CALL FOR ACTION: Residents of different localities in Gulbarga city holding a unique `rasta sabha' on Saturday to protest against the failure of the Gulbarga City Corporation in ensuring daily supply of drinking water and other basic amenities.

GULBARGA: It was an agitation with a difference.

Braving the scorching sun, a large number of women squatted on the road near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Chowk here to protest against the City Corporation and the district administration for their failure to provide regular drinking water supply and basic amenities such as underground drainage facility and proper roads.

The "rasta sabha" was organised by the Hyderabad-Karnataka Janapara Sangharsha Samiti.

The Sardar Vallabhai Patel Chowk was swarming with people from almost all localities in the city, who carried placards andanners against the Gulbarga City Corporation demanding daily supply of drinking water. Not a single vehicle was allowed anywhere near the chowk by residents who formed a human chain blocking all roads to the chowk.

The police had a tough time regulating the traffic and the main grouse of the residents was that all their requests and memoranda demanding restoration of daily supply of drinking water had little effect on officials in the Gulbarga City Corporation.

President of the samiti Laxman Dasti, the guiding force behind the agitation, criticised the district administration and the corporation for their failure to provide drinking water by routing water from the Bhima and Bennethora.

He also slammed the officials for their failure to provide underground drainage facilities to all localities, and for not repairing badly damaged roads