BENGALURU: After BJP MLAs from Bengaluru created ruckus in the Assembly for facing discrimination over grants for their constituencies, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar said that a special meeting with Bengaluru MLAs will be called on July 27 in Bengaluru, to discuss various issues related to Bengaluru.
Leader of Opposition and Padmanabhanagar MLA R Ashoka said that he is seeing potholes everyday. “BBMP officials say they have filled the potholes. But visit the same stretch the next day, and there will be a pothole again. The BBMP’s report is misleading,” he said. He also questioned why the BJP MLAs are not given grants. “There are 16 BJP MLAs elected from Bengaluru, none of them have got any grants. You cannot make Brand Bengaluru with just a few Assembly constituencies in Bengaluru,’’ he added.
Jayanagar MLA CK Ramamurthy who raised the question about Brand Bengaluru, said that on one side, the government is talking about Brand Bengaluru and on the other side they are talking about Greater Bengaluru. “But when it comes to grants, constituencies represented by BJP MLAs were not given grants. Does our (BJP MLA constituencies) not come under Brand Bengaluru?’’ he questioned.
Ramamurthy pointed out that official reports of BBMP say they have identified 16,202 potholes in the city, of which, only 516 potholes are left to be closed. “Officials are misleading you,’’ he said, and added that by simply taking up white topping works, or tunnel roads projects on which the government want to spends crores, one cannot build the Brand Bengaluru. There is a need to stress on improving basic facilities and amenities across the city, to build the brand.
Rajajinagar MLA Suresh Kumar said that there is no coordination among the different civic agencies in Bengaluru. “While one department makes the road, the other digs to lay pipe. This problem has been there for a long time,” he said. To sort it out, constitute a task force at the Assembly level, with officials from BBMP, BWSSB, BDA, Bescom and other civic agencies, and also another task force at the district level.
Replying to them, Shivakumar said that he will convene a meeting with all MLAs representing Bengaluru Assembly constituencies, to discuss various issues including solid waste management, roads, drinking water, sewage and issues of Bengaluru.