Couple of years since the assembly elections, and almost an year since the parliamentary one, the only visible change has been the removal of campaign banners. For the residents of Holiday Village Road (HVR), the daily struggle with civic neglect continues — only now, it’s met with deeper silence and indifference.
Our Member of Parliament — who also holds a key position as a Union Minister — remains completely disengaged. Despite multiple attempts to reach out through local party leaders and community representatives, we have received no response. It’s becoming painfully clear: once the votes were cast, our concerns stopped mattering.
Our MLA has at least maintained some engagement. He has visited multiple times and facilitated meetings with BBMP, BWSSB, and BESCOM officials. But beyond symbolic gestures like the guddali puje to launch road repairs, little progress has followed. Work has slowed to a crawl, and now even he redirects us to civic officials who rarely show up or take ownership.
The BWSSB dug up the road but refuses to take responsibility for repairs, claiming it falls under BBMP's purview. BBMP, for its part, operates through WhatsApp instructions and rarely bothers with on-site inspections. When residents raise concerns, we are met with silence or bureaucratic deflection.
Contractors behave with impunity. They don’t provide updates, avoid answering questions, and openly complain about working conditions. We play agony aunts to them. Their excuse: it's an 11-month contract — as if that’s a justification for apathy and inaction. Meanwhile, we pay the price every day.
No Voice, No Representation
To make matters worse, Bengaluru has been functioning without elected municipal councillors for years. The absence of local ward representatives has created a dangerous vacuum in civic accountability. Residents have no one to raise daily grievances with. Everything — from potholes to streetlight repairs — now seems to require escalation all the way to the Chief Minister’s or Deputy Chief Minister’s office.
And just when we thought the situation couldn't get murkier, the proposed division of BBMP into multiple administrative zones has only made it easier for officials to shrug off responsibility. Now, every civic agency has more "ammunition" to pass the buck — not solve the problem.
The Price of Apathy
No Alternate Road Access: When white-topping begins, traffic chaos is inevitable. With only one access point to Kanakapura Road, HVR will choke during peak hours. No viable alternative has been announced.
Roads or Craters? Potholes now outnumber usable road surface. Jokes about inviting ISRO to test their Lunar and Mars rover here feel all too real — except it’s not funny when our vehicles get damaged or ambulances can’t pass.
Health Hazards: The dust is relentless. It has caused widespread respiratory issues and, tragically, may have already claimed a life. With monsoons, slush and mini-ponds turn the road into a death trap, especially for two-wheelers.
Streetlights Are Dead: Many lights are non-functional, making the road dangerous after sunset. Darkness and craters make for a deadly combination.
Emergency Services Delayed: In a medical emergency, every second counts. Our current road conditions delay ambulances, fire trucks, and police vehicles — putting lives at risk.
Our Demands — Simple and Long Overdue
We, the residents and daily commuters of HVR, demand urgent, coordinated action:
1. Repair the Road Immediately: Start comprehensive and quality work to make the road motorable and safe.
2. Restore Streetlights: Fix non-functional lights without further delay.
3. Share a Clear Action Plan: Publish a binding, time-bound restoration plan with weekly progress reports.
4. Deploy Traffic Marshals: Manage peak-hour congestion until restoration is complete. Especially when the schools reopen in a month's time.
5. Conduct Joint Inspections: Involve BBMP, BDA, BESCOM, BWSSB, Traffic Police, and resident representatives.
6. Control Dust: Implement dust mitigation measures to prevent further health issues.
7. Create an Alternate Road: Plan and develop at least one more alternate route connecting HVR to Kanakapura Road.
We are not asking for miracles — just the basics: a road that doesn’t break bones, lights that turn on, and a government that listens.
If this is what civic engagement after elections looks like, then it is no wonder faith in public institutions is eroding. But we still believe that attention and accountability can bring change. The time to act is now — before another accident, another emergency, another life lost.
Enough waiting. We demand action.