BENGALURU: Frustrated with the pothole-ridden roads and slow-moving traffic, Bengaluru residents formed a human chain and organised a signature campaign demanding that the government repair the roads and relieve them from the pain of a bumpy ride.
Residents of societies located in Varthur, Gunjur, Sarjapura, Bellandur, Balagere, Panathur and other parts of Bengaluru's IT belt, Mahadevpura, falling under the Bengaluru East City Corporation, formed a human chain to catch the attention of the government to make the roads safer for their commute.
Sensing that there would be a lot of people gathering for the protest,the police team arrived and asked residents armed with posters, placards, and others to either shift their protests to Freedom Park or to hold such events inside their apartment society premises.
Accordingly, hundreds of residents from the Prestige Lakeside Habitat apartment in Varthur moved into the society comprising over 3,800 families. Similarly, residents of Brigade Cornerstone Utopia apartment on the same stretch held a human chain inside their apartment complexes demanding pothole-free roads.
VC Girish, a resident from Lakeside Habitat, said, "The issue of pothole roads has been escalated a number of times, but it has not been addressed. The people in this surrounding area have lost patience and are now coming out against bad administration, and that is a good sign. All we want is basic infrastructure."
Syed Mutahir from Balagere Road said that they formed a human chain at Sobha Apartment in Balagere and added, "When residents are being taxed, it is the duty of the government or corporation to provide basic facilities, and elected representatives have to ensure these are guaranteed, but here they are not approachable, and hence the people got frustrated and hit the streets".
Road stretch covers the boundary with three assemblies.
Frustrated with potholes, bad road stretches, and waterlogging during rains and traffic, residents of Hosa Road, Jail Road in Bengaluru South City Corporation, launched a signature campaign.
About 400 residents assembled near Hosa Road demanding that issues like pothole roads, jammers in the Central Prisons at Parappana Agrahara, which are causing network issue,s be fixed.
The residents say that the stretch from Doddakannahalli to Hosa Road-Kasavanahalli is shared by MLA Shivanna of Anekal, MLA Manjula Limbavalli of Mahadevpura, and MLA Krishnappa of Bangalore South, and no one gives much importance to protesting residents here.
Nagaraj Srinivaslu Naidu, a senior citizen, said the areas of Choodasandra, Rayasandra, and Bettahalli on this stretch are shared by Anekal, represented by MLA Shivanna; Doddakannahalli is shared by Mahadevpura, represented by Manjula Limbavali; and Hosa Road is in Bengaluru South assembly, represented by Krishnappa.
Hence, the around 4,000 residents in this stretch of Hosa Road and Jail Road are neglected, said Naidu.
The residents say their MLA is Krishnappa, and he has never spoken in assembly regarding the Jammer issue, and despite knowing the road conditions, he has failed in getting it fixed.