Mayor vows to turn city green, clean

Mayor vows to turn city green, clean
Bangalore, April 23, DH News Service:

A green and clean Bangalore will be the priority of newly elected City Mayor S K Nataraj and his deputy N Dayanand. The two leaders propose to expand Bangalore’s green cover and ensure that the urban expanse remained clean with the scientific disposal of municipal waste.

In a gesture demonstrating their stated commitment, Nataraj and Dayanand planted saplings at the BBMP headquarters soon after their election. The Mayor also declared he was against reintroducing pay-and-park system.

The two were elected unopposed in the first meeting of the BBMP council at the Kempe Gowda Council Hall, convened on Friday.

The council came into existence after a gap of three-and-a-half years. This is the first time the BJP, with 111 members, is holding the reins of administration in the Palike.

Nataraj is a third-time corporator from Sarakki ward and Dayanand, a first-timer from Benniganahalli ward. They were elected in the presence of several BJP leaders, including ministers R Ashok, Katta Subramanya Naidu, Aravind Limbavali, Ramachandra Gowda, Mumtaz Ali Khan and many MLAs.

The Mayor’s post was unreserved and the Deputy Mayor’s post was reserved for Scheduled Caste. Nataraj, a Vokkaliga, became the first citizen of the city, thanks to Ashok’s backing.

Dayanand, though a greenhorn, enjoys political clout. He is related to Education Minister Aravind Limbavali and MLA S Raghu. At 27, Dayanand is almost half Nataraj’s age, but they will bring a mix of experience and freshness into the Palike’s administration. Both of them will have one-year term each. The council will have a life of five years.

Senior BJP leaders finalised the names for Mayor and Deputy Mayor before the two submitted their nomination papers to returning officer G M Dhananjay. The Congress with 65 members and the Janata Dal (Secular) with 15 members in the Council did not field candidates.

In his maiden speech to the council, the Mayor said he had a blueprint for the City’s development. Nataraj said he would give preference to newly added areas which lag behind in terms of development.