Rs 10L for kin of boy electrocuted in park

The BBMP council on Wednesday decided to give a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of seven-year-old Uday Kumar, who was electrocuted while playing at Dr Rajkumar Park near Kullappa Circle in Kammanahalli on February 24.

“I have sought a report from the concerned officials regarding the tragic incident. After the report is submitted, the contractor responsible for the maintenance of the park and the concerned BBMP officials will be blacklisted. A criminal case will be lodged,” answering to the council, BBMP commissioner N Manjunath Prasad said.

“The park which was developed by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) was handed over to the BBMP recently for the maintenance work. The contractor maintaining the street lights in the area was also repairing the lights at the park. The contractor is responsible for the job, and the engineers concerned too,” Prasad added.

The BBMP commissioner further directed the officials to inspect all the 1,250 parks across the city to avoid such incidents in future.

Opposition walks out

Meanwhile, the opposition walked out of the council alleging the BBMP has discriminated while providing laptops to students. Opposition leader Padmanabha Reddy, mentioning the distribution of 200 laptops to each ward, said the laptops were only given to the students of Mahalaxmi Layout constituency, on Monday.

“The authority has given 200 laptops to six wards in this constituency using State Finance Commission (SFC) fund. Similarly, the BBMP should give laptops in all the 198 wards,” urged Reddy.

Seconding Reddy, Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency MLA, Munirathna said: “If they are providing laptops to Mahalaxmi Layout constituency with a population of 2.30 lakhs, the BBMP has to distribute laptops in my constituency as well, which has a population of 4.80 lakhs.”

Demanding a clarification from the commissioner on the use of SFC fund to distribute laptops, Reddy said, “regarding the use of SFC fund, the state government has issued a circular in 2014. According to the circular, there is no provision to use this fund to purchase laptops. Without calling tender, they have distributed the laptops.”

Answering this question, BBMP commissioner Manjunath Prasad said, “the SFC fund can be used for beneficiaries like SC/STs and OBCs. Without calling tender, the laptops can be purchased by government affiliated KEONICS.”

Rejecting the commissioner’s answer, opposition party members staged a walkout after protesting in the well of the council.