House panel tells BBMP to tackle vermin menace

For all the perks legislators enjoy, there seems to be one problem they face like many Bengalureans do: bed bugs, mosquitoes and other vermin.

Now, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will be roped in provide remedy to the legislators.

Maddened by the vermin menace at the Legislators’ Home (LH) near Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, legislators lodged a complaint with the Legislature Committee on House for redress.

The 13-member committee headed by Deputy Speaker M Krishna Reddy, responsible for taking care of accommodation of legislators, has decided to ask BBMP to tackle the problem that has, apparently, given legislators sleepless nights at the LH.

“Many legislators approached the committee with complaints that there were too many bugs and mosquitoes there. We are bound to take legislators’ complaints seriously,” Reddy told DH. “When we met to discuss the problem, we discovered that never has pest control been taken up at the LH. So, we have decided to ask the BBMP to take up remedial measures for six months on the LH premises,” he said.

All 224 members of the Assembly and 75 of the Council are allotted rooms at the LH, which is divided into four blocks in the Vidhana Soudha neighbourhood. Legislators pay Rs 500 per month for a single room, Rs 1,000 for a double room and Rs 1,000 for a family flat.

Legislators have complained of mosquito menace in the past as well. Last year, for instance, the topic led to a heated debate in the Council. Congress’ Ivan D’Souza had remarked: “If fumigation is done at the LH, I’m sure one kg of mosquitoes will be found. We don’t even get mosquito nets.”

Deputy Speaker Reddy said the BBMP had been asked to take up pest control measures on the LH premises.

“The BBMP will focus on the facade, but we are yet to take a call on what needs to be done inside the rooms, and who should be given that task,” he said.

The BBMP has earmarked Rs 8 crore in its budget towards mosquito control. The civic body believes it has been doing a good job on this front, what with statistics showing 861 confirmed cases of dengue till September this year, compared with 7,291 cases last year.