One year on, footpath still a mirage

It has been nearly one year since work on laying of a footpath on Visvesvaraya road was taken up in the city.

However, residents wonder if the work would ever be completed on this footpath. Residents opine that the delay is due to the lack of planning by the city municipal council.

Funds to the tune of Rs 40 lakh were set aside under the Rs 30 crore released under the chief minister’s urban development scheme. While work on one side of the footpath is completed, the other side, which is used by the public to reach the post office and Mysore Bank is continuing at snail’s pace.

Following complaints that the work was of low quality, the footpath project has come to a standstill. Residents are facing problems — having to battle with unbearable stench and causing danger to pedestrians.

Recently, a protest by residents led to assistant commissioner Rangappa visiting the spot for inspection. Shopkeepers expressed unhappiness over the quality of work on the footpath.

When, CMC president Arun Kumar was contact, he said when upgradation of the footpath was taken up, the estimate wasn’t prepared for the underground drainage. Due to this, only patch work is being taken up. Notices have been issued to a few shopkeepers as they have connected the UGD line to the drain. He said footpath work would continue after completion of repairs to the drain.