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Bengaluru, Oct 15 (IANS) Residents and taxpayers of Varthur, Balegere and Panathur areas located close to tech hubs in Bengaluru have written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, demanding that the government provide good public infrastructure and only then collect taxes.
Following repeated concerns raised by IT industry leaders and BJP’s criticism of the Congress-led government for losing the Google AI Hub in Andhra Pradesh, a letter sent to CM Siddaramaiah by the Individual Tax Payers Forum (ITPF) on Wednesday has sparked a debate on Bengaluru’s infrastructure.
“Urgent concern about the unscientific and incomplete road, white topping, drainage works in Varthur-Balagere-Panathur area and request the CM to order the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) not to collect property tax for not providing us basic public infrastructure,” the letter said.
“Namma Bengaluru is globally recognized as the IT hub of India, and such a casual approach and civic negligence destroys the pride and credibility of ‘Brand Bengaluru’ and should be unacceptable. Over the last few decades, the recognition is changing, and we, being citizens and residents of Bengaluru, are increasingly considering our city as a garbage city, a city with potholes, a city with traffic jams, Don’t want to listen. A city with no footpaths, a city with a poor public infrastructure, etc,” the platform outlines.
The Forum reiterated, “If the GBA continues to ignore taxpayers’ request on basic public infrastructure, we request you to order the GBA not to collect property tax from us. Give us good public infrastructure and then collect the tax.”
The forum said, “We would like to bring to your kind attention that citizens and tax payers, along with our families and children, are suffering immensely due to poor civic infrastructure planning by the municipal authorities (BBMP, GBA) and we would like to draw your attention to the half-baked, unscientific and poorly coordinated road white-topping and stormwater drainage works going on in the Varthur Balgere-Panathur area Are.”
“As expected, floods are recurring, as we saw recently on 10th, 11th October, one of the worst floods, mainly due to the absence of properly connected storm water drainage networks to carry rainwater to water bodies like Varthur Lake. Despite your recent visit to this locality on 27th September, ignoring your instructions, the municipal authorities have once again ignored the plan and without someone Have resorted to shortcuts in action.” The platform said.
The Forum pointed out, “Instead of first completing the drainage network, which is the foundation of road sustainability, the authorities have hastily started pothole-filling, white-topping work in Varthur-Balagere-Panathur. Such half-hearted measures will only make the new roads deteriorate faster, wasting public money and taxpayers’ contribution. The recent Panathur main road repair work carried out due to poor slope Water is already accumulating.”
The forum said that ‘Namma Bengaluru’ is the brightest jewel in the crown of our country. The letter concludes, “We sincerely hope that your decisive leadership will restore its luster through transparent, scientific and sustainable civic planning. Bengaluru is one of the top 5 states in the entire country in terms of tax generation to contribute to the development of the country, and Bengaluru was known as the Garden City, Silicon Valley, a retiree’s paradise.”
–IANS
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