CLICK UNDO, BBMP STYLE

CLICK UNDO, BBMP STYLE
While artists paint the walls across the city as part of the BBMP chief’s beautification drive, his own men go about spoiling them
B K LAKSHMIKANTHA


Bruhat Bengalore Mahanagara Palike Commissioner Bharat Lal Meena has taken upon himself the responsibility of beautifying Bangalore by painting walls with pictures depicting the state’s history and culture. But his own men are defacing the walls.
The BBMP has taken up road-widening work on a 1.66-km stretch from SBM Circle on Kempe Gowda Road to Chalukya Hotel circle. The work began on Sept 19 and it is expected to be completed soon.
SAND DUMPING
The problem, however, lies in the dumping of construction materials - crushed stones and sand - on the paintings. Only three months ago, the BBMP had bulldozed the old compound wall to widen the road and built a new one. Artists had painted pictures of important tourist destinations, sculptures and historical events on this wall. It has twin objectives, one, to showcase the cultural heritage of the state and two, to prevent public from defacing here.
While the artists gave the walls some shape and form, the BBMP men dumped sand and stones on the paintings, causing damage.
‘FOOT-TAPPING’
The civic body has also started laying tiles on KG Road footpath and has painted the compound walls, but passersby and footpath vendors lean on the wall or keep their feet on it, thus defacing it. “The BBMP had dumped loads of tiles near the painted compond wall and covered them with a plastic sheet,” said Ramesh, a shop owner.
“While the BBMP has written on the compound walls that those who deface the walls by spitting or dumping garbage will be fined Rs 500, the commissioner must also punish its men when they spoil the paintings,” he said.
When Assistant Executive Engineer Nagendra Prasad was told about it, he said he would ensure the sand and stones are cleared from the place.