Residents and those working in Whitefield came out in huge numbers to stage a protest demanding better civic amenities.
The city is reeling under garbage menace, with waste piling up in many black spots. Motorists continue to have a harrowing time on the roads, given the number of potholes and bad reaches.
But none of these issues seemed pressing enough for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council as the monthly meeting on Monday was adjourned without any discussion after Mayor B.N. Manjunath Reddy cited the code of conduct in place for the election to the legislative council scheduled on December 27.
The decision came under flak. Opposition leader in the council Padmanabha Reddy termed it as a “pre-planned strategy” by the ruling Congress and Janata Dal (S) to ensure that there is no discussion on the ‘weak administration’.
“When MLAs of Bidar and Hebbal passed away, even the Assembly conducted business. When the city is reeling under so many problems, the Mayor could have at least allowed zero hour discussions,” he said.
According to BBMP sources, the monthly meeting was scheduled much before the MLC polls were notified. “The meeting could not have been postponed. That apart, as per Rule 10 of the Business Rules under the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976, the council must compulsorily meet at least once a month,” a source pointed out.
Srinivasamurthy Vasudev, secretary of Girinagar Residents’ Welfare Association, also said that the code of conduct wouldn’t prevent discussions on pressing issues.
Sridhar Pabbisetty, chief executive officer of the Namma Bengaluru Foundation, told The Hindu that the council could have celebrated the life of the deceased by allowing discussions and finding permanent solutions to the city’s problems. “It is sad that the BBMP council chose to shirk its responsibility towards the citizens by adjourning the meeting,” he said.
Before the council was adjourned, condolences were paid to Bidar MLA Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli, Hebbal MLA Jagadeesh Kumar and secretary of Urban Development Department D. Satyamurty.
