BENGALURU: This weekend, Bengalureans will no longer get to hear, “Sahibru coffege hogiddare (Sir has gone for a coffee break) or “Sahibru Illa, out of station hogiddare, Tuesday call maadi (Sir is not there, he is out of station. Call on Tuesday”).
This is because the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) heads have decided to cancel holidays and leave of all the officials. It is a long weekend (Bakrid festival is on Monday and a holiday) and government officials make the most of it. However, now they have to cancel their plans. This is the first time it has been done and it is in the wake of the heavy rainfall forecast issued by India Meteorological Department.
The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in most parts of the city for the next two days.
The BBMP has taken this decision after it had received many complaints from people at various interaction platforms that officials are not available when required. They point that it is the engineers, especially, who are absent from duty and pass on the buck to their subordinates.Randeep D, BBMP Special Commissioner, told TNIE that these directions have been issued because officials should be present to attend to any untoward incidents.
“Officials should be present round-the-clock, especially those in the control room, solid waste management section, storm water drains, engineering, water and electrical sections. It was first suggested and pointed out by the Mayor and we have acted upon it,” he said. Ideally officials should be present in office from Saturday to Monday (Aug 10 to Aug 12) this weekend. But for some reasons if they cannot, they have to seek written permission from their higher ups. While officials can take leave, they cannot leave Bengaluru and go out to their native places, he said.
“Taking leave during festival and letting Bengaluru become a garbage dump yard is not acceptable. It has been observed over the years that since engineers and zonal heads are not on duty, the pourakarmikas and contractors are also not serious. This year this will not happen,” said a senior BBMP official.
vulnerable points
Craig Park Layout, HMT Layout, ISRO Colony, Kalyan Nagar, Kaverappa Layout, Shivajinagar, Cottonpet, Kullegowda Industrial Layout, Mathikere, VV Giri Colony, Dr Rajkumar Road, Gali Anjaneya Temple, Srinivasa Nagar, Chikka-bommasandra, Ashwath Nagar, Kalappa Layout, Kadugodi, RR Nagar, inlet of Dasarahalli tank, Krishnappa Garden, Shantinagar BMTC Terminal, Central Silk Board Junction
Drop in visitors at Lalbagh flower show
Bengaluru: The Lalbagh flower show is a feast to one’s eyes and thousands of people flock to the Lalbagh Botanical garden to watch the flower show on the very first day. However this time with the sporadic showers and the festival of Varalakshmi Vratam on Friday, there was a drop in visitors. Usually, the first day of the flower show has more than 10,000 visitors, however this time there was a drop in visitors with only about 8000 people there.