Bengaluru citizens frustrated over poorly organised grievance meeting at Mahadevapura

Bengaluru: Poor road maintenance, unused skywalks, encroachments on stormwater drains, flooding, and poorly lit streets were among the issues raised at a grievance redressal meeting conducted at the Mahadevapura Zone, chaired by BBMP Commissioner Tushar Girinath.

During the meeting, Girinath announced that Rs 10 lakh would be allocated for the installation of LED streetlights on Carmelaram Road and pledged to conduct anti-encroachment drives at lakes, including Vengaiah Lake in KR Puram. However, sources described the event as “unplanned” and “more chaotic than expected”.

Prabhu Patil, president of the Rohan Vasanth Apartment Residents' Welfare Association in Marathahalli, said he waited for over three hours on Friday to have his complaint addressed. The event was scheduled from 3 pm to 5 pm, but only 60 to 65 tokens were issued for interactions with Girinath.

“It seems the event was not properly planned, and without proper organisation, grievances are unlikely to be effectively addressed,” Patil said. He suggested allocating adequate but limited time for each citizen to improve the interaction. His primary concerns included encroachments on stormwater drains in the Marathahalli area and the BBMP’s new decision to charge for solid waste collection.

Among the issues Girinath addressed were the desilting of stormwater drains along the Marathahalli Outer Ring Road and drainage development works at Kadubeesanahalli and Panathur Road.

Girinath also announced that close to Rs 10 lakh would be released for the overall improvement of city infrastructure, including the installation of streetlights, pothole repairs, and solid waste management, which will benefit residents of Bellandur and Carmelaram Road.