Wards divided on whose terms?

Wards divided on whose terms?
Citizens Continue To Fret Over Delimitation
Aarthi R | TNN

Bangalore: Incoherent delimitation, illogical ward names and unnecessary inclusion of areas — that, in effect, is the public reaction to new wards. Many residents are a confused lot, as they try hard to trace themselves along the new boundaries without a clear map.
“There is a lot of confusion in our neighbourhood due to the delimitation,” says T Vidyadhar, a resident welfare association member from R T Nagar. The areas here have been divided into three wards: R T Nagar, Ganganagar and Hebbal. However, what’s confusing is the ward Gangenahalli (No. 34) which overlaps with Ganganagar (ward No. 20).
“Both the wards cover almost the same areas. They are perhaps just separated by one stretch of a road,” Vidyadhar points out. The inclusion of KEB Colony in Ganganagar has not been well received. “We had objected to it, but nothing has been done even this time. We should have had Bellary Road as the boundary on the west side,” he explains. There is similar discontent among residents in parts of Sanjaynagar too.
In South Bangalore, some ‘missing areas’ seem to be a cause for concern. “There are so many gaps. A few interior areas of Padmanabhanagar seem to have been left out. For instance, the areas between Padmanabhanagar and BHCS Layout (Canara Bank Colony) don’t feature anywhere,” points out CAF president N S Mukund.
“Population is an important criterion for delimitation. But, there’s been some mistake somewhere. The exercise seems to be politically calculated. The result of the recent Lok Sabha election might have influenced it,” contends former mayor P R Ramesh.
FINDING ANSWERS
According to the urban district office, the delimitation exercise was based on the census blocks of 2001, keeping the reservation guidelines in mind. “The ward boundaries are very clear in most of the cases, but there may be some confusion in a few areas, particularly in the newly added villages. But it should be settled with the process of physical verification that will be done shortly,’’ Bangalore urban deputy commissioner G N Nayak said.
toiblr.reporter@timesgroup.com