JOIN USRavindra pulls up civic officials
A Ravindra, the advisor to Chief Minister on urban affairs Ravindra, was critical of the officers for their laxity in connection with the accident on Castle Street where the girl fell into a ditch and broke both her limbs.
He was holding a coordination meeting with the civic agencies including the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM).
He said that the officials should have empathy and regard for victims instead of shifting the responsibility. The chiefs of the agencies were asked to fix individual responsibility for any accident and initiate action against errant officials immediately.
Recurrence
The BBMP officials informed Dr Ravindra that they were taking action to improve footpaths and prevent recurrence of such accidents. This year, for the first time, the Palike has earmarked Rs 20 crore in the budget for improving pedestrian infrastructure and a programme was being chalked out. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is also developing footpaths along its track length using design specification.
No word on compensation
There was, however, no word on compensation for the girl from any of the government agencies concerned. She has so far spent more than Rs one lakh on her treatment. The BESCOM officials have denied that they were responsible for digging the pit on Castle Street. A senior official of Bescom stated that there was no work scheduled on the street and all the lines were old and there was nothing to replace or repair.
"We would readily accept responsibility if we were at fault, but we have gone nowhere near Castle Street, for any kind of digging work. Moreover, we cannot dig without BBMP permission, so how can they blame us?" questioned a senior Bescom official. Some of the top officials at Bescom visited Castle Street to rule out any involvement from their side.