Citizens' lament: 'Why can't government departments work in tandem?'

One of the main reasons for Bengaluru's substandard infrastructure is the poor coordination between different government departments.

There are numerous examples of freshly tarred streets and footpaths being dug up within days in the name of repairing drainage lines, laying power cables or fixing some faulty connection.

Some of these repairs may be unavoidable but most of them can be avoided if government departments just keep each other in the loop.

At Janaspandana-Citizens For Change, a civic grievance redress event organised by DH and Prajavani in the Shivajinagar assembly constituency on Saturday, several residents expressed frustration at the state of affairs.

Complaining about dug-up roads in her locality, a Bharathinagar resident wondered why government departments cannot work in tandem.

Prakash, from Halasuru, complained about the lack of coordination between the BBMP and the traffic police. "Vehicle users are confused because of the changes in the traffic plan. Nobody seems to have a clue," he said.

A resident of Edward Road, off Queen's Road, lamented that most government officials do not respond to phone calls from citizens. "We have to approach you to get the work done. Why is that so?" she said, addressing MLA Rizwan Arshad.

Acknowledging the problem, the legislator stressed the need for government departments to work together. But will bureaucrats pay heed? Only time will.

Arshad also acknowledged the problem of unresponsive officials, saying it was affecting the reputation of hardworking bureaucrats. "Some officers work well but others just want to escape. It's in their nature," he said.

What citizens had to say...

Restore pre-Covid BMTC routes

Many BMTC bus services from the pre-pandemic times have been scrapped, several residents said.

M V Prakash Kumar, of Krishnamma Garden near JC Nagar, said no buses were run from the Marappa Garden bus stop. Students have to walk one-and-a-half kilometres to reach the nearest bus stop, he added.

Avinash N S, Divisional Traffic Officer (Northeast), BMTC, initially claimed that some buses were running, but MLA Rizwan Arshad rebutted him. The official promised to resume the bus service within a week.

Venkatesh, from RBANM's College, Halasuru, said buses no longer stopped outside the institution. "This is affecting our students, most of whom are poor. They have to walk several kilometres to reach the college. By the time they come to class, they are tired. Many have even dropped out," he said.

J C Kumar, from Kumara Park, asked for restoring the old route of bus number 105A.

Arshad sought a report on all pre-Covid buses from Avinash and asked for restoring all routes with high occupancy.

Shivaji Road to turn 'smart'

Shivaji Road will be developed into a smart road, MLA Rizwan Arshad said, adding that the project is in the tendering stage.

"The reason why it hasn't been developed so far is that works are underway on all other roads, starting with Kamaraj Road. If we start the work on Shivaji Road, too, it will cause traffic congestion. It has British-era infrastructure. The water pipelines are crumbling. We'll transform it within six months," he promised.

Streetlight switched on with stick

Maria, a resident of Bharathinagar, complained that a streetlight on Makan Road had to be switched on with a wooden stick.

The MLA responded: "It's unfortunate that in the 21st century, somebody has to use sticks to switch on streetlights," he said and promised to look into the issue. He lamented that he inherited a constituency that had a lot of infrastructural problems, some over 30 years old, but promised to transform Shivajinagar.

Mysterious NOC for liquor store

Maya, from Kumara Park, said a liquor store had come up on VS Raju Road through a mysterious No Objection Certificate (NOC). The MLA said the store belonged to the state-run Mysore Sales International Limited and asked the BBMP to take action.