Hope looms large

Hope looms large
G Manjusainath, Bangalore:

Once notorious for its poor infrastructure, the City's K R Puram Assembly constituency appears finally on the development road. The asphalted roads that crisscross this area and other signs of progress stand testimony to the success of a unique partnership between the Deccan Herald - Prajavani group and the local MLA, Nandeesh Reddy, a network brought alive by the interactive Janaspandana programme held last year.

A year after this hugely successful event, Deccan Herald did a reality check in the area, and later invited the MLA for another interaction with residents. The results were revealing.

Potholed roads, open drains, dirt, dust and mosquitoes had reduced the various pockets of this constituency to a veritable hell hole. There were hardly any lung spaces to remind people that they lived in a Garden City.

A year back, these problems seemed insurmountable. The residents had almost resigned to their fate, having failed to get the official machinery act despite repeated pleas.
But today, a change has gripped the area. The constituency harbours hope of a transformation, a vision brought to life by the hum of asphalting machines, the road rollers and drainage cleaners. A majority of the resident association representatives who met at the Deccan Herald office on Saturday acknowledged the change. There is a hope today.

Work is underway on many roads and efforts are on to ensure sewerage lines and water supply through public bore-wells. The recce of the area showed the change would be slow. Yet, the residents feel action is finally on, although their complaints are not fully addressed. Saturday's meeting to review the impact of Janaspandana had the residents speak out for works done and delayed, as officials from the BBMP and other agencies listened and responded. Among them was the Palike Executive Engineer for KR Puram, Venugopal.

Padmanabhaiah of Nisarga Layout insisted that the underground drains (UGD) be laid on a priority basis. He complained that the police had dug the road there. MLA Reddy assured that the UGDs will be laid soon for which tenders will be called by September 14 or 15. But the work would take at least 15 to 24 months to conclude.

Anjanappa of Ramamurthy Nagar agreed that the area now had roads but the quality appeared to be inferior. He also asked for more public borewells in Ambedkar Nagar, reeling under acute water crisis, and cleaning up the lake near Ambedkar School.
Nandeesh Reddy assured that steps would be taken to conserve the lake at Ambedkar Nagar, KR Puram Lake, Mahadevapura Lake and other water bodies in the constituency.
Mathew from Anugraha Layout highlighted the stray dog menace in his area and other civic problems. The MLA said there was a major encroachment on the storm water drains, which prevented civic agencies from desilting them. He assured that in a week's time, all the storm water drains will be cleared.

For Kannan from Vibhuthipura, drains and drinking water were major problems. Sreejith Sankarapillai of Vijnananagar asked the MLA to take measures to protect the Doddanakundi lake. But the MLA said the lake fell in the Mahadevapura constituency. An electric crematorium was another key demand of the constituency residents.

DH News Service

Janaspandana Impact

* Speedy work at KR Puram
*People content with the work
*Residents insist on quality work
*Mahadevapura lake to be surveyed and fenced in week's time
*Residents demand electric crematorium
*UGDs to be laid in the entire KR Puram constituency in two years





















Interview(Nandeesh Reddy, MLA KR Puram Constituency)

How has been your one-and-half year tenure as MLA? Are you content with your performance?

It is challenging. I am working day and night to give a facelift to the constituency. The result is quite obvious. KR Puram is no more what it was two years back. I receive overwhelming response from the residents of my constituency. Yet, we have a long way to go.

Are the people insisting on quality now?

Several developmental works are in progress. I am also keen about the quality and I will not compromise on that.

Roads are being laid in many areas where the underground drains (UGDs) are not laid. Won't the new roads be dug sometime later for the UGDs?

The condition of road is pathetic in Ramamurthy Nagar and there was urgent need for good roads. The UGD laying process will start from December and would complete after two-and-half years. Till then, we cannot make people suffer due to the muddy roads.

Many storm water drains here are encroached upon..

If any storm water drain is encroached then it will be razed. We will not tolerate any encroachment on government land, meant for public utility.