Bengaluru | Congress government has no funds to fill potholes: R. Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka has criticised the ruling Congress government, calling it a “government of potholes and a cabinet of potholes,” and accused it of complete failure in development works.
Speaking after launching a BJP-led public awareness campaign in various localities of Govindarajanagar constituency on Saturday to protest against the government’s failure in repairing potholes and managing waste, Ashoka said, “For the past two and a half years, there has been no development. They keep talking about guarantees, but they have no money to fill the potholes.”
He alleged that although the government claims to have spent ₹1,800 crore on filling potholes, there is no evidence of any such work being done. “So far, 12 people have lost their lives due to potholes. Despite spending thousands of crores of taxpayers’ money, the government has not built a single good road,” he said.
Ashoka further stated that while the BJP will soon release a white paper on its contributions to Bengaluru, the Congress must explain what it has done for the city’s development. “When the issue of potholes is raised with the Chief Minister, he redirects it to the Deputy Chief Minister. This shows how irresponsible this government is,” he remarked.
He also attacked the government over poor waste management, saying that the city is filled with heaps of garbage. “During the BJP’s tenure, ₹120 was collected as waste tax, but the Congress government is now collecting ₹700 for the same and still failing to manage waste effectively,” he said.
MLAs S. Suresh Kumar, Dr. Ashwath Narayan, Munirathna, former MLC Ashwath Narayan, and BJP leaders S. Harish and K. Umesh Shetty were present at the event.
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Health Department launches leprosy awareness campaign in Dakshina Kannada, district reports 47 cases
Mangaluru: The Health Department launched on Friday the Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign, to promote early detection and treatment to the disease and also to educate people in the district about leprosy.
The campaign, which is a nationwide initiative, will continue till February 13.
According to a report by Deccan Herald, District Health Officer Dr. HR Thimmaiah has said that 47 cases of leprosy were reported in Dakshina Kannada till December in 2025-26.
He has stressed on the need for early detection and treatment of the disease as it would prevent complications prior to detection. He also stressed on creating awareness, increasing community participation in cases of early detection. “People should not neglect white or brown patches without sensation on their skin,” the DHO advised.
Dr. Thimmaiah added that people diagnosed positive would be treated with free Leprosy Multidrug Therapy (MDT). “The government also provides Disability Prevention and Medical Rehabilitation (DPMR), splints, self-care kits, multicellular rubber footwear, and reconstructive surgery to patients. People can log on to sanjeevani.opd or esanjeevani.in for free teleconsultation if they come across any symptoms of the disease,” he added.
Referring to social stigma attached to leprosy, the DHO called it a challenge and said that the Department had planned awareness programmes in rural areas in collaboration with gram panchayats to ensure that there is no discrimination of patients. “ASHA workers and staff from other departments will be trained to create awareness among the people to overcome social stigma. A door-to-door campaign will be conducted. In addition, officials will visit educational institutions to create awareness among students,” he said.
Speaking about the leprosy cases in Dakshina Kannada, Dr. Thimmaiah said that the 47 cases were reported between April and December, with 42 being diagnosed as multibacillary (MB) leprosy and five as paucibacillary leprosy. One child too has been detected with leprosy during the year, he added.
He said that the district reported 29 cases in 2020-21, 39 in 2021-22, 75 in 2022-23, 62 in 2023-24, and 43 in 2024-25. The number of cases was higher in 2022-23 as patients were not able to visit hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic in the previous years, the DHO informed.
