80-year-old files court petition seeking more footpaths on Bengaluru roads
1
2
Bengaluru: Enough is enough — or so he thought.
After 11 years of appeals, complaints, invoking of the RTI Act, and meeting several officials from multiple govt departments, Bengaluru resident Vijaykumar D V, 80, has filed a PIL in the high court against the state govt, BBMP and DULT, seeking to have enough footpaths in the city to make its roads safe for pedestrians.
In his PIL, Vijaykumar has urged the court that a special purpose vehicle or an empowered committee be created to enforce a judicial order to address the issue.
"Bengaluru's roads don't even guarantee the basic right to walk safely," he said. "This is not just about footpaths, it's about accessibility, equality, and dignity."
Vijaykumar had moved to Bengaluru from Chitradurga when he was 69. Once here, all he was looking forward to was the sombre somnolence of a superannuated man.
Instead, Vijaykumar was forced to risk his life and limb every single day -- just trying to get to the nearest bus stop on Tank Bund Road, Mico Layout, a walk that should ideally take no more than 10-15 minutes. With no proper footpath and only narrow drains covered haphazardly with stone slabs, Vijaykumar was forced to walk on the busy roads with traffic whizzing by.
"For more than a decade, I tried everything — from RTIs to meeting BBMP officials, but nothing changed.
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn
IC Markets
Đăng ký
Undo
Filing a PIL was my last resort," the Mico Layout resident said.
Sharing further details of the circumstances that led him to filing the PIL, Vijaykumar said: "Back in June 2014, near Binnypet Garden on Tannery Road, I saw a man using crutches and a visually challenged woman struggling to walk on the road because there was no footpath. That imagery never left me. I realised I was not alone, grappling with this ordeal."
In 2019, when he met the engineer in charge of the area and the then BBMP commissioner, the officials admitted in writing that construction of footpaths was not a discretionary matter, but a legal obligation.
Yet, nothing changed.
According to Vijaykumar, BBMP continues to prioritise projects for traffic movement. "They spend crores on roadworks, flyovers, and underpasses. But what about the basic right to walk safely? What about senior citizens and persons with disabilities? Even today, what passes for a footpath are just open drains, with some stone slabs thrown on top unevenly," he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Indian-origin doctor Mona Ghosh sentenced to 10 years in prison in US for $2.4 million medical fraud
Dr Mona Ghosh sentenced to 10 years in prison in the US for medical fraud. Indian-American physician Dr Moa Ghosh (OB-GYN) who pleaded guilty last year to the fraud charges has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the $2.4 million medical fraud that she committed through her medical office. The 52-year-old submitted fraudulent claims to insurers for procedures which were not medically necessary, including endometrial ablations and biopsies, ultrasounds, vaccinations, laboratory blood tests, and tests for sexually transmitted diseases. The practice went on from 2018 to 2022. Ghosh inflated the length and complexity of in-office and telemedicine visits and submitted claims using billing codes for which the visits did not qualify in order to seek higher reimbursement rates. Ghosh prepared false patient medical records to support the fraudulent reimbursement claims. 'When physicians submit fraudulent claims to federal health care programs, they divert taxpayer-funded resources away from those who truly need them,' said US Attorney Boutros. 'Dr Ghosh's fraud scheme was particularly egregious because she endangered the health of her patients by performing unnecessary medical procedures, including procedures that severely limited some patients' ability to have children in the future. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo We applaud the victims' strength to come forward and confront this defendant. Our Office will fight tirelessly for victims and work diligently with our law enforcement partners to safeguard taxpayer funds and hold accountable those who steal from the American public.' 'Dr Ghosh spent years traumatizing patients, lying to insurers, and stealing taxpayer money to feed her greed,' said FBI SAC DePodesta. 'The depraved conduct uncovered in this case represents an extreme betrayal of trust toward patients who were simply seeking care and integrity from their doctor. The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue and hold accountable any medical professional who seeks to harm patients for their personal enrichment. ' The convicted doctor has been ordered to pay approximately $1.5 million in restitution.
