There is no response to citizens' problems

 Officers own power; A divisive strategy to postpone elections; Impact on 'Brand': Ex-Corporation Leaders

 There is no response to citizens' problems

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

 Bengaluru: It is raining in the city, many trees have fallen due to the storm, water is standing in the roads and drains, there are potholes. Water is entering the houses. Twigs and branches of trees on the side of the road remain intact. People are facing problem in many places. Will the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and MLAs solve these problems? Can he go to everyone's house? As there are no corporators who act as a link between the people and the authorities, the authorities are not responding to the problems of the citizens.

 These are the words of those who have worked as leader of the ruling party and leader of the opposition in BBMP.

 If a house's garbage is not removed, if there is water intrusion, if there is a pothole in the road, then people used to contact the corporators first. He is not there now, but still asks us as an ex. If there is no authority, the authorities will not listen to us. However, we insist and demand and work. Many people do not listen to us because the wards have changed, the authorities have changed in four years. If there was a council and the meeting was going on, the officials would have been in control,'' say former leaders of the corporation.

 It became 243 wards from 198. Later it was reduced to 225. Elections are blocked without reservation. All party MLAs do not want BBMP elections. They smeared our noses by telling us about Assembly and Lok Sabha elections and got us to work. However, holding elections for BBMP means that one will say over the other', he expressed his indignation.

 Fear of defeat: Congress, which has lost the Lok Sabha elections in the city, is afraid of losing the BBMP elections. That is why they are talking about division and trying to postpone the election,” the BJP leaders complained.

 We came to power by winning the most seats in the state. There is a difference between Lok Sabha elections and corporation elections. We are not afraid of that. Our goal is to provide good governance, said Congress leaders.

Fear of becoming Gram Panchayats: 

'If BBMP is divided into 400 wards, it will become a municipality and Gram Panchayat. If one company with higher income prospers, the other collapses. A sense of inferiority arises. An example of this is the failed devolution of corporations in Delhi. Also, if there are four or five companies, there is a fear of linguistic conflict. The former leaders of the corporation opined that it will have an adverse effect on the 'brand' of the city as a whole.

 What do the former leaders of the corporation say?

 'No thought for development'

 Nothing is happening according to the 74 amendment. No one wants to give power to the people's representatives, let alone democracy. No one is thinking about the development of Bangalore. They are saying that elections should be postponed, they will make five parties and divide them. It's all a trick. 

 – Padmanabha Reddy

 'Officials are not available'

 Elections of local bodies should be held. Let division be done in any way, but election must be done first. The government has promised to hold elections. Absence of corporators does not solve local problems. The authorities are not reaching the people. Not even working.

 – M. Shivraj

 MLAs do not like elections

 Except for the five or six MLAs in the city, the other two do not want to hold elections for the BBMP. They have taken away the constitutional authority from the local body that they should manage all the powers and packages themselves. There is also a desire to continue the same. Before the election, after all.

 -N. Nagaraju

 'They are breaking the land of Kempegowda'

 Kempegowda, the builder of Bangalore, built the city well. Congress is slicing such a country, trying to divide and rule. This is cheating the community. Also, without corporators, the authorities are not responding to people's problems. There should always be representatives of the people who are the link between the people and the authorities.

 – A.H. Basavaraj

'Rajiv Gandhi's wish has no price'

 According to the 74th Amendment, elections should be held, local bodies should exercise power, no one can poke their nose. But, by not following Rajiv Gandhi's wishes, Congressmen are insulting their own party leader. Also, the city builder is going to divide Kempegowda's corporation and humiliate him.

 – N.R. Ramesh

 'Should not be vacant for more than six months'

 Rajiv Gandhi amended the constitution and empowered local bodies. It was stipulated that no local body should have an administrator for more than six months. However, there has been an administrator for years. Many problems are not being solved by the authorities because there are no corporators.

 – M. Udayashankar