Unfulfilled promises mark CMC's current term

Councillors failed to provide basic amenities and infrastructure, say citizens

With elections to the City Municipal Council (CMC) in the offing, residents hope that the new councillors to be elected would fulfil their long pending demands in regard to providing basic civic amenities and infrastructure.

For, the sitting councillors, whose five-year-term has ended, had by and large failed to solve the civic woes of Chikkaballapur residents and keep up the promises they had made while seeking votes five years ago.

Amid making allegations and counter allegations against one another and, also being accused by the public of committing irregularities, councillors were able take up some minor works, opine a small section of the residents.

A vast majority, however, feels that during the past five years, the CMC did not take up any major and permanent works that could be considered an achievement. Although the councillors made several big promises, they did not work towards making them a reality, the public said. “Many councillors have not re-visited the wards after the previous elections,” they alleged.

The past five years witnessed frequent cold wars between the elected representatives and CMC officials. The work on creating infrastructure in the town, which was made the headquarters of the new Chikkaballapur district in 2007, was never taken up.

 The promised blueprint on developing the town as a model one in the district never materialised. The general meetings of the CMC council never deliberated upon issues concerning the people, they complained.

The CMC failed to take up scientific disposal of garbage; repair of the roads that were dug up for under ground drainage (UGD) works and  development of parks in prominent localities. Even four parks that were developed in the town are not being maintained properly, said Narasimha Swamy, a Chikkaballapur resident.

Proposals to clear encroachment of footpaths; give a facelift to the old bus stand, create boating facility at the Kandavara Lake and construct a commercial complex on the old library premises never took off.

On the other, allegations of financial irregularities in the CMC were rampant. For instance, residents of Kelagina Thota locality alleged that payments were made to contractors for the UGD work in the area, while in reality no such work had been taken up.

Alleging large-scale financial irregularities in the CMC, some people had even moved the High Court seeking a direction to the State government to supersede the civc body.
 Besides, CMC presidents and commissioners were changed a number of times in the past five years, affecting the effective functioning of the civic body.