Bittoo: Bapu.
Bapu: Yes Bittoo.
Bittoo: President Ramnath Kovind is coming to our city Bapu?
Bapu: Yes, he is scheduled to inaugurate the platinum jubilee celebrations of Karnatak Law Society in Gogte Institute of Technology in this beautiful city of Karnataka on September 15 Bittoo.
Bittoo: So, the President will get first-hand opportunity to witness how bad or worst are some of the roads, particularly the one from Bogarves to the venue the function Bapu?
Bapu: Unfortunately it is not likely, as officials are planning to airlift him in a helicopter from Sambra airport to GIT campus and back. Officials themselves have acknowledged that the roads are in worst and ‘non- motorable’ conditions in this city, which is regarded as the second capital of Karnataka.
Bittoo: Oh! So the officials want to save their skin as to how inefficient and irresponsible they have been when it comes to providing proper roads and drainage systems in the city that has been listed under the Smart City project Bapu?
Bapu: I don’t know Bittoo.
Bittoo: And all this at extra cost to the public exchequer sheerly due to well-known official apathy towards civic responsibilities and indifference towards the tax payers of the city Bapu?
Bapu: I don’t know Bittoo
This is a citizen-centric new column, wherein the author(Bitto) is an ordinary, politically unaffiliated common man of the city who in his/her inimitable approach takes up various issues with the Bapu’s soul! Apparently, the interaction between them portrays ironies of sorts encountered by the common man and others in the city in a lighter vein. The author’s name will not be disclosed to the readers as he/she represents the common man of the society. This column aims at creating awareness and sensitising cross sections of our city on various issues of public concern only but in a lighter vein without holding any contempt against any institution or individual.
Bitoo: Bapu, the President’s change of plans must have upset many people……..Bapu: why Bitoo……Bitoo: In this emergency inflated bills would have been cleared quickly….Bapu: I don’t know son….Bitoo: And there disappears the normal 40 percentage that is siphoned off…Bapu: I don’t know son
Sorry, but we all most always find someone to blame. Be it a politicians, an elected leaders or city/town officials. I think it must be us, the citizens to be blamed.
I knew a PWD Contractor (friend of mine) used to go to these officials’ house to pay bribe, so that he could get away with low quality work and also paid bribe to get the contracts. I think unless we start to refuse to pay/accept bribe we will never see progress.
We all are a part of the blame or we call all can be part of progress.