Several citizens of Bengaluru gathered at the Mayor’s office on September 23rd to protest against BBMP’s failure to provide safe roads in the city. Dr Dominic Dixon, one of the organisers of the protest said, “Though civil society is paying taxes, BBMP does not do it’s due diligence. We handed over a memorandum to the Chief Mininster, Mayor and BBMP Commissioner which lists out what action we want them to take. If they do not respond in seven days, we will take it further.”
Snapshots from the protest outside the BBMP office. Pic: Dr Dominic Dixon
Citizens handing over the memorandum to BBMP Commissioner, Kumar Naik. Pic: Dr Dominic Dixon
Snapshots from the protest outside the BBMP office. Pic: Dr Dominic Dixon
Snapshots from the protest outside the BBMP office. Pic: Dr Dominic Dixon
$(document).ready(function(){ $(‘.carousel .carousel-inner .item’).first().attr(‘class’, ‘active item’);});
He also mentioned that the protest was to ask citizens of Bengaluru to boycott paying taxes to the BBMP, considering that BBMP was not holding up its end of the deal. Their memorandum also mentioned that while citizens do not have a problem paying taxes, they do have a problem in paying taxes to the city corporation for services that are not being provided.
Excerpts from the Memorandum
The memorandum specifies how the BBMP has failed to provide appropriate and adequate civic amenities, and what has happened as a result of it. It mentions:
- Roads being laid with sub standard material
- Unscientific filling of pot holes
- Negligence of upkeep of the roads and foot paths
- No accountability within the agency
- Defective or no quality control and periodical checks of road functioning, etc.
- Uneven roads leading to accidents with crater like cavities
It also calls out that the above issues have led to:
- Severe personal injuries to the citizens of Bengaluru
- Accidents causing broken bones and even deaths
- Damage to personal vehicles
In addition the letter also demands a letter from the Chief Mininster, Mayor and BBMP Commissioner within seven days, where they assure citizens of the following:
- Filling of pot holes would be done in a scientific manner
- Foot paths would be laid in a scientific manner
- Form a quality assurance team
- Document road works
- Form a proper chain of mechanism of engineers to do the job
- Compensation for victims of injury and death due to the above stated grievances
The full text of the Memorandum can be read below.
//
Bangaloreans no more need those fancy lights, colorful tiles on footpath, Western standard tendersure roads and footpaths, mural/paintings on pillars of floyovers.
We demand motor-able roads, we and our children would need to reach home early and safely.
We are not begging, it is our money collected through taxes, so spend it in the place we demand.
Tender sure foot paths are good. But there is is too much fancy decorative street furniture, when the money could have been used to bring some more roads under tender sure and improve the infrastructure.That money, that was used to put up those fancy bollards and those European styled pavements, could have gone to filling up some potholes or building footpaths on other roads. To add to that is BBMPs unscientific, and unaccounted ways of filling potholes, that re-appear within 24 hours of getting filled … Bangalore has turned into a city of potholes. Garden City anyone?
Forget it!
Use the laws already on the books to punish those responsible for shoddy work. ‘Suspension’ is not punishment – proactively attach the properties of those involved and dismiss them when found guilty. It is common knowledge that the everyone from the politicians down to the sweepers are in BBMP/Govt Service for the ‘extra’ moolah at our expense.
The above document reads like a beggars plea to the British rulers – who the ?? are these politicians? If an audit on the election process is done, EVERYONE of them would be jailed for FRAUD. The solution lies in prosecuting these people and extracting punitive damages from each one of them.
We need to learn from history – any change in the many years of protests, request, pleas? NONE WHATSOEVER.
We agree to several citizens’ protest and submission of memorandum to mayor,BBMP commissioner and chief minister for not taking the responsibility of providing proper and essential civic amenities and asking an action plan within seven days with proper documentation so many lives and accidents could be saved. Last few accidents on account of craters / potholes caused deaths of loved ones. Instead of compensating or showing sympathy these agencies and police authorities are blaming the drivers for carelessness and rash driving. It highlights their attitude towards taking their responsibilities which is highly degradable. Its hightime to protest and remind them to come out of nexus between contractors, engineers and politicians so general public doesn’t suffer nowonwards.