corporators, her husband does not interfere in her work.

DH: What are your plans to serve people?
DyMayor: I have a number of plans for the city. But Deputy Mayor does not have power to take decisions. I can only accompany Mayor during his inspection visits. It is high time that Deputy Mayor be given some powers like undertaking inspections of areas and issuing directions to officials. Otherwise, there will be no difference between me and other corporators.

What are the projects should BMP take up to improve the quality of services in the city?
BMP has already taken up several projects like black topping of roads, Rs 150 crore package work for water supply and sanitation and many infrastructure projects. We only need to ensure these projects are implemented properly. As the Deputy Mayor I will inspect all projects and see to it that there is no substandard work.

Are you confident of performing your duties freely and fairly in the male-dominated BMP?
Being a corporator for over eight years, I have not come across any major problem in BMP. As long as one is focused, there will be no problems.