BENGALURU: Every time a new chief minister takes charge, his official residence and that of his cabinet ministers, located in and around Kumara Krupa Road, see repairs, renovation and a fresh coat of paint. This time too, it is no different as Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is set to move into the 160-year-old Kumara Krupa bungalow, which he is turning into his official residence.
But just a few yards away are the official quarters meant for the government staff, who live under pathetic conditions with leaky roofs, erratic water supply and bad roads.
The stretch leading to the government quarters passes in front of Cauvery bungalow, where former CM Siddaramaiah resides. It was only last year that the state government spent Rs 2.6 crore on the bungalow for renovation.
But close to it are the government staff quarters, where group B, C and D employees stay. The quarters have 50 houses and were built over 60 years ago. Portions of the quarters are in a dilapidated condition. During rain, it is common to see households placing vessels to catch rainwater. Some have also covered their roofs with plastic sheets to stop water from leaking into their homes.
A senior office-bearer of a previous secretariat association said the quarters are meant for the essential service staff, who have to be available all the time and that was the reason the quarters were constructed close to government offices. “These are very old buildings that desperately need maintenance. Some houses are vacant and the staff to whom these have been allotted are hesitant to move in as these accommodations need repairs.
They have to first pay for these works and then apply for reimbursement, which takes time. That is the reason some of the houses wear a haunted look,” he said.
Former minister and senior BJP MLA Suresh Kumar said a chief minister should be a role model and live a simple life. “Instead of spending so much money on renovation, they should have thought of providing better amenities for their staff. It is not acceptable that every new chief minister changes his official residence,” he said.
VACATE CAUVERY FOR DKS, HELP SAVE KUMARA KRUPA, BJP TELLS SIDDARAMAIAH
BJP state spokesperson Prakash Shesharaghavachar has urged former CM Siddaramaiah to vacate Cauvery bungalow and move to his earlier government residence on Gandhi Bhavan Road to prevent the proposed conversion of Kumara Krupa bungalow, the 160 year-old heritage structure, into the official residence of CM DK Shiva-kumar. In a letter to Siddaramaiah, Prakash said, “Media reports suggest that you have decided to reside in the same house. Consis-tent with the media reports, Shivakumar is considering making Kumarakrupa bungalow as his official residence.” Prakash said Kumarakrupa bungalow is one of the oldest heritage structures of Bengaluru.
Its premises include staff quarters and a building with several rooms for government employees visiting Bengaluru from other districts. Recently, a large guest house was constructed behind Kumara Krupa bungalow and is being managed by KSTDC. Guests from other states are accommodated in this heritage building. If Shivakumar makes Kumarakrupa his official residence, it will cause inconvenience to many. Prakash said that a hotel on the same premises managed by KSTDC may also face operational difficulties.
