BANGALORE: While some wards under the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are awaiting funds to setup free tailoring class and other such initiatives to encourage and empower the women, the corporator of Basavanapura ward has set up her own centre for the welfare of the women in her ward.
Corporator K Poornima is confident to empower the women by offering free tailoring, embroidery, doll making classes along with beautician courses with her Poorna Pragati Mahila Kendra at Chikka Devasandra.
“As my ward was earlier under the City Municipal Corporation, development has to be started from the grass root level. We have been granted just `3 crore, which is not sufficient to take up the desired development works on a full-fledged basis in the ward, “says Poornima. She also alleged that her ward was not granted a single penny from the MLA’s fund.
“The storm water drain flows next to our home. And there are many other homes like ours in a similar situation. It will be better if the Palike covers it with slabs wherever necessary. There is also a need to establish a bridge over the drain. We have only one bridge here,” said Naveen Reddy B, a associate director at a
film institute.
City Express also found that many vacant sites in the ward are dumped with constructional debris and material. Many sites on Basavanapura Main Road with similar problems. According to the corporator, “Yes, we have many complaints on that issue. We have already directed the owners of the empty sites to fence their lands. As such activities are happening during midnight, we have not been able to trace the miscreants.”
Vinod, another resident of the ward said, “We do not have any playground for our ward. We have no
option, but to use the streets. There are many government properties in the ward, which can be converted into a playground. The lakes in the ward can also be developed and can be a source of recreation for the residents.”
The ward corporator, Poornima did agree that her ward indeed has many government lands that can be converted into a playground, but only after getting the consent from the state
government.
When asked about the lakes in her ward, Poornima said “Three lakes fall under my ward. The development work has started at Shige Halli Lake. A walking track will be laid soon as part of the development work. We are discussing if we can include a small playground, which will be exclusively for children”.
The ward does have some water scarcity, as about 80 per cent of the population are relying on borewells. “About 15 per cent of the residents get Cauvery water. We have dug 10 borewells to meet the water requirements” added Poornima. Streets in the ward do not have proper tar or concrete roads. Poornima said that she has asked for more funds from the Palike for the construction of the roads in the ward.