Bengaluru citizens fix potholes on their own, techie took a loan of 2.7 lakh

Members of a group got together and contributed funds to fix potholes on a 6km stretch in Halanayakanahalli, Muneshwara Layout and Choodasandra. A 32-year-old techie, Arif Mudgal, a founder-member of the group, took a loan of Rs 2.7 lakh for the purpose.

Mudgal told media that he witnessed two accidents on Hosa Road a few days ago which prompted him to lend a hand. “A woman staying near my apartment sustained injuries when the auto she was travelling in toppled after it hit a pothole on Hosa Road,” said Mudgal.

“A delivery agent with an e-commerce firm was also injured when he tried to avoid the same pothole on the night of August 14. He collided head-on with a car and suffered a fractured leg. I later learnt he is from Mandya and the sole earner of his nine-member family. I was so upset.”

He said he and other ‘like-minded’ people founded ‘Citizens Group, East Bengaluru’ five years ago. “Other members of the group also contributed money and we fixed some potholes,” said Mudgal. “But we ran out of funds, so I took a loan,”  he added. 

Mithilesh Kumar, a member of the group, said they met people’s representatives from the area several times requesting better roads, drains and other civic amenities, but none responded.

“Politicians are indifferent to these issues. They think residents of these areas are from other states or places. So, we have launched a property tax boycott campaign on Sunday,” said Kumar. The campaign was launched on X with the hashtag ‘NoDevelopmentNoTax’ and Mudgal said the response, so far, has been good. “Some netizens suggested that we pay the tax and then demand better civic amenities from the government,” Mudgal said. 

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