Garbage issue: District incharge Ramalinga Reddy sacks BBMP engineer

Bengaluru: An assistant executive engineer (AEE) was suspended and an executive engineer (EE) was put on non-executive job for not ensuring effective disposal of garbage in Puttayanapalya in Jayanagar. During a routine inspection on Saturday, district-in-charge minister Ramalinga Reddy charged BBMP officials with not managing garbage disposal properly.

Inspecting an organic waste converter plant in Jayanagar Seventh Block, he questioned BBMP Commissioner M. Lakshminarayan why medical health officers were not given the responsibility of managing solid waste at the ward level. “These officials issue trade licences and they should be made accountable for effective management of solid waste. I have been making this suggestion for a long time, but why no action has been taken in this regard?” he asked.

Mr Narendra Babu, a member of an NGO managing the converter plant, complained that the plant had the facility to process five tonnes of wet waste, but it is supplied only one tonne of waste every day. BBMP officials alleged that though they have distributed 5,000 buckets to all the households in the locality to segregate waste, they have not been able to achieve the desired results.

Jayanagar MLA B.N. Vijaykumar said that BBMP officials were not ensuring timely disposal of garbage and that waste had been dumped on the road in Puttayanapalya near NAL Layout for the last one week. Mr Reddy warned that negligent officials would not be spared and instructed the commissioner to take strict action against erring officials.  

The minister was told that a road connecting Bannerghatta Road had become a dump yard as a case on the 500-metre stretch was pending before the Supreme Court. “Officials have not bothered to clear garbage and I get frequent calls from residents here,” complained Mr Vijaykumar. The minister was told that EE Srinivas and AEE Yogendra were irregular to work. Mr Reddy immediately ordered the suspension of Yogendra and transferred Srinivas to non-executive work.

The officials then visited BTM Layout, where a footpath and road had been encroached upon. The minister told the BBMP to demolish the unauthorised buildings. Mr Reddy told reporters, “We reviewed the progress works in the Padmanabhanagar and Jayanagar constituencies. We are looking at adopting new and effective methods to improve traffic management in Banashankari. There are numerous complaints on potholes in various parts of the city. BBMP officials have been told to maintain the roads. I have directed the BBMP commissioner to take action against officials who are neglecting garbage disposal,” he said.

‘Remove flexes even if they have my photo’

n Speaking on the sidelines, Mr Reddy suggested that all political leaders should instruct their followers not to put up flexes and hoardings.
“Unauthorised hoardings are spoiling the beauty of the city. The High Court has ordered that all flexes should be removed and the order has to be followed. Political leaders too should put an end to this and tell their supporters not to put up flexes. Even if a flex has my photo, the BBMP should remove it,” he said.

BBMP Commissioner M. Lakshminarayan told the media that 800 flexes were removed in South zone alone. “Henceforth, whoever wants to put up flexes has to get our permission. We have already given permission to put up 100 flexes for four days to an applicant and will ensure that all unauthorised flexes are removed,” he said.