Hawkers will be shifted: BNV

Another representative, another promise. The decade long problem of hawkers and vendors in Jayanagar has defied a solution for years, but now Jayanagar MLA BN Vijaykumar has promised to end this menace. Addressing a group of residents at an interaction meet organised by the Federation of Jayanagar Residents Association at his office on Monday, Vijaykumar disclosed that he had already spoken to the joint commissioner about identifying a suitable place nearby where the hawkers and vendors would be shifted soon. At the same time, he clarified that he did not wish to create problems for the hawkers to earn their livelihood. They sell their wares at a cheap price and are popular among shoppers, he said.

Sri Vijaykumar also announced that a six-floor complex would be coming up at the recently damaged vegetable market at 4th block with 2 floor meant for parking which could accommodate more than 5,000 cars, in addition to two wheelers, and the other four floors for the existing allottees and new shops for new allottees with higher rent. Among other projects to be taken up in the future, he listed the renovation of Puttanna theatre with parking facilities, new bust stand at 4th Block, introducing one-ways to ease traffic congestion, relaxing the norms of payment of SAS so as to make it less of a burden to the people, demolishing buildings on encroached spaces, construction of ten public toilets in Jayanagar and JP Nagar, tarring of all roads, and reopening of the vegetable market in 9th Block.

On tarring of roads, Vijaykumar revealed that several contractors had been approaching him every day but he was very keen on choosing the right contractor who would delivery quality work in time. He requested the residents associations to monitor the works and apprise him of any delinquency in work. On complaints about sanitation, he said the entire sanitary lines would be reworked in one year and counseled for patience.
When a member queried him about the state of parks in Jayanagar, Vijaykumar stated no more parks would come up in Jayanagar and surroundings, as there were sufficient number of parks already, and also maintaining them was costly and cumbersome.

Giving a big thrust for rain harvesting, the MLA said low cost pits of a depth of 100 to 150 ft. with 8 tubular rings will be placed at 100 sites in and around Jayanagar. Already 10 sample areas had been identified in 3rd Block and 7th Block, and the cost would be around Rs 3,000-Rs 10,000/-. These pits would prevent rainwater from overflowing into sanitary drains. It also required very little manpower and maintenance, and desilting was needed only once in five years, he pointed out.

On the request for curbing the proliferation of hoardings by political parties, Vijaykumar said the Chief Minister himself had issued strict directions that the hoardings should be put up only one day prior to the function and removed immediately after the event was over.

Soon, a helpline would be opened in 5th Block, Jayanagar for redressing the civic grievances of residents, he said. The MLA said he would be reviewing his performance periodically and assured that he would endeavor to fulfill all the promises made to the people. Giving another example of a promise fulfilled, he pointed out that an abounded civic amenity site at JP Nagar which had been encroached upon had been got recovered and work was in progress to put up a park there.

A gist of the grievances put forth by the residents is given below:
Bhaskar Murthy: The hawkers behave in an arrogant manner and have encroached upon the area surrounding the parks. When you ask them to vacate, they retort they pay mamool of Rs 100 daily to the traffic police. Most of the foot paths are encroached by these hawkers and commercial establishments but no action has been taken on them for the past decade.

RTO people have occupied 10th main road for issuing DL and driving test, causing inconvenience to the public.

Also appeal to the corporation officials that there is no proper garbage clearance on a day to day basis, the lady who comes to the street does not even have a proper broom to sweep and doesn’t answer properly. Maybe the job has been sub-contracted and that’s why they are unresponsive and lethargic.

Keshav Kumar: Renovate Puttanna Theater and convert it into a convention hall.
Introduce one-way traffic to avoid the congestion of traffic, a computerized complaint cell for residents, and an infrastructure monitoring task force.

Keshavamurhty: Ban political hoardings.

Lakshmikanth: To beautify Lakshman Rao Park, provide more space to walkers as the laughter clubs have occupied more space.

Srikanta: Vegetable vendors on 26th main and 29th main causing lot of inconvenience.

Vishwanath Rao: 4th block vehicles are parked at our door steps and we are not able move our own vehicles. Restaurants are dumping waste at empty sites. Also the following are required: Road humps at 26th main near SSMRV college, 28th main and near Jayanagar General Hospital, signal lights near General Hospital and near SSMRV college, signal lights at Pai Vijay Hall, widening of 16th ‘A’ main.

Rama Rao: List of main works requiring immediate attention in Jayanagar ‘T’ block as follows:
Conversion of the Jayanagar general hospital into a super specialty hospital after the shifting of Rajiv Gandhi Health University to Ramanagaram, construction of toilets, maintenance of parks near Vishnuvardhan’s house, proper signal lights at the junction of 26th main and 36th cross, 26th main & 32nd cross, 28th main & 36th cross as several accidents have taken place due to heavy traffic, the traffic coming from Hosur road, JP Nagar, etc.which was diverted from East End Road, to 28th main road (single road) at the time of construction of flyover near Jayadeva Cardiac Hospital, to be restored to East End main road, which is not done even after the completing of flyover at East End road, shifting of 9th Block post office as it is located on the second floor in a narrow road and has no parking facility.