Mahadevapura residents present manifesto to pol parties

Residents of Mahadevapura constituency, under the forum ‘Whitefield Rising’, presented their constituency manifesto to all the important candidates representing various parties on Sunday.

Efficient traffic management, lake rejuvenation, removing encroachments from lakebeds, better solid waste management, rejuvenating groundwater and providing civic amenities — including water supply — are among the list of issues the residents wanted solved in their constituency.

Candidates of the Congress, BJP, JD(S), AAP and Swaraj India, who interacted with the residents, have promised that they would include the demands in their respective party’s manifestos. They collectively assured to address the encroachment of the Pattandur Agrahara Lake, a case on which is being heard in the High Court of Karnataka.

Residents slammed the government for their lackadaisical approach to the civic works in the constituency. They complained that the facilities provided to them do not match with the hefty property tax they pay.

They bombarded the candidates with questions on traffic management, shoddy lake maintenance, deplorable infrastructure and unsuitable rules to transfer TDRs (Transferable Development Rights) that come in the way of the road-widening programme.

Responding to questions, sitting MLA and BJP candidate Arvind Limbavali said carpooling needs to be encouraged, besides building flyovers, the metro rail network and peripheral ring road.

“More tax needs to be imposed on using private cars that would discourage families from buying three or four cars,” he added.

Acknowledging the garbage issue, Limbavali said the BBMP seems disinterested, despite a letter detailing the issue being sent to them.

Congress candidate A C Srinivas said a large number of private tankers supplying water in the area are charging exorbitantly and they need to be regulated. He also assured that people will not allow the movement of heavy vehicles like trucks in residential and commercial areas of the city.

Aam Aadmi Party’s Bhaskar Prasad pointed to the encroachment on stormwater drains and said the Palike should have removed them after undertaking a survey, but the civic body has not taken any action so far.