Why CM Siddaramaiah is silent on Bengaluru's rain fury?
- Bengaluru City received the highest rainfall in 24 hours since 127 years
- The South and West Bengaluru are the worst affected
- But Siddaramaiah was busy in Indira Canteen's launch and boasting his government's achievements before AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi
FollowThe Brand Bengaluru has taken a severe beating with just one rain received in just 24 hours. The City received 17.5 cm rainfall between August 14 and August 15, and this is being regarded as the highest rainfall in 24 hours in 127 years! The last time the City received the highest rainfall in 24 hours was in 1890 August. Forget these statistics. Twitter is awash with the images of roads flooded, people flushing out sewage water from their homes, uprooted trees and drains flowing to the full. But there has been no word of comfort so far from Chief Minister Siddramaiah, considered the people's man.
In fact, the residents in South and West of Bengaluru are still bearing the brunt of rain fury and its aftermath. The majority of them have not had a chance to go their workplaces, and many of them are still cleaning their homes that were flooded with sewage water. At many localities in upmarket Koramangala and HSR Layout, the power was still not restored, and the BBMP officials were yet to reach these places to take up relief works. Many parents have not been able to send their children to school on Wednesday as they could not cook anything after the Tuesday's rain washed away everything in their house. In HSR Layout, it was reported that a few schools were inundated.
Siddaramaiah did not care to review the damage, leave alone tweeting about it. Instead, Siddaramaiah was busy overlooking the preparations towards the Indira Canteen's inauguration by AICC Vice President Rahul Gandhi.
Agreed that the Indira Canteen was the Congress government's pet project and it is aimed at achieving hunger-free Bengaluru and deserves a grand opening. But how fair is it on the part of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not taking time off from his schedule to listen to the people's grievances? The Congress government may defend itself claiming that Mayor G Padmvathi, ministers KJ George, Ramalinga Reddy and others had inspected the areas but what did it yield? On the contrary, Mayor and ministers received a piece of mind from the aggrieved citizens. Siddaramaiah on Wednesday left for Delhi to finalise the Cabinet expansion with the party high command.
Meanwhile, State BJP President BS Yeddyurappa along with R Ashok toured a few areas of the battered City and took this opportunity to criticise the Congress government. "Ask CM Siddaramaiah where have all the funds meant for Bengaluru development gone," he reportedly asked the residents of Yediyur and JC Road during his visit.
Visited rain affected areas of Bengaluru,while visionless @CMofKarnataka busy with caste,appeasement politics,capital city takes the beating pic.twitter.com/0tK1qmSwNj
— B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) August 16, 2017
Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar along with the team of United Bengaluru and Resident Welfare Associations visited ST Bed Layout near Koramangala, one of the worst affected areas in the rain fury. The United Bengaluru found that Rs 900 crore was sanctioned by the Government of Karnataka for Storm water drains and sanctioned as many as 408 projects. But so far only 5 per cent of works are underway, and this has escalated the damage. The United Bengaluru has decided to facilitate a meeting with the district in-charge minister, civic agencies and residents to address the issues.
