Bengaluru’s citizens’ collective Cfb (Citizens for Bengaluru) honoured 51 Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Ward corporators at Town Hall in the city on Sunday. Ward corporators, who met the criteria of having held four or more meetings with the citizens, were conferred with ‘Corporator #1 Namma Samiti Puraskaara’ award, at the event by Cfb.
Former Supreme Court Justice Santosh Hegde was the chief guest. Speaking at the event, he reiterated that the elected representatives are public servants who are bound by duty to uphold values listed in the Constitution. He had also said that it was important for citizens to recognise the works of those ward corporators.
Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun, too, was present at the event and not only spoke about the importance of encouraging citizens to come forward to participate in the local body governances but also appreciated Cfb for their efforts in recognising the corporators who have committed themselves to meeting citizens in their localities.
Among the 51 ward corporators, Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun was also awarded for her work in Ward 153, Jayanagar. She was among the few others who had managed to hold a total of six out of 6 meetings. “It is important for our citizens to come together and raise their concerns. These days many young people are also getting involved and coming forward and speaking about issues in their localities. We should encourage this more.”
BBMP Opposition Leader Padmanabha Reddy, who was also invited to speak at the ceremony, was awarded for Ward number 29 of Kacharkanahalli.
From December 2018 to June 2019, Ward Committee meetings have been held every month.
“The much-reviled BBMP, that many a time, residents love to hate, received appreciation today (Sunday) as the councillors who regularly hold ward committee meetings were awarded. There are many ways to improve Bengaluru. We believe that a pat on the back can boost responsive corporators do better and those not holding WC meetings to realise that their respondents do not rate them well,” Cfb co-founder Tara Krishnaswamy said at the event.