A few months ago, more than 80 families who had lived for more than 30 years near CSI Hospital adjacent to Broadway Road in Shivajinagar were in high spirits when Roshan Baig, the local MLA, announced that they would get permanent residences at Sadaramangala. The joy turned to shock on Friday when they saw the lack of basic amenities at the place where the 360 flats were constructed under the Valmiki Ambedkar Avas Yojana in 2003-04. No effort had been made to provide electricity connections to these houses meant for slumdwellers and people of the economically weaker sections of society. The lack of water has made it impossible for the residents of these houses to use the toilets. Another thing is that most of the women used to work as domestic help in Shivajinagar and Vasanthnagar. Now, they have to travel from Sadaramangala to Bangalore Cantonment by train, having to spend a lot of time commuting. The lack of streetlights is also a disadvantage. TV Rajanna, executive engineer, Slum Clearance Board, said that electrical work has been assigned to a contractor and agreed with the residents on the need to provide drinking water immediately. http://expressbuzz.com/cities/bangalore/80-families-left-in-the-dark/179434.html (7 June 2010)

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