Even CM’s letter can’t move BBMP

Even CM’s letter can’t move BBMP
Fed up with BBMP's apathy to his requests to lay a 70-metre concrete road laid in his locality, Yousuf meets CM B S Yeddyurappa. The CM issues a letter directing the civic body to act. But the BBMP doesn't seem to care
B K LAKSHMIKANTHA


What does it take for the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike to work? Not even a letter from Chief Minister's office. Yousuf found this out as he ran from pillar to post in the last three months to get a 70-metre stretch of road in Basavanagar near Kadugondanahalli (KG Halli).
Three months ago, BBMP dug up a tar road in Basavanagar on the pretext of laying a concrete road. Yousuf, a realtor residing in the area for more than 15 years, was delighted that the BBMP had finally swung into action. After the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board laid pipes, he hoped that road work would start soon. With no sign of road work and the residents finding it difficult to commute on the mud road, Yousuf decided to take action.
He met the KG Halli BBMP assistant executive engineer Marudi Rangappa several times and requested him to lay the road. Yousuf said the official stated that he could not take up the work until he got instructions from his seniors.
Yousuf then took up the matter with BBMP contractor P Ananda, who secured the tender to lay the road. However, Ananda, along with his friends Nanda Kumar and STD Babu, tried to assault him. "I immediately lodged a complaint against them in the Kadugondanahalli police station,” he said.
Next, on November 13, he met BBMP Commissioner Bharat Lal Meena and requested immediate action. Meena assured that he would instruct the official concerned to act on the request. Yet, no official turned up to inspect the road. So he met Sarvajnanagar MLA K J George and gave him a memorandum. "Even though George visited the road and instructed the officials, work did not begin," said Yousuf.
Not willing to give up, he then met BBMP Sarvagnanagar Executive Engineer Gundappa Shetty four times and called him several times. He said, “Whenever I called him he used to reply that he was in a meeting or he will check the matter.” Yousuf also met Chief Engineer H C Jayachandra twice and called him more than five times. All he got was only assurances but no work.
MEETS CM
Disgusted by these responses, Yousuf finally met Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on November 11 just to get a 70-metre road laid in his locality. Consequently, the CM's private secretary S Dayashankar gave a letter asking the officials concerned to take necessary action. The next day, Yousuf gave a copy of the CM's letter to BBMP commissioner Bharat Lal Meena and special commissioner M Maheshwar Rao. Despite this, road work did not begin.
Fed up over the inaction, on January 7 he lodged a complaint with the Lok Ayukta against four BBMP officials — Chief Engineer H C Jayachandra, BBMP Sarvagnanagar Executive Engineer Gundappa Shetty, KG Halli BBMP assistant executive engineer Marudi Rangappa and BBMP Assistant Engineer Neelakantappa — for negligence in work.
“I want all these officials to be punished. To get a 70-metre concrete road laid I was made to run from pillar to post for nearly three months,” Yousuf lamented.
When Bangalore Mirror contacted BBMP Sarvagnanagar Executive Engineer Gundappa Shetty, he said he would visit the road on Saturday and take necessary action.