As Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai completes one year in office, there’s still work to be done.
Story so far: It has been a year since Bommai took office, and like his predecessors, he retained the post of Minister for Bengaluru Development. He has spoken at length about making Bengaluru a world-class city. The city hasn’t improved much. In some ways, it might be worse off.
- He has been more than happy to announce big development packages for the city. For example, in October, he proposed ₹6,000 crores under the Amruta Nagarothana scheme.
- In the current year’s state budget, ₹8,409 crores have been allocated for Bengaluru to develop roads, parks, lakes, and solid waste management, among other things.
Disappointed residents: Despite the rhetoric, residents have continued to express their disappointment at the less-than-stellar infrastructure. Roads are filled with potholes, causing injuries and deaths. Many of the healthcare schemes announced have yet to take shape.
- There’s also a sense of increased religious polarisation in the wake of the Hijab controversy. Some colleges in the city witnessed some unrest, but the police banned protests around educational institutions.
No BBMP elections: The government has shown little interest in holding BBMP elections. The previous Council’s term ended in 2020. Instead of this, Bommai set up a task force headed by a minister for each of the eight zones of the BBMP.
(Image credits: Profile picture sourced from Government of Karnataka, GODL-India, via Wikimedia Commons)
