When will we get automatic light switches? ask residents

After the news broke that the neighbouring BTM Layout constituency MLA has given control switches to Ward 173 that automatically switch off the streetlights at dusk, the residents of HSR Layout are demanding similar facility in Ward 174.

For a long time now, the residents have been manually operating the lights. Sometimes, the lights stay on all day if the resident in charge of doing it is out of town. Many residents have suggested in the past that automatic sensors would be a great way to save electricity. When they read about our report that Ramalinga Reddy had used his MLA funds and spent Rs 25 lakh to install LED lights and control switches, the residents are asking MLA Satish Reddy and corporator Gurumurthy Reddy to do the same. When we asked BESCOM officials (Bangalore Electricity Supply Company) about it, they said that their job is to only supply electricity while the BBMP has to provide the control switches.

“We will decide about the control switches after our BBMP Council meeting on October 10,” corporator Gurumurthy Reddy told Residents Watch. “With the mayor just getting elected, there are a lot of development works to be done for HSR Layout. No matter how much we ask, they will only give Rs 3 crore.”

However, the corporator said that he will request for more money because it is required for laying nearly 3000 culverts in HSR ward, changing the sanitary lines, developing the parks and fixing the street upkeep issue. “The sweeping is spotty at best in HSR,” he told Residents Watch. “Under the previous Congress government, the system of payment to garbage contractors was changed. Now BBMP is paying the sweepers (pourakarmikas) and labourers themselves.”

We spoke to HSR garbage contractor Roopesh Reddy, and he admitted to the dismal scenario. “Under the new scheme of the previous government, the labourers who were aged over 60 years or had only one year experience were removed but no new people were hired to replace them,” he told Residents Watch. “There is a labour shortage of almost 50%. The result is that while the door to door garbage collection is going on like before, the sweeping is not being done properly.”

That is not all. The BBMP still owes the garbage contractors money. According to Roopesh, the corporation still has to pay him for the last four months (June to September). “We are hopeful, lets see what happens,” he said.