Yeshwantpur, comprising major areas in the erstwhile Uttarahalli Assembly constituency, has witnessed a fair amount of growth in terms of road infrastructure since 2008 when it sent the first elected member to the Legislative Assembly — Shobha Karandlaje. However, other basic amenities — drinking water, underground drainage and healthcare — are woefully lacking and the contesting candidates have made this an issue in their campaigning.
The constituency mainly comprises areas with a predominantly rural character that were included in Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike in 2007. With a mixture of urban and rural environment, the constituency comprises the Visvesvaraya Layout of the Bangalore Development Authority in 2002.
Bundle of woes
Many voters, including M.S. Murthy, a condiment shop owner in Kengeri, said that it is going to be a straight fight between the Congress (S.T. Somashekar) and the Janata Dal(S) (T.N. Javarayi Gowda) this time. Mr. Murthy said that the constituency lacks drinking water and underground drainage system even as roads have been fairly developed.
While areas of erstwhile Kengeri TMC and parts of erstwhile Pattanagere CMC get Cauvery water, other villages, which were added to the BBMP in 2007, have to wait for at least two more years to get Cauvery water.
BWSSB authorities claim that the funds under Cauvery Stage IV Phase II were meant for newly added areas of seven CMCs and one TMC and not 170 villages brought under BBMP.
Srinivasa (60), a bangles vendor and resident of Anjana Nagar, off Magadi Road, said that he still does not have a shelter despite having been born and brought up in Bangalore. “I still go around the localities selling bangles and stay in a rented sheet-house and am hoping of getting a house under a government scheme,” he said while adding there are hundreds like him in the constituency.
The poor do not have government healthcare facility and they have to go all the way to Victoria or Vani Vilas hospitals, Mr. Srinivasa added.
The constituency also houses Vishnuvardhan Samadhi, where actor Vishnuvardhan was consigned to flames. The samadhi located at Abhiman Studios of veteran comedian late Balakrishna on Kengeri-Uttarahalli Road is in a shambles despite tall promises by the government to develop it as a memorial for Vishnuvardhan and Balakrishna.
Law and order is another problem in this constituency as majority of localities come under the jurisdiction of neighbouring Ramanagaram district police.
Residents have to travel miles together to reach their jurisdictional police even as policing itself has become a horrendous task for the police. As a result, crimes and criminals thrive in this region.
With commuting to the city becoming difficult, residents in the region are pinning hopes on Namma Metro Phase 2 where the line would be extended from Nayandahalli to Kengeri on Mysore Road; and light rail from Gollarahatti to Toll Gate on Magadi Road connecting Namma Metro line. Mr. Murthy hoped the projects would be completed in time.
