KNOW YOUR CONSTITUENCY

KNOW YOUR CONSTITUENCY

VIJAYANAGAR
Three decades ago, Vijayanagar was covered by lush green forest, surrounded by Hosahalli, Tammenahalli, Dasarahalli and other villages. Amid the forest was a huge rock which a monkey had made its home. After many years, the authorities cleared the forest and wanted to remove the rock and found it impossible to remove it as people had started worshipping it. Today, it is a popular landmark in the area, the Koti Bande.
The once spacious and serene Vijayanagar has grown into a concrete jungle, bustling with activity. The layout has been suffering from space crunch and the area has literally turned into a virtual Central Business District (CBD).
Vijayanagar is a residential locality in western Bangalore and used to be the entrance to the city. Even now, the arch saying ‘Vijayanagarada Hebbagilu’ (Vijayanagar Main Entrance) stands as a remnant of yesteryear. It derives its name from the Vijayanagar dynasty which flourished in south India. The area cuts through West of Chord Road which provides a corridor for the residents of Rajajinagar, Vijayanagar and surrounding areas. The state highways like Mysore Road and Magadi Road cut through the Vijayanagar assembly constituency.
It has been recently renamed as Hampinagar by the BBMP which passed a resolution in this regard. Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagar empire under Krishnadevaraya.
One of the posh areas of the city, Vijayanagar attracted people from as early as the 1970s. It has a mixed section of people, right from slum dwellers to the affluent. It largely attracted people employed in organizations such as BHEL, KIMCO, KAVIKA and AMCO, which are located off Mysore Road.
Vijayanagar also houses a large public library, one of the largest in the state, and provides the literate many a happy hour.
Vijayanagar is the new assembly segment carved out by the delimitation commission. Once Vijayanagar gets itself an MLA, the area could see much more development.
Like other areas, Vijayanagar constituency too has a few black spots like Bapujinagar, Deepanjalinagar, Timberyard Layout, New Guddadahalli, Byatarayanapura which gets marooned during every monsoon even after a short spell of rain.
The famous Vrishbhavathi river runs through this constituency. Unfortunately, the river has been polluted and now resembles a sewer. The area has given place to slums along the railway track which is filled with garbage, and litter. Clearing garbage has been a challenging task apart from supply of water and motorable roads.
Vijayanagar East is popularly known as RPC Layout (Railway Parallel Colony Layout), since there is an railway track near it. The segment is dotted with a few places of worship. Maruti Mandir, Shani Mahatma Temple, Kodandaramaswamy Temple, Shiva Ganapati Temple, Adichunchunagiri Temple are some of the prominent Shaivite and Vaishnavaite shrines here.
Vijayanagar is very close to R V Engineering College, PES College Institute of Technology, Bangalore University and the National Law School of India University (NLSIU).
Oil paintings of Lord Hanuman and Lord Ganesh were done on the rock by Basanna Shilpi, a national award-winning sculptor from Mysore. The temple has a garden with plants for each of the planets in the solar system. Ram Navami and Hanuman
Jayanti, the annual festivals of the temple, are celebrated with great fervour
Major areas
Chandra Layout, Nagarabhavi, Attiguppe, Byatarayanapura, Deepanjalinagar, BCC Layout, New Guddadahalli.
Landmarks
Bangalore University, NLSIU, KSRTC satellite bus-stand.
PROBLEMS
Earlier
Narrow roads, overflowing drains, battered roads, poor garbage maintenance.
Now
Blocked roads due to work on grade separator, parking problems and narrow roads. BOMMANAHALLI
Bommanahalli off Hosur road, not considered a prime location by any standards till a decade ago, is now accorded importance like never before. Travelling on the Outer Ring Road and Hosur Road, which cuts through the Bommanahalli constituency, was always considered troublesome due to the high crime rate. Bommanahalli — which earlier fell within the Uttarahalli assembly constituency — has now become an independent constituency after the delimitation process.
The primary occupation of residents of these areas was agriculture. Now, agriculture is an alien word in Bommanahalli, where many residents work in factories. Now, land in Bommanahalli costs a fortune, especially if it abuts the Hosur Main Road. Buying land in Bommanahalli and surrounding areas has become a distant dream for several people.
The mushrooming of Multi National Companies (MNCs), software giants, garment industries and other allied industries all along Hosur Road and other parts of the constituency has attracted thousands of people from across the country.
There has been a sudden surge in employment opportunities in Bommanahalli, which has also become a major industrial hub and a real estate hotspot. Name a builder, big or small, and you’ll find them here with completed or ongoing projects.
Bommanahalli was devastated by the rain which lashed the city during 2005, marooning the IT-BT hub. It also became a centre of media attention due to the poor storm water drains that resulted in flooding.
The reason for the flooding was also traced to rampant encroachment of the Puttenahalli Lake as well as the Madivala and Agara tanks. This rendered several homeless and the incessant rain claimed at least seven lives.
As a fallout, the government planned to improve all the major storm water drains and pumped in money on improving the area. Subsequently, the area was brought under the administration of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike in January 2007.
Bommanahalli hosts scores of educational institutions and software companies, earning it the location the reputation of an IT corridor. The host of call centres and BPOs that were set up on the stretch between the Silk Board flyover and Electronic City stands testimony to the ITES boom which the location has witnessed over the past five to six years.
Like Peenya, Bommanahalli houses a large number of garment factories providing employment to many women. At least 25,000 people are employed in the garment industry units here.
The area boasts of having India’s premier management institute off Bannerghatta Road, the Indian Institute of Management. It produces some of the best management students in the country. Every year, over 250 students pass out from this prestigious institution.
The constituency has one of the BBMP’s units for scientific management of solid waste, the Karnataka Compost Development Corporation (KCDC). It produces compost and sells to farmers by processing 300 metric tonnes of solid waste every day.
Major areas
Bannerghatta Road, Hulimavu, Hongasandra, Bommanahalli Industrial Town
Landmarks
IIM-B, Madivala Tank, Agara Lake, Puttenahalli Lake, Central Silk Board, Infosys, Wipro.
PROBLEMS
Earlier
Pathetic roads, drains and water supply, drainage restoration, desilting of drains, encroachment
Now
Encroachment, poor and narrow roads, skyrocketing land prices, poor water supply, congested roads and upgradation of lakes.

Elevated flyover on Hosur


Prasanna Theatre circle on Magadi Road