'BBMP Chief’s public grievance meet an eyewash, need ward-level meets'

NT Bengaluru

As BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath visits various parts of the city to address public grievances, citizens have criticised the meetings as "eyewash" and demanded that they be held at the ward level. These meetings are part of Girinath’s initiative to visit the eight zones of the BBMP every Tuesday and Friday. Thus far, he has covered the South and Mahadevapura zones. On Tuesday, crowds formed in the limited space at the BBMP zonal office in Bommanahalli as Girinath met citizens alongside officials to hear complaints. However, attendees subjected to a token system faced long waits.

Although the meeting was scheduled to run from 10 am to 1 pm, it extended over an hour beyond its allotted time. Manjunath, a resident of JP Nagar 8th Phase, Block 2, waited for three hours after taking time off work in the hope of meeting Girinath. “This is poorly planned. A digital system with time slots could have helped both citizens and officials,” he remarked. Manjunath’s neighbourhood, located in Ward 194 (Gottigere), is beset with issues. “We’ve repeatedly raised concerns about footpath encroachments, illegal constructions, and poor road infrastructure,” he added. Residents also called for ward committee meetings to be prioritised. Shashidhara, President of the Parivarthana Kshemabhivrudha Sangha, the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) for JP Nagar 8th Phase, lamented the lack of progress in addressing local problems. “The last ward committee meeting was held before the Assembly elections last year. We’ve been following up with requests to expedite work, but nothing has been done,” he said.

Even those working with the BBMP shared grievances. Chiranjeevi, from the Praja Vimochana Chaluvali, highlighted the plight of a proposed single-home project for the poor in Ward 196 (Anjanapura). Valued at Rs. 5 lakh, the project has been awaiting a work order for two years. “The Commissioner was dumbfounded and shifted the blame to local officials,” he said after leaving the meeting hall.