Q & A with K Veena Kumar, Jeevan Bhima Nagar corporator

Q: People of HAL 2nd Stage are complaining about garbage being dumped illegally on vacant sites and at other places. Why is this being allowed?
A: There are many vacant sites in the ward and garbage was dumped illegally on some of them. We  cleared the rubbish when we saw it. A few people are dumping their garden waste on these vacant sites. Residents of the area need to be proactive and bring such instances to our notice so  we can take action against those responsible.

Q: The area doesn’t seem to be cleaned very well either.
A: Our pourakarmikas clean the area every day. But most of the households in HAL 2nd stage own more than one car and park one inside their premises, and the other outside on the road. Our workers start their day at 6am, but they cannot clean below these parked cars, which are not moved until much later.  

 Q: Roads and footpaths in the ward, especially on Indiranagar 12th, 13th and 14th Main Roads are in a bad condition. Why are they not being repaired?
A: We are utilising the funds allotted to us for the purpose given and are doing our best to fill potholes. But the funds are allotted to us only once a year for pothole filling. The slabs on the footpaths are damaged by cars that park on them regularly.

Q: Residents are also complaining about an increasing number of commercial establishments coming up in residential areas of HAL 2nd stage.
A: I am aware of the problem, especially on 12th Main and 100 feet road. I have raised the issue repeatedly with the BBMP commissioner and the police department. Although it is not officially declared a commercial area, owners of most  residential buildings here are lured by the lucrative rents they can collect and are using their establishments for commercial purposes, which in turn is leading to parking and traffic problems. We need support from the residents to solve their problems.