Karnataka - Bangalore

BJP focusses on water supply, infrastructure

— Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Many promises: (From left) Water Resources Minister K.S. Eshwarappa; Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa; BJP State unit president D.V. Sadananda Gowda and party general secretary H.N. Ananth Kumar at the release of the party’s manifesto for the civic elections, in Bangalore on Thursday.

BANGALORE: Providing relief to people through good governance in civic bodies and a special focus on improvement of water supply, sanitation and infrastructure form the main agenda of the manifesto of the BJP for the ensuing elections to the urban local bodies.

The manifesto, which was released here on Thursday by party State unit president D.V. Sadananda Gowda, claims that the party will concentrate on providing relief to people through various administrative initiatives, including that of forming a single window scheme for the quick redressal of their grievances.

The manifesto, which was drafted by a committee headed by party leader S. Suresh Kumar, vows to initiate special measures for the prevention of encroachments of lake beds, besides reducing the use of plastic and giving emphasis to rainwater harvesting. The party has assured the people of implementing the good governance initiatives such as e-governance, bringing out citizen’s charters for each civic body and simplification of licence procedures for building construction.

It has also assured people of making the offices of the Regional Transport Authority and sub-registrar responsive to the people’s problems and fighting corruption in these offices.

The other assurances related to administration included forming district planning committees and ward committees.

On the infrastructure front, the party’s manifesto vows to give importance to the development of infrastructure in small and medium towns of the State instead of the focussing only on the development of Bangalore city.

The manifesto promises to develop special sports cities such as hockey city in Kodagu, cycling cities in Bijapur and Bagalkot and aquatic and rowing cities in the coastal region. The other interesting features include renaming the important junctions, roads and parks in the civic bodies after the martyrs of freedom struggle. Mr. Gowda said the party had left it to its local units to have tie-up with other parties if there was a need.

But nearly 80 per cent of the party local units were going it alone in the civic polls, he said.

Earlier in the day, the party held separate meetings of its prominent leaders from each district besides that of its legislators to finalise the strategy for the elections.

Party MLC ‘Mukhyamantri’ Chandru visited the residence of Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda on Thursday and abstained from the legislators’ party meeting.

But, Mr. Gowda refused to react to this, and only said that he was not aware of Mr. Chandru’s meeting with Mr. Deve Gowda.

Speaking on the occasion, party general secretary H.N. Ananth Kumar demanded that the Centre withdraw its affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on the Rama Sethu project.

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