M Ramachandrappa, The
former Mayor Of Bangalore
"Greenery is the only
thing that can make Bangalore unique"
-M
Ramachandrappa, Mayor, BMP |
 M
Ramachandrappa was one of Bangalore's most efficient Mayor's.
He saw Bangalore with a common man's perception. He became the 37th
Mayor of Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) on November 27, 1999.
As Mayor, his mission was to see the city develop on a global scale.
Born in Anekal, about 50 kilometres from Bangalore, M Ramachandrappa
grew up in a household which has been into dairy farming for generations.
His zeal to serve the people goes way back three decades.
In an interview with bangalorebest.com during his tenure
as Mayor, 1999-2000, he spoke about his mission
and future plans.
How far have you been able to solve public grievances though your
MUKHA-MUKHI programme where you meet the public face-to-face?
I make a point to meet the public every Friday. In association
with All India Radio (AIR) and other media, I tells the public to
come with their grievances. People from new extensions come with various
complaints. On an average, I get forty to fifty applications per visit
and these are forwarded to BMP officials. The concerned executives
look into major matters, where as minor ones are solved there and
then.
What is BMP's role in the flyover project?
T here
were two phases in constructing flyovers in the city that had investments
of Rs 100 crore and Rs 38 crore respectively. The biggest one, the
Sirsi circle flyover project is complete. The East-West construction
group kept its commitment in finishing the mega project within BMP's
allotted time. The other project had some initial hiccups as the construction
group encountered water pipes and cables while digging which caused
delays. Now the work is simultaneously taken up at different places
where the flyover will be branching out. Then we've got Larsen & Toubro
taking care of the roads beneath the flyovers. We hope the ongoing
work will be open to the public in the near future. For all assignments,
BMP calls for Global tender wherein any construction group
from across the country can bid and qualify.
What about the latest Passover that is coming up near Mekhri
circle?
With the Passover project, the traffic near the Mekhri circle is
expected to come down like the one at Yeshwantpur which has eased
the vehicular traffic on Tumkur Road. Though there is a problem
in occupying sixty feet space of the Palace Grounds for the passover,
we are going on with the project on the road that joins Mekhri Circle
with Jayamahal. Now, BMP has taken the Maharaja family's clearance
and we hope to complete the project soon.
How far is BMP successful in managing rain/drain water?
We are considering the drain water problem seriously. We have installed
pipes to prevent sewage water from entering lakes. As far as rain
water is concerned, we've initiated the Storm water project
to prevent water from entering near by places. It also tackles the
mosquito menace. For rainwater management, we've cleared Madiwala
Lake. We've taken up Kempambudhi Lake and Ulsoor Lake, which involves
Rs 2.25 crores. We've cleared Hebbal Lake under the mega city project,
though it won't come under BMP limits. Recently, BMP has forwarded
other storm water projects to the central ministry for funding.
What initiatives have been taken by the BMP for the development
of parks?
Private companies are joining hands with the BMP to restore parks.
Wipro has taken up a park at Koramangala and is maintaining it well.
Similarly, several companies have taken up Silver Jubilee Park,
Krishna Rao Park and a park at Banashankari. BMP has given seven
crore for this besides Rs one crore being contributed from the mayor's
fund. BMP has also deployed a Superintendent engineer, several engineers
and gang men to look after parks.
What are BMP's plans to tackle the city's growing parking problem?
BMP
is considering parking as a major issue and acting on that. Already
we've come up with three parking spaces near JC road, KG road and
Mayo Hall. We have converted our office at J C road and a hospital
belonging to BMP (opposite to Kempegowda theatre) on KG road for
that purpose. A major parking space is coming up at Shivajinagar
in association with the state transport corporation.
How is work on the ring road progressing?
BMP has successfully completed the ring road joining Hosur road
and Mysore road which was pending for the past ten years. The
Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is working on the ring
road which links Hosur road to Bellary road. It's going to be completed
in a couple of years. We are also diverting heavy vehicles from
entering the city via these ring roads.
As the Mayor of Bangalore, what aspect do you feel needs to
be prioritised by BMP?
Maintaining the synonym of Bangalore as the Garden City. I feel
that our city's gardens and parks put us on a different league from
other major cities of the country. We have to plant more trees while
maintaining the existing ones. My dream is to see our people moving
through the city under the shadow of greenery. There may be flyovers,
passovers, but greenery is the only thing that can make Bangalore
unique.
M Ramachandrappa is happy that the government has given BMP the
full freedom to execute its projects. He hopes to complete ongoing
projects before taking up new ones. Bangaloreans can rest assured
that their city is going to see greener days in the future.
Note: The present Mayor of Bangalore is Prema Cariappa, who has
been elected to the prestigious post for the year 2000-2001
-Charan
CS
Photos by Somashekar D P |
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