Mayor blames Nature, naturally!

Mayor blames Nature, naturally!
The Times of India


After gaining popularity for banning the pay-and-park scheme, mayor R. Narayanswamy ran into rough weather over the week. His answer to his absence at flood-affected areas was typically “poll code of conduct’’. Smitha Rao showers the city’s First Citizen with questions.


In your mayoral investiture speech you said you wouldn’t speak but your work would. The rain has showed up the shoddy work, would you defend it?
Even in the last council meeting it was announced that desilting work had progressed at a good pace. The rain that came down upon the city was like a cloudburst; the last time the rain poured down like this was some ten years ago. Despite the pouring rain our men were there removing trees, pumping out water. The pre-monsoon work has been done, what can we do to fight Nature? Last year houses and quarters came down, this year no such damage has happened.

What is your contribution in providing respite to citizens?
I have myself visited many places, I haven’t slept for three nights now. The last two heavy downpours have taught me that it works better when I sit in office and monitor the progress. They have a certain amount of respect when the mayor calls and issues instructions. I can constantly monitor the amount of work done. Can I go to all the places? If I go to these places I end up wasting time. A day after the rain, I instructed the special commissioner, additional commissioner to go to west and east zones along with a team of engineers.

Why did you constantly harp about ‘code of conduct’ which does not prevent you from undertaking relief work?
I don’t want pictures of me drenched in rain, carrying an umbrella, splashed all over the media. I said ‘code of conduct’ only to not announce new measures. If I am quoted announcing something new it will be a violation of the rules. I have silently done my job, why should I talk about it publicly?

What about the bodies of the two boys who were apparently washed away at a massive storm water drain, have they been found?
The police have registered a case of ‘missing’. It still puzzles us why the bodies have not yet been found, our officials have combed Vrishabhavathi Valley thoroughly. It is a mystery how the boys went missing, it was not even raining at the time at Okhalipuram. And how can only two boys go to play cricket? Besides there are security people manning the valley.

In the DOCK

Name : R. Narayanswamy
Age: 46
Designation: Mayor, Bangalore City
Qualification: S.S.L.C.
The first-time corporator of ward 1, HMT, struck gold when he was elected mayor in 2004 on a Congress ticket. But he has had some experience in the local political scene with stints as organising secretary for Zilla Yuva Congress, Yeshwantapur Block Congress unit and treasurer of Seva Dal and vice-president of Malleswaram Block Congress.

VERDICT: GUILTY
V. Parthasarathy, aged 83.
(This retired chief engineer, Indian Railways, had the civic spirit to galvanise work in his area, J.P.Nagar VII phase. He mobilised people and funds to fill up potholes in his area.)

There is no use saying ‘I have gone on inspections, asked officials to go visit.’ Rain is nothing new, every year it rains. So precautionary measures should have been taken long ago. As the top man of the corporation, the mayor should have ensured that the work happened before the problem was full-blown. Issuing orders now is useless. When one knows that this particular road is weak or this area is vulnerable, then work should have been done. There is no excuse for non-performance.