Major infrastructure projects are in limbo

Major infrastructure projects are in limbo

Nagesh Prabhu and Anil Kumar Sastry


BANGALORE: Sandwiched between two arterial roads — Magadi Chord Road and Mysore Road — the civic amenities in the newly carved out Govindarajanagar Assembly Constituency are no better than the adjoining constituencies. A whirlwind tour of the constituency should suffice for a visitor to understand the grievances of the people, leave alone the candidates of major political parties in the fray.

The constituency comprises voters from different classes — industrial workers to white collar professionals. Similar is the topography of the constituency in terms of growth — underdeveloped localities craving for better facilities amidst developed areas.

While the former Minister V. Somanna, three-time MLA from the erstwhile Binnypet constituency, is testing his luck for the fourth time, all his opponents — Bharatiya Janata Party’s R. Ravindra, T.N. Range Gowda of the Janata Dal (Secular) and six others in the fray are facing Assembly elections for the first time.

The constituency has two major infrastructure projects which are still in limbo and this is the all-important grouse spelt out by most residents. The grade separator at Chord Road-Magadi Road Junction is expected to ease traffic flow when completed. Tardy progress has affected completion of this project and confusion in alignment of Metro Rail line is cited as the reason. The other project is the realignment and construction of the Outer Ring Road by the Bangalore Development Authority from Malagala Junction on Magadi Road to Nayandahalli via Nagarabhavi.

Saraswathi, a homemaker in Chandra Layout still cannot forget the days when ferocious street dogs mauled children in the locality. “This problem still persists, though there were no recent attacks,” she said blaming the civic authorities for their callous attitude towards clearing garbage. Mahadevappa, a resident of Nayandahalli, said the encroachments on Nayandahalli Tank and its Raja Canal were yet to be cleared and feared this monsoon would again submerge many houses in the locality.

Kamakshipalya Industrial Estate, Cauverynagar, Mudalpalya, Kalyananagar, Gangondanahalli and Nayandahalli still lack basic amenities in the form of good roads, drainage and drinking water, while Syndicate Bank Colony, Sampige Layout, Rajajinagar Industrial Town, MC Layout, Rajajinagar 6th Block, Vijayanagar I Stage, Saraswathinagar, Marenahalli, Canara Bank Colony, Nagarbhavi 4th Stage and Chandra Layout are almost developed.

Mr. Somanna claimed that various development works undertaken by him in the locality for over two decades as an MLA for Binnypet and a corporator would ensure him a seat in the next legislative Assembly. Mr. Ravindra is banking upon the former Uttarahalli MLA R. Ashok’s development works in the locality while Mr. Range Gowda is concentrating on votes of industrial workers. The others in the fray are Ravikumar (BSP), L.S. Kumara Swamy, (Janata Dal-United); V. Krishna Kumar (Lok Paritran) H. Yuvaraj (Sarvodaya Party), Abhimani Narendra and M.R. Veerendra (both independents).