BENGALURU: Earlier this week, Bengaluru’s eight administrative zones were re-organised into 10 zones. This was done to ensure that no assembly constituency be split across two different zones. Reports say that earlier, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) wanted to base rezoning on the different wards so that individuals wouldn’t have to travel far to meet their respective zonal officers. However, reports also say that this was met with resistance from the MLAs, who insisted that rezoning happen without dividing any assembly constituencies.
Residents in a few parts of the city say that this re-organising is nothing short of bizarre, as it may lead to issues in the future. With regard to Indiranagar 2nd stage, Praveen S, secretary, RWA, says that this division should have been done more scientifically. “It is illogical. In 2nd stage, where ward 80 ends and ward 89 begins, is also where the CV Raman Nagar contituency ends and the Shanti Nagar constituency begins. If you’re standing on the street (10th main), you are standing between two zones. To the right is the Sarvagnagara Nagar zone and to the left is Jayanagar zone,” says Praveen.
Also as per the new division, the neighbourhood is Indiranagar 2nd stage, the constituency is Shanti Nagar, and the zone is Jayanagar. “Very confusing,” says Praveen. “To address issues, people living on the street now will have to go either to Jayanagar or Sarvagnagara Nagar, depending on which side of the street they live on.” Earlier, all of this came under the East Zone with one zonal officer to address grievances.
Similarly, in Kumara Park (west), Chithra Venkatesh, RWA member, says that the area is already split into two wards – 93 and 94. Ward 93 was under the Vasanthnagar constituency, and now this has gone to the Malleswaram constituency. “We will have several practical problems when it comes to garbage, sewage and other issues. I live in ward 94, but if I go to the corporator in ward 93 about a particular issue, since Kumara Park (west) has only one RWA, he may not listen to me because I’m from a different constituency and am not a vote,” says Chitra.
Shedding some light on this issue is Mahalakshmi Parthasarthy, secretary, Citizen’s Action Forum. She says the BBMP should have gathered residents’ opinion to avoid such confusion. “There is no logic behind splitting the city into 10 zones from eight. Corporators and respective ward committees need to work together and make decisions, not the MLAs,” she says.
She adds that citizens also need to build a rapport with their local officials. However, she says that this could all be a political gambit with the approaching state elections.
Despite repeated attempts, Manjunath Prasad, commissioner of BBMP, was not available for comments.