Bhat is accessible, but words hardly translate into action

Mangala-Corniche project, car parking, and fish markets are still on paper

How did Deputy Speaker N. Yogish Bhat, who has represented Mangalore City South (previously Mangalore) for four consecutive terms, perform as an MLA in the last five years?

The key claim of Mr. Bhat has been that he got Rs. 200 crore under the Chief Minister’s Special Funds scheme for the city’s roads. There was a flurry of activities when the then Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa promised the first 100 crore in 2011-12 and many roads got concreted with private players also chipping in to the expenditure of concreting the K.S. Rao Road. The former Chief Minister had announced that he would grant Rs. 100 crore each for three consecutive years for Mangalore City Corporation (MCC). But all that the corporation has got in the last two years was Rs. 100 crore. Mr. Bhat, however maintained, “Rs. 200 crore are sanctioned,” though two financial years have gone by.

Lack of proper planning while laying the concrete roads is too glaring to ignore as the roads are being dug up repeatedly to fix water leaks. The corporation spends over 20,000 each time a concrete road is cut for relaying it.

Though people were promised good interior roads, many of these roads continue to be neglected and people have complained time again about their problems. A member of the recently formed Milagres and Falnir Ward Residents Welfare Association pointed out that Bishop Victor Road and Melinamogaru and roads near PF office are “completely deteriorated.”

The other promises of Mr. Bhat that could not see the light of the day are Mangala-Corniche (a multi-crore river-front road) project and multi-storeyed car parking facilities and modernised fish markets. Mangalore Urban Development Authority has been missing deadlines on these projects frequently. The Bejai Fish Market remains an eyesore as it did not take off beyond the plinth area. Women who were in the demolished fish market now sell fish on the footpath at the entrance of the Lourdes Central School.

Mr. Bhat however remains one of the easily accessible MLAs. He never wears his powers as legislator or now as Deputy Speaker of the Assembly on his sleeves. Rarely does he refuse to answer calls. Writing letters to different authorities has been his way of drawing the attention of officers to the problems of the people or towards the work and files pending with them, though some doubt its effectiveness.