Opposition parties are gunning for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the garbage crisis, blaming the ruling party for the “collapse in administration” in the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The Congress even demanded that the BBMP should be superseded as it has not been able to stem the mess.
‘System has collapsed’
Speaking at a press conference in Bangalore on Friday, Congress leader and MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao said people had lost faith in the BBMP as the entire solid waste management system had collapsed. “Pourakarmikas are protesting, the garbage tender process is moving at a snail’s pace and people near landfills are not allowing garbage to be dumped there. Why do we need the BBMP? Supersede it.”
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He warned the government that Congress members would take out a protest by collecting garbage and dumping it in front of the Vidhana Soudha, and before the BJP and BBMP head offices if the crisis is not resolved within two days.
At another press conference, Congress leaders V. Ugrappa and K.C. Kondaiah pointed out that over 20,000 tonnes of waste had accumulated in the city. “BBMP has not even replied to the notice given to it by the KSPCB regarding the maintenance of the landfill,” Mr. Ugrappa said.
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Opposition leader in the Council M.K. Gunasekhar said the Mavallipura issue was supposed to have been discussed in the last council meeting. “But they kept dodging it. Had they done something about it earlier, this situation would not have risen. There have been no reforms in solid waste management and funds for it have not been utilised fully.”
Mr. Gunasekhar stressed on the need for more landfills. “When the palike was expanded to 198 wards, the government did not think of increasing the number of landfills for the larger population.”
Janata Dal (Secular) leaders T. Thimmegowda and Padmanabha Reddy also demanded the resignation of all BJP councillors, blaming them for non-payment of salaries to contract pourakarmikas, which also contributed to the breakdown of the system.