Proper management of industrial emissions and infrastructure development are the key demands of Bangalore Rural residents.
Residents of Bidadi, an industrial town in the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency feel that development and growth in the area is only limited to the industries and does not extend to the common man.
Bharath, a Master of Commerce (M.Com) graduate who runs a kirana store in the area, said that Bidadi being an industrial area has not translated into jobs for the residents. “Despite being qualified, people from the area are only employed as C and D grade employees in these industries at meagre salaries,” he said. He added that development and maintenance of infrastructure in the area was also carried out by the industries through their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) activities. “The schools and hospitals in the area are all maintained by these industries and not the government,” he said. I have stopped believing that elections can make a difference, he added.
Kumar, an auto driver, said that the government’s focus has always been towards the development of the industries in the area and not the welfare of the people. “Politicians here are only visible during the elections. They come with folded hands and make speeches, and later are not approachable at all,” he said. He added that the benefits of government schemes are not transferred to the people on time.
Manjesh Gowda, a working professional, said that roads and infrastructure in the area needed serious attention. “Year after year, manifestos promise that the poor roads in the area and the lack of infrastructure would be looked after but after the elections, nothing is done in the matter,” he said. He would not be surprised if their wait continues even after this election, he added.
Bidadi is also suffering from a water crisis which is not entirely caused just by the lack of rainfall. Rajeshwari, a helper in a school, said that not all areas in the town have water connections and those who do, receive an irregular supply of water. “If this wasn’t enough, they dig up good roads in the name of laying water pipelines and neither lay the pipes nor repair the roads,” she said. She added that the area also grapples with poor drainage issues.
Gagan, Gowtham, and Darshan, B.Com students who are first-time voters, said that they are waiting to see if the promises made by politicians regarding better education and employment opportunities would be fulfilled after the elections.
Shivananda, a resident of Electronic City said that even though the place is developed, it is still under the Panchayat. He said that the Panchayat has not addressed the issues like drainage blocks properly. “We want the area to be under Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP),” Shivananda said.Abhimanyu Kumar, a 35-year-old shop owner said that he is not going to cast his vote this time. “Ithas been so long since I voted because I don’t have any trust in these politicians,” he said. The fact that he does not have a job has influenced his decision to stop voting.
Manjula, a school teacher said that whoever comes to power should improve the education sector. “Private companies built these school buildings as part of their CSR, even though this is a government school,” she said. She said that the government is not looking after the school properly.
R Pandiyal, a resident near a small scale paper and polymer industries at Nayandahalli said that emission of chemicals from the factory has been troubling the people in the area. “On a daily basis, the industries dispose a lot of paper and wastes and emit stinky chemicals. Many complaints have been registered to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) but no actions have been taken,” he said.
He expressed that the only thing residents expect from the government is to clear their sanitation problem, created by the factories, which has been pending for the last few years.
Muniyappa, a shopkeeper at Dodda Kempaiah highlighted the infrastructure issues. “The roads are always under construction for half of the year. So, there are no footpaths or sidewalks, forcing people to take different roads to reach till the main road.”
He said that the construction of roads affects his business, as all the dust settles on the products and hardly any customers show up. “Many of the people have got dust and skin allergies due to the daily inhalation of dust and cement powder,” he added.
Similarly, Suresh Kumar M, an auto driver said that the roads are filled with pebbles and potholes which cause accidents. He added that the customers don’t pay extra even if the roads are unusable. . “All I expect is a politician in power who would work on our issues,” he said.
Arif and Ayesha Khan, residents of Dodda Kempaiah complained about the lack of public transport in the area. “What’s the use of Shakti scheme, when I have to travel five to six kilometers to catch a bus to work?” Ayesha asked.
She expressed that people living in that area always have to pre-book an auto for going out or have to hitch-hike vehicles to reach till the main road, as online cabs or auto booking apps don’t work there.
Bangalore Rural is the only constituency in Karnataka where the Congress won in the 2019 Lok Sabha (LS) elections. Congress candidate D K Suresh won the 2019 LS polls securing over eight lakh votes while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to get over six lakh votes.
D K Suresh (Congress), Dr. C N Manjunath (BJP) and Hemavathi K (Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist)) are the key candidates in Bangalore rural.
Steffy Maria Paul, Saradhi Sankar and Amisha Mohite contributed to this story.
