Fall in four months: Service road near Kundalahalli underpass of Bengaluru caves-in
Bengaluru: Barely four months after inauguration, the service road near Kundalahalli underpass caved in, giving rise to fresh charges of corruption in the Karnataka state government, especially the ‘40 per cent’ charge.
The road had been built as a part of a Rs 19.5-crore project in Bengaluru. It is also a part of the Signal Free Corridor project of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
An executive engineer, who was working in the Signal Free Corridor project, has said that a pipe under the road broke. “The water had been seeping over the last few days, loosening the soil and resulting in the cave-in,” he added, said NDTV.
The Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), which handles the water supply facilities, is reported to have repaired the pipeline.
The BBMP, however, has said that the repair of the stretch that caved in would require a few more days. The officials also said that the contractor would have to do it sans charges since the underpass is covered under the Annual Maintenance and Defect Liability clause.
The Congress, meanwhile, has called the incident of cave-in as another example the government’s ‘40 per cent’ administration and corruption. The government, in turn, has called such charges political vendetta that is baseless.
Congress leader and MLC Nagaraj Yadav has also asked the contractors’ associations to prove their dedication to provide quality work. “They will merely reply that the low quality in work is due to corruption,” he said.
The association members, however, are yet to respond to Yadav, who has demanded that a criminal case be filed against the concerned contractors as well as government officials.
The MLC also called this an instance that substantiates the Congress demand for a diligent minister for Bengaluru. “Although Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai himself is in charge of Bengaluru, he has failed to fulfill his duties and responsibilities,” said Yadav.
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Karnataka Muslim Convention to be held in Bengaluru on May 16
Muslim organisations to release report on Congress govt’s three-year performance
Bengaluru: Major Muslim organisations and federations in Karnataka have decided to organise a large public convention titled ‘Karnataka Muslim Convention’ at Town Hall in Bengaluru on May 16. During the convention, a comprehensive report reviewing the three-year performance of the Congress government under the theme “What did the Congress government promise? What did it do? What next?” will be released.
According to a statement issued on Friday, no politicians will be invited to the convention. The report will be submitted to the government and all MLAs after the event.
The convention is being held at a time when the Congress government is nearing the completion of three years in office on May 20. Muslim organisations have expressed dissatisfaction, alleging that despite extending strong support to the Congress in bringing it to power, the community is being neglected.
The Convention is being organised at time when there are concerns over inadequate political representation for Muslims, alleged neglect of community demands, and the suspension of senior Muslim leaders who had worked for the party for decades.
The organisers said the convention aims to raise questions on what the Congress government has delivered so far and what further steps are expected from the government.
The decision to hold the convention was taken during a meeting held on May 6 at A J International Hotel in Shivajinagar, Bengaluru. Representatives of major Muslim organisations, associations, ulema bodies, federations, and members of the ad hoc committee of Karnataka Rajya Muslim Okkoota attended the meeting.
More than 75 representatives and delegates, including senior ulemas, jamaat leaders, lawyers, retired officials, journalists and members of the KRMO ad hoc committee, participated in the discussions.
Members of the KRMO ad hoc committee’s report preparation team and experts from different sectors presented a detailed report on the Congress government’s three-year performance. The report examined promises made to Muslims on ten major issues, the extent to which they were fulfilled, pending promises, alleged discrimination in representation, and the demands now being placed before the government.
The report covered issues such as the hijab ban, reservation cancellation, hate speech and hate crimes, budget allocation, political representation, waqf matters, the anti-cow slaughter law, anti-conversion law, scholarships and educational grants.
Participants offered suggestions and recommendations on various points, and necessary corrections to the report were accepted after detailed discussions.
The meeting also reportedly expressed strong dissatisfaction over the manner in which the Congress government has treated the Muslim community. Participants are said to have opined that if the government and the Congress party continue in the same manner, the community should keep its political options open.
It was later decided that the report would be officially released at the large public convention on May 16 under the title “Karnataka Muslim Convention – What did the Congress government promise? What did it do? What next?”
The organisers appealed to people from all districts of the state to participate in large numbers and send a strong message to the government and the Congress party through the convention.
They also decided that all organisations, jamaats and associations should work towards ensuring participation from every district in Karnataka.
The statement reiterated that no politicians would be invited to the May 16 convention and that the report on the Congress government’s three-year performance would be submitted to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, ministers and MLAs after the event.
