BENGALURU: The latest order allocating Rs 10 crore for the development of roads in each assembly constituency of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) region by Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar has provided fodder for the principal opposition party, the BJP. The Jayanagar assembly segment, represented by a BJP MLA, has been left out of this allocation.
The BJP has criticized the ruling Congress, claiming that the government’s actions amount to vendetta politics, punishing citizens for not voting for Congress. “The DCM speaks about Brand Bengaluru. Does his Brand Bengaluru dream exclude Jayanagar?” questioned Jayanagar MLA CK Ramamurthy. He added that his constituency also requires funds to maintain parks, roads, and drains. This matter has been escalated to state BJP President BY Vijayendra, who stated that the BJP will highlight the Congress government’s vendetta politics.
According to the order issued by the DCM using his discretionary powers, each assembly constituency in Bengaluru will receive Rs 10 crore, while Anekal, which is part of the Bengaluru Urban district, has been allocated Rs 5 crore. In total, Rs 265 crore has been allocated.
A senior BBMP official clarified the order, stating that there is some confusion and that funds will be allocated without discrimination. “In the order, Yelahanka assembly has been mentioned twice, which I believe is due to oversight. The DCM aims to develop Bengaluru and will not discriminate. A revised order without errors is likely to be issued shortly,” the official added.
The decision to release funds was made due to the poor condition of roads in Bengaluru, which worsened after last week’s record rainfall that severely impacted normal life, especially in North Bengaluru and the IT belts of Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli, and Sarjapura Road. The heavy rain caused thousands of potholes to resurface, creating significant inconvenience for motorists.