For Rs 18-cr tax, BBMP has broken roads, encroached footpaths to show in Banaswadi

A senior BBMP official said none of the engineers want to work in the ward

Residents of Banaswadi, the ward that pays Rs 18.68 crore in taxes to the Palike, are demanding immediate attention from the officials.

They told DH that a majority of roads in the ward are punctuated with potholes or are poorly patched up.

“It has become a herculean task to drive on these roads on a daily basis. Officials do not monitor pothole-filling activities and do a shoddy job. Relaying roads has never been their priority,” said Amith Nigli, a resident of OMBR Layout.

Broken or encroached footpaths and unpruned trees add to their woes. Absence of streetlights has also made the roads unsafe, residents said. “I have complained to the BBMP multiple times, but none of the officials visit the area or attend to the work. They instead ask us to wait,” said Anju Menezes, another resident of the area.

“The streetlights have not been replaced for a long time. This has led to a surge in mugging cases,” Anju added.

Speaking to DH on condition of anonymity, a senior Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) official said none of the engineers want to work in the ward.

“There have been times when the ward did not have an engineer for nearly three months. Citizens who frequently question the officials and drag them to court have created fear among officials. Many of them seek a transfer,” the official said.

The area’s assistant executive engineer (AEE) did not respond to multiple calls from DH.

Residents are anxious about frequent mugging incidents and late-night vehicular movement. “We have repeatedly written to the police requesting night patrolling. Although they promise to do their bit, nothing has been done about it so far,” said another resident.