Time to decide, choose well

Time to decide, choose well
As Bangalore goes to the polls on May 10, Sunday Times of India looks at the issues that plague the city and asks prominent citizens what they’re looking for now
R Krishnakumar and Prashanth G N | TNN


Twenty-eight assembly constituencies. And an alarmingly similar list of grievances, across the board. Delimited Bangalore, with seven urban district constituencies added to its fold, now has an expanded realm of problems. The Bangalorean’s wish-list, still, is pegged to the basics: drinking water, roads to commute and healthy neighbourhoods. Reason enough for candidates across party lines to pitch solutions on a platter of promises as they hit the campaign trail.
The disparities within the many Bangalores are too stark to miss. Metres away from the IT corridors in south Bangalore, people negotiate traffic snarls on mud roads. Land turns gold in Bangalore’s new realty hot-spots — areas on roads leading to the new international airport in Devanahalli — while there’s no sign of assured water supply in many pockets. The idea of inclusive
growth is still lost on the administration. “Like any big city offering huge employment opportunities, Bangalore has also suffered on counts of infrastructure. That was a given. What has made the difference here is that there has been no political will to implement the positive change,’’ says Prof U R Rao, eminent space scientist and former director of ISRO.
Administrative apathy, coupled with a lack of transparency, is an issue that the Bangalorean has been battling for long. With the RTI in place, the right to question is no longer a luxury. The questions, though, don’t always lead to corrective action. According to Ramesh Ramanathan, founder of Janaagraha, there’s a need to establish a good governance structure and get institutions to work with accountability, transparency and increased citizens’ participation. “The other key issues are good housing, infrastructure, roads, water, sanitation and environmental heritage,’’ says Ramanathan.
Samuel Paul, founder-chairperson of Public Affairs Centre (PAC), reasons that an expanded city brings a host of new problems along. He highlights the recommendations made by bodies like the Kasturirangan Committee in addressing issues pertaining to the greater, wider Bangalore. “Ideas are already there on the table. What it takes now is a will to implement them. We should also not forget the needs of the urban poor,’’ says Paul.
Micro-level planning
Actor-filmmaker Ramesh Aravind roots for an efficient public transport system and wants Namma Metro to be on track as soon as possible. While generic issues — bracketed under broad categories like infrastructure and transportation — get more focus, there are experts who push for a micro-level redressal of these issues. A Ravindra, former chief secretary, says the focus should be constituency-specific. “The effort should be on improving sanitary facilities, ensuring cleaner lanes and better footpaths,’’ he says.
For Capt G R Gopinath, who triggered the low-cost carrier surge in Indian skies, the Bangalore-centric approach to development doesn’t fit the bill. He highlights the levels of unemployment in the small towns and rural areas and pushes for an equitable economic growth. “To solve the problems of Bangalore, you have to solve the problems of rural areas; create jobs, provide power and water. Industry has to be moved away from Bangalore or else, you will have more and more people migrating into the city,’’ he says.
During a lowdown on the constituencies as part of the election run-up, The Times of India found out that the cross-sectional Bangalorean, while riding the wave of progress that the city has witnessed, is still worried about his immediate needs.
He may want the multiplex all right. But not after a gruelling ride through the narrow, choked roads.