RWA president admits to irregular meetings with the welfare association as problems continue piling.
Residents of Halsuru are troubled by the same problems that have continued to plague the area for years. From garbage to a dilapidated market, the residents have seen little change as even the ward meetings are not being held regularly, claimed the Residents Welfare Association in Halasuru.
There is no respite from the poor garbage disposal, while, the Halsuru market stands as it has for over 70 years. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) plan to raze it down and rebuild it is still yet to materialize. The market, which lies in a dilapidated condition, was declared unsafe for vendors.
Prakash, president of the Halsuru Residents Welfare Association said, “The rebuilding work of the Halsuru market was not taken up properly. The problem lies in the temporary relocation of the vendors. They were asked to evacuate but should also be provided with temporary accommodation till the market is rebuilt. They should be shifted to an area that is feasible both for the dealers and the vendors.” Many vendors, however, are still reluctant to be relocated. A fruit vendor in the market said, “While I want the condition of the market to improve, I do not want to be shifted.”
Other problems that trouble the residents are the narrow lanes of Halsuru that can only accommodate a two-wheeler. Deepak, a resident of Jogupalya said, “Accessibility remains a problem. You cannot bring your cars here as the lanes are built only for two-wheelers. People parking on roads does not help the situation and only exacerbates it.”
RWA’s Prakash said, “Halsuru residents are seeing only five percent improvement in the basic infrastructure as against the 50 percent on papers. They just keep on passing your complaints to higher authorities but there is no solution provided.”
No regular ward meetings being held to discuss and solve the problems of Halsuru residents is concerning to Prakash. He said, “Since the nodal officer of our ward has changed, ward meetings are not taking place on a regular basis. The ward’s nodal officer does not stay in the vicinity and often cancels or postpones the meeting as he is unable to attend.”
Rizwan Arshad won the 2019 by-polls to become the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of the Shivajinagar constituency after the disqualification of R Roshan Baig.
Prakash also believes the politically motivated environment is stopping the Halsuru Lake from being properly maintained and cleaned at regular intervals. He said the corporators that are assigned the work keep on passing bills and that they see no improvement.
