Cong govt has ruined city: BJP

The BJP on Thursday released a 'charge sheet', accusing the ruling Congress of ruining Bengaluru and turning the state capital into a 'garbage' and 'crime'   city.

A 15-page document 'Lekka Kodi Bengaluru Janarige' (give accounts to the people of Bengaluru) lists out the apparent failures of the government and large-scale corruption in city-related works.

Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar, who is also party election in-charge for Karnataka, said misgovernance and maladministration by the Congress has forced the people of Bengaluru to struggle for even basic amenities like roads, water supply and underground drainage.

Further, crimes like chain snatching, assault on innocent citizens and children and murders and atrocities on women were increasing by the day. "The people of Bengaluru have suffered immensely as the Congress has abandoned them to their fate," he said.

Javadekar charged the government with indulging in misappropriation of funds meant for white-topping of roads and garbage clearance.

A whopping Rs 468 crore was spent on road works for a 12-km stretch between Kempegowda Layout and Mysuru Road.

The Congress, he said, had allowed unchecked encroachment of lakes and catchment areas. Several lives were lost and damage to property worth Rs 1,600 crore was caused due to heavy rain in the city last year.

The mismanagement of the city administration had resulted in delays in the construction of multi-level parking lots. Unscientifically designed infrastructure projects in the city had resulted in traffic bottlenecks at several junctions.

The document accused the government of indulging in large-scale corruption in awarding garbage clearance contracts and while formulating the Bengaluru Revised Master Plan-2031. The document also charges the Congress with supporting nine lakh illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to bolster its electoral chances.

Javadekar said the BJP will give priority for restoring and conserving lakes in Bengaluru, if voted to power.