BANGALORE: Following the imposition of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of IPC in Mandur to prevent villagers from protesting against dumping of garbage in their backyard, many political parties have now extended their support to the villagers.
Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and team will stay for a whole day in Mandur after Monday. Kumaraswamy told Express, “Let Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Minister Ramalinga Reddy and all BBMP councillors stay in Mandur for three days. If they feel the place is livable, let them continue sending garbage trucks. It is easy to sit in an air-conditioned chamber at Vidhana Soudha far away from Mandur and pass orders,” he said. Kumaraswamy and Chamarajpet MLA Zameer Ahmed are expected to stay in Mandur from morning till late evening after Monday.
When asked why no new landfill sites were notified when the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike was made Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) during his tenure as Chief Minister, Kumaraswamy said they were in power for just 20 months. “Later, there was a BJP led government for five years and now the Congress is in power. The BJP is also in power in the BBMP for the past four years. All the three MPs of Bangalore are from BJP. Despite this, they have failed to solve the crisis,” Kumaraswamy explained.
Lok Satta party members are also supporting Mandur villagers. They will organise a rally from Wilson Garden to Lakkasandra, where District-in-charge Minister R Ramalinga Reddy’s residence is located. Lok Satta secretary C N Deepak said the government is harassing Mandur villagers by dumping the city’s waste and by imposing prohibitory orders to suppress them.
Not to be left behind, Aam Admi Party too is taking up the cause of Mandur villagers. AAP member Ravikrishna Reddy, who extended his support to Mandur villagers, was arrested and sent to judicial custody. Many AAP members are visiting Mandur in a show of support.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy blamed the previous BJP government as well as the JD(S)-BJP coalition government for the crisis. “The two previous governments did nothing to solve the garbage problem. Our government has started approving several waste-to-energy projects in the past one year. Four of them will start functioning in a few months,” he said.
Mayor B S Sathyanarayana, while condemning Kumaraswamy’s statement, said the latter held the chief minister’s post for 20 months. “When he was the chief minister, he could have done it. They could have earmarked landfill sites on the city’s outskirts. They did nothing. At least we are doing something to solve the crisis. What have they done?” he asked.
A senior BJP councillor said when H D Deve Gowda was the CM, the number of wards in the Palike was increased to 100 from 83 and Kumaraswamy extended the Palike’s limits to include 198 wards but had not allocated land for landfills.
‘Strugle Will Continue’
Freedom fighter H S Doreswamy on Saturday said the struggle against dumping waste at Mandur will continue. He spoke to reporters after meeting Mayor B S Sathyanarayana. Various presentations related to the proposed waste-to-energy projects were presented before Doreswamy. “I shall convey this message to villagers. But it is up to them to decide,” he said.