Bengaluru: Fed up with poor roads, constant traffic snarls, and overflowing sewage, residents of Balagere in Varthur staged a flash mob on Saturday to demand action from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Wearing protest T-shirts bearing photos of past floods and pothole-ridden streets, citizens voiced a bold demand: a property tax rebate for failed civic service delivery.
Organized by the Resident Welfare Association TejaVeeraYodha, the protest was a wake-up call to the civic body. The group warned BBMP that if their grievances continue to fall on deaf ears, they would use the tax funds themselves to repair roads and drains.
Swetha R, a local resident and protest organizer, moved from Vijayanagar to Balagere eight years ago and says the area has been ignored by authorities ever since. “The local MLA has abandoned us. There’s no support or visible action,” she said.
Ten months ago, residents themselves patched potholes to prevent mishaps. Though the viral video reached Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, no improvements followed. The situation is worsened by heavy construction vehicles that tear up roads and burst water lines regularly.
With rapid construction choking the area, locals urged BBMP and the BDA to halt all new project approvals until existing infrastructure is repaired. Aam Aadmi Party’s Bengaluru vice president Ashok Mruthyunjaya, who participated in the protest, blamed former MLA Aravind Limbavali and current MLA Manjula Limbavali for neglect.
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