Belagavi: While Bengaluru’s MLAs and corporators don’t appear to see the filth in its streets, Belagavi Congress MLA Feroz Sait has not only opened his eyes to the dirt in his town, but has also spent a whopping one crore in one day to clean three huge neglected plots and develop them into playgrounds.
Showing where there is a will there is a way, he galvanised hundreds of tippers, JCBs and rollers for the whirlwind cleaning drive that helped convert these plots into playgrounds overnight. Seven prominent contractors and residents generously contributed to the cleaning drive, dubbed Shramadaan.
“The drive is not a mere photo-op, but a genuine effort to develop large open grounds in the city that have been badly neglected for many decades. Everything is being done with the sole objective of providing a healthy environment for the people. We are not holding brooms and sticks in a show of cleaning the town but really doing something constructive for the people of Belagavi,” Mr Sait said. Several city corporators and Corporation Commissioner G. Prabhu have joined him in the drive.
One of the grounds tackled was spread over four acres. Intended for a garden in Ganeshpur years ago, it had fallen into disuse for decades. A large number of trucks and JCBs dug up the black soil and replaced it with red-soil, levelling the entire stretch within 24 hours. An estimated Rs 30 lakh was spent on the job.
“People can now come here to walk or jog. A part of the plot will be converted into a beautiful garden with amenities for children to play,” he explained.
Two other grounds in Camp and Kanbargi also saw a round-the-clock cleaning drive and were converted into playgrounds overnight. The 1-day effort helped lay a decent road to a graveyard, winning much applause from the locals.
A resident of Ganeshpur, Vikas Barde said their appeals had always fallen on deaf years in the past. “The playground which has come up in a few hours will help thousands in the locality play and enjoy their leisure time. More such attempts should be made by the government to clean areas in the city that have been badly neglected for years,” he said.
