JOIN USOrganised by Citizens Action Forum (CAF), Concerned for Working Children (CWC), Environment Support Group (ESG), Grahak Shakti, Hasiru Usiru, Institution of Engineers and Slum Jagattu, the Forum saw Leo Saldanha of ESG, criticise the government for not implementing the 74th amendment to the Constitution, in its true spirit. “The City has numerous problems affecting the citizens. We have not had BBMP elections for three years, and the city is being run by a body of administrators. Besides, accountability to the public is also missing,” he said.
ESG said that while the amendment has welcomed steps like the setting up of a Metropolitan Planning Committee, which will be a single agency for co-ordination of all planning and activities, this has not been implemented.
Under attack
“ABIDe, set up under a government order in 2008, is not accountable to the public nor to any particular department of the government but has begun to direct and influence the policies and the decisions of the government,” they said.
Vinay Srinivasa of Hasiru Usiru said, “While Bangalore is still struggling to help its citizens attain basic rights of clean water and shelter, it is unjust to spend a huge chunk of the budget on a few select roads.”