7 months ago
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As much voices articulation the increasing disapproval implicit the city’s crumbling infrastructure, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar connected Sunday took a excavation astatine the critics, accusing them of ‘forgetting their roots’.
Mr. Shivakumar’s ‘Walk with Bengaluru’ drive, held astatine Veerayodhara Vana successful southeast Bengaluru, became a level for him to antagonistic the criticism, adjacent though helium began the nationalist outreach lawsuit by assuring citizens, “The dependable is yours, the solution is ours.”
He lashed retired astatine those taking to X to criticise the city, saying, “Those who came to Bengaluru and grew present person forgotten however they erstwhile were and what they are now. You hide the roots; you don’t get the fruit.” Mr. Shivakumar added that helium was unbothered by specified antagonistic remarks.
Although helium denounced the online posts arsenic ‘extreme level criticism’, Mr. Shivakumar acknowledged, “Of course, we invited disapproval since it adds worth to democracy. But a fewer radical are taking it to an utmost level.”
Visibly, the Deputy Chief Minister appeared little astatine easiness connected Sunday, successful opposition to his earlier 3 ‘Walk with Bengaluru’ events. Though helium began by praising Minister for Transport Ramalinga Reddy, the archetypal fewer participants who took the mic spoke lone successful praise of Mr. Reddy. This prompted Mr. Shivakumar to interject, saying, “Enough of hailing the MLA; present archer maine astir the problems.”
Among the cardinal issues raised by residents were sewage attraction concerns, flooding, incomplete improvement projects, including the long-delayed Ejipura Flyover, and a deficiency of regular autobus services.
Raghu, president of the 4th Block Koramangala Residents’ Welfare Association, pointed retired to the dilatory advancement of the task connecting Defence Road from Lower Agram to the Intermediate Ring Road (IRR) and from the IRR to Iblur and Bellandur. He urged officials to expedite the paperwork to velocity up the process.
Harish, a nonmigratory of Teachers’ Colony, complained that the work roadworthy on the Outer Ring Road successful southeastern Bengaluru remains encroached by hawkers and thoroughfare vendors, posing challenges for pedestrians.
The residents besides expressed their interest astir the predominant flooding successful S.T. Bed Layout, Ejipura, Rajendra Nagar, and Venkateshwara Layout. They demanded a semipermanent solution, specified arsenic constructing a parallel drain akin to the 1 betwixt Sony Signal and Bellandur Lake.
Shivashankar, a nonmigratory of S.T. Bed Layout, suggested the desilting of Bellandur Lake to trim flooding.
T. Babu, president of the BTM Layout Welfare Association, said that the 5% guidance worth interest to person B-Khata properties into A-Khata would spot an further load connected middle-class families. He urged the authorities to see a interest operation based connected onshore country instead.
R. Sunderesh, a nonmigratory of Koramangala, pointed retired to the unregulated maturation of Paying Guest (PG) accommodations successful the area, a interest echoed by astatine slightest 2 different participants.
While residents listed respective problems, galore of them praised Mr. Reddy for his accessibility and speedy effect to nationalist grievances. Mr. Shivakumar acknowledged this, saying, “You residents are fortunate to person specified an MLA.”
With Mr. Reddy addressing astir of the section concerns, the Deputy Chief Minister utilized the accidental to item his flagship infrastructure projects, including the Tunnel Road, Bengaluru Business Corridor, 13 elevated corridors, e-Khata, and the conversion of B-Khata to A-Khata.
Ejipura Flyover
Many residents demanded an update connected the long-delayed 2.38-km Ejipura Flyover. Mr. Shivakumar assured them that the task would beryllium completed by March 2026. He aboriginal visited the tract to inspect the ongoing operation works.
In effect to the backlash from IT companies implicit Bengaluru’s infrastructure woes, Mr. Shivakumar announced that helium would clasp a gathering with representatives of the IT sector, akin to the ‘Walk with Bengaluru’ initiative.
“Ramalinga Reddy, Priyank Kharge, M.B. Patil, and I volition clasp a associated gathering with the IT companies soon,” helium added.
