BENGALURU: Days before the budget session begins, Congress and JDS MLAs are complaining that their constituencies are being meted out step-motherly treatment in approving projects. Bidar MLA and JDS deputy leader in the Assembly Bandeppa Kashempur said the situation has turned worse since the BJP came to power in the state. “Constituencies represented by BJP MLAs are being preferred in allocating projects, while we wait endlessly,” he complained.
“At this rate, people from our constituents will come out in protest and assault us, out of sheer frustration. Normally, citizens raise complaints with their MLAs, who look for funds from the State Government to redress them. But over the last one year, none of our projects have got approved. It was not this bad during the previous Yediyurappa government in 2008.”JDS state president H K Kumaraswamy, too, agreed that projects are not getting approved in constituencies represented by party MLAs.
Congress MLA from Shanthinagar, Bengaluru, N A Haris said, “There are 28 constituencies in the city. Those represented by BJP are getting more funds than those with JDS and Congress MLAs. One can see it in the BBMP records. The situation is frustrating. For example, the Public Works Department has accepted proposals worth Rs 23.5 crore from BJP MLAs, but Congress and JDs MLAs have to be satisfied with projects worth a mere Rs 10 crore.
Even those do not get sanctioned all the time.”Jayanagar Congress MLA Sowmya Reddy said, “My constituency alone has seen a cut of 61 per cent, or Rs 122 crore. When I go for inspection at the Epoch Complex, people keep asking me when will the works be completed. When I make phone calls to officers of departments concerned, they say there are no funds. People are not ready to accept excuses anymore. As bills have not been cleared, some contractors are asking me whether they should commit suicide.” Both Congress and JDS MLAs hope that justice will be done in the coming budget.