Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday accused city MLAs from various political parties of "blackmailing" the government over Bengaluru’s garbage crisis. In the Legislative Council, he referred to them as "blackmailers" and claimed they are demanding Rs 800 crore in development funds.
Shivakumar further alleged that a "big mafia" is controlling the city’s solid waste management. He was responding to MLC M Nagaraju’s question regarding the garbage issue in Bengaluru. Nagaraju highlighted that many garbage transport vehicles are stranded on the roads due to a lack of waste disposal facilities and expressed concerns about the city’s waste not being cleared.
Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru Development Minister, stated, "I have seen reports about the garbage problem in the media. There is a big mafia. The garbage contractors have formed a cartel and quoted prices 85% higher than the standard rates. Now, they have approached the court, preventing us from taking action." He added that legal hurdles are delaying the government’s efforts to streamline solid waste management.
The Deputy CM revealed that the government had planned to divide the city’s garbage disposal work into four packages and transport waste 50 km away, but the initiative has been stalled. "Our Bengaluru MLAs are blackmailing us. I don’t want to name them. I am telling you the fact. They are from all the parties. They want Rs 800 crore as development funds. I cannot take their names here," he said. He also mentioned that for the past three days, vehicles have been stranded in Mahadevapura.
Shivakumar appealed to the MLAs to help the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) identify 100 acres of land in Kolar, Nelamangala, Kanakapura Road, or near forest areas for waste disposal. "I (the government) will purchase it and find a permanent solution. I asked the Industries Minister for 100 acres of land, to which he wondered whether garbage could be dumped inside industries," he said.
The Deputy CM also noted that the experiment to generate power from waste has failed. "I had been to Hyderabad and Chennai. All electric units have failed. The only option is gas. There is a chance to generate gas. I have seen it at three to four places," he said.
Two locations have been identified for waste disposal—one with the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) Road authorities and another in Doddaballapura. Shivakumar emphasized that technologies exist to manage waste disposal efficiently without causing inconvenience or contaminating groundwater through leachate.
He pointed out that all previous governments have failed to find a humane solution to the garbage issue. "What was done in the past was not done from a human perspective. Siddaramaiah and even the BJP had made promises, but ultimately, we have failed. We have to make a respectful arrangement for garbage disposal," he said.
Shivakumar assured the House that he would provide a detailed reply on the issue on Monday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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