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Time of India
Of 102 hit-&-run compensation claims filed in Gurgaon, only 2 settled in 3 years
Gurgaon: In three years, 102 claims have been filed by families or victims of hit-and-run accidents, of which compensation has been disbursed for only two of them. Two cases are in the final stages of processing, and the remaining – 98 – are still being investigated by police. This slow pace of resolution has left families of accident victims in the lurch, with some waiting for years after they applied for aid under the 2022 Hit-and-Run Motor Accident Compensation scheme. The scheme, which falls under Section 161 of the Motor Vehicles Act , came into effect from April 1, 2022. It offers Rs 2 lakh as compensation in cases of fatalities, and Rs 50,000 for serious injuries. The scheme is only applicable for hit-and-run accidents, in which police have not been able to identify the errant driver or vehicle. Sunita, a city resident whose husband died in a hit-and-run accident on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway this year, told TOI she has been waiting for compensation for months. Her husband was the only earning member of the family. "My husband was returning home after work on a cycle when he was hit by an unknown vehicle. After his death, I started working as domestic help to support my family," she said, adding that compensation will help her pay for her kids' education. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The issue of delayed resolutions also came up at a district road safety committee meeting, chaired by Gurgaon deputy commissioner Ajay Kumar, earlier this week. "The regional transport authority (RTA) secretary has been directed to expedite the data collection process, ensuring that claims are processed swiftly and efficiently. The goal is to provide timely financial assistance to victims, alleviating some of the burdens they face in the wake of these tragic incidents," the DC had said, directing all involved agencies to expedite the process. According to the norms, a hit-and-run accident victim or a victim's family can apply for compensation under the scheme before the sub-divisional magistrate. They have to submit a death certificate, post-mortem report, or hospital treatment documents as proof. But the scheme does not specify any timeline for completion of police inquiry, which delays a decision on the claim. Accidents aren't uncommon on city roads, particularly the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, or NH-8. Last year, Gurgaon recorded 1,026 road accidents that led to 428 fatalities. Around 44% of the accidents were on national highways in the city, and the largest chunk of fatalities involved two-wheelers, traffic police data showed. In accident cases in which the errant driver/vehicle has been identified, victims and their families can approach the Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT) and file a case to seek compensation. The tribunal, after hearing both sides, determines the amount of compensation that may be paid to accident victims or their families. In many cases, the company that insured the errant driver's vehicle is asked to provide compensation.
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Time of India
Hours after renting flat, youths call man, shoot him over Rs 10 lakh
Noida: Two youths, who took up a house on rent in Sector 12 on Wednesday, allegedly killed a 40-year-old man at the same place hours later. Two people called Ompal Bhati — hailing from Bulandshahr and a resident of Sector 94 — to Sector 12 on Wednesday afternoon. Bhati, who ran a currency exchange in Sector 18, allegedly took Rs 10 lakh with him, Ompal's brother Jitendra Solanki said. Solanki believed that his brother was murdered by people who stole the money from him. An ironer who worked opposite the building claimed that she was at her shop when the bullet was fired. A few seconds after the firing, two people came out of the house and tried to snatch the bag from each other. There was a fight between the two. Both of them fled within a few seconds, she said. DCP Yamuna Prasad said the incident took place in Sector 24 police station area, adding, police are scanning CCTV footage. The DCP said, "The youths took the flat on rent on Wednesday by paying the token amount. In the evening, the landlord heard the sound of a gunshot and later went to check. He found the deceased in the house. The youths fled, leaving their scooter behind," the DCP said, adding that footage has revealed that Ompal wasn't carrying any bag. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo The house is on the first floor of the building, while the landlord, Pradeep Kumar Kashyap, and his family occupy the other two floors above and below it. According to Kashyap, a young man named Pawan and his friend visited the locality on Tuesday to find a house on rent. They returned around 12.30pm on Wednesday and paid Kashyap a token amount of Rs 1,000, with the promise to provide the rent amount of Rs 12,000 and their Aadhaar cards by the evening. The youths then began to clean the house. Around 2pm, the youths called Bhati to meet them at the house and the three stayed inside for about 90 minutes. Around 4pm, the gunshot was heard and Kashyap called out to the youths to find out what happened. They allegedly told him their air cooler fell that made the noise. However, a crowd gathered, prompting Kashyap to check the house. Upon finding Bhati's body, Kashyap informed the police.
