“Why are only certain VIP pockets in the city such as Hebbal or Airport Road being given more attention in terms of development? Why does the BBMP asphalt the same roads again and again? Why is the palike depicting mostly women on the retaining walls of flyovers and underpasses that are being painted for beautification?
These were some of the questions posed by students of Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner Bharat Lal Meena during an interaction programme here on Saturday.
The commissioner was quizzed on issues relating to corruption and development, and lack of coordination among various agencies and rampant use of plastics.
“Why is the palike interested only in developing areas where VIP movement is high? First, it was HAL Airport Road, and now it is Bengaluru International Airport Road. Why is the city not being developed uniformly?” asked Gayatri Shankar, a first year Journalism student.
If Malini, a second year BBM student, wanted to know why the palike was depicting mostly women on the paintings on the walls, Neha Pandey, a final year BBM student, sought to know what the BBMP was doing to enforce the ban on use of plastics. While Sunita, a second year BBM student, complained about the irregular garbage clearance in some areas, Shalini sought to know why the BBMP did not meet deadlines when it came to project completion.
The commissioner said the city could be developed only with the active involvement of citizens.
He said the BBMP would strengthen project management to ensure timely completion of works. “We will give incentives to those who meet deadlines and take action against those who delay projects,” the commissioner said.
To a question on the groundwater getting polluted because of lead poisoning (a student pointed out that the paintings on walls under flyovers had lead in them and the same would percolate into the ground when it rained), the commissioner said: “Even your house and college are painted. Lead poisoning can happen even if we put up posters. That is the way of life. It is good that you are concerned about environment. We will take note of this point.”
Giving the BBMP control room numbers to the students to complain about civic problems, the commissioner said the State Government had embarked upon a Rs. 22,000-crore development project.
