Short term glory failed to address long term needs

YOUR MLA’S SEMESTER

Short term glory failed to address long term needs

Deccan Herald

The man rated as India’s No 1 chief minister chose it as his personal electoral ground as his party went to seek a renewed mandate in the State, early this year. Chamarajpet, the second smallest of 16 assembly units under Bangalore Lok Sabha segments joined an elite league. That, only the man and not the party got a mandate did not alter the position.

On Monday, as this piece is read, the man - Mr S M Krishna, will be sworn in as governor of neighbouring Maharashtra; Chamarajpet stands disrobed of the elite sheen and heads for another electoral battle.

‘Destiny’ had played a large role in his political career, Mr Krishna noted on his last lap as legislator of Chamarajpet, on Friday last. Chamarajpet perhaps would also like to state the same on its electoral dividends. Little has changed in the last six months; so for what good was that elite tag?

Footpath works - upgradation from stone slabs to cement - and road repair in some areas are the only noticeable changes of the recent past. Long-standing problems of drainage, drinking water and congested roads persist.

The constituency is made up of mainly three wards of the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, namely: Chamarajpet, Dharmarayanaswamy Temple area and Sudhamanagar.

K R Market, Puttannachetty Town Hall, Tippu’s Fort, Dharia Daulat, Tippu’s armoury store, Vanivilas and Victoria hospitals, Fort High School, Venkataramanaswamy and Jalakanteshwara temples are some of the historical representations here. The Dharmarayanaswamy Temple at Thigalarapet for that matter is famous for the Kharaga festival which attracts lakhs of devotees every year. On the other hand are as many as 34 slums whose residents are weavers, vegetable vendors, housemaids, welders etc.

Being old Bangalore areas, places like Sudhamanagar and Cubbonpet are in dire need of new drainage systems. These lines which were laid years ago cannot take the load now, pointed out one shop keeper on Mysore Road. In the adjoining residential areas, water in many wells is reportedly contaminated. Journalists Colony in Sudhamanagar is a low-lying area and the woes that rainfall bring to the residents have not been addressed over the years.

At Nagarathpet, some residents complained of inaction of the authorities on the use of main roads as open cattle sheds in the night. “Recently, when the road was cemented we hoped the problem would be controlled, but that has not happened. Our neighbours continue to peg their cows right here at night,” noted a housewife in the area.

Weavers, who reside largely in the Thigalarapet area, complain of inadequate power supply and its high cost. Narrow roads and traffic congestion are the order in almost all parts of Chamarajpet be it Cubbonpet, Mysore Road, JC Road, KR Market, parts of Kalasipalyam etc. People noted that lakhs of rupees are spent on upgrading roads around Dharmarayanaswamy Temple every year in time for the Karaga fest, but the quality of work does not stand the test of time. “Why else should road work be taken up every year,” queried a shop keeper in the area.

Longtime businessmen in K R Market point out that besides the villagers who come to sell their produce on a daily basis, K R Market also attracts tourists because it is a historical locale of Bangalore. But where are the drinking water or toilet facilities to meet the needs of these visitors? The area abounds with anti-social elements after dusk, the law enforcers should get more strict with them, they said.

In places like the Baba Lane along Mysore Road, fruit stalls stand side by side poultry and meat stalls. Cleanliness perhaps is not in the dictionary of the businessmen here.

A sitting corporator in of one of the BMP wards under Chamarajpet constituency noted that all through the three years of her sitting term she has received no developmental assistance from the legislator and it is therefore not the question of the last six months alone.

A former legislator of the area meanwhile fumed on the move to mortgage the City Market complex to Syndicate Bank, all because the BMP was not able to pay up the loan availed under bond scheme. “It belongs to the public and is held in trust, how can it be mortgaged?,” the ex-MLA sought to know.

In his farewell, Mr Krishna who takes up an apolitical post assured the people of Chamarajpet that in his personal capacity he would keep track of their progress from wherever he is. The irony is that when he chose Chamarajpet over his home ground, Maddur, the explanation was that he would like to be the legislator of a place to which he can give personal attention on a daily basis: being a resident in Bangalore, Chamarajpet could get such an attention from him!

For the record, Mr Krishna was abroad for a significant part of the last six months of which two months were in US and Europe for about two months. He was on a tour of China when the appointment as governor of Maharashtra was announced.

At the end of the day, Chamarajpet is left with one certainity though: it is destined to be in the news for a while longer.

DEVRAJ DEFENCE

While Mr S M Krishna was unavailable for comment, Deccan Herald spoke to Congress strongman of the area R V Devaraj.

It may be noted that Mr Devaraj who stepped side from the electoral contest in the last elections to make way for Mr Krishna, was subsequently elected MLC. The below are his say on the work of the last six months:

Footpaths were upgraded. Stone slabs were removed and the footpaths were cemented.

Development works worth Rs 8 crore was initiated in Kalasipalyam area.

Cement roads were laid in Sudhamanagar.

Roads were improved in the conservancy lanes.

In all, about Rs 20 crore worth of works have been initiated.

VOTERS’ VOICE

Raghvendra, a laundry shop assistant in Chamarajpet : The footpath has been upgraded. The work in conservancy lanes has eased the drainage problem in the area.

Aslam Basha, a fruit stall vendor on Mysore Road: I have been here over the last 17 years and the only improvement I have seen is the elevation of footpath.

S G Wajid, a businessman in Thigalarapet: How does it matter who is the legislator? Nothing has changed here in years. The roads have been always congested.

Ravi, a petty shop owner near Nagarathpet: These are such congested roads. Shops too are so closely located, I hardly get any business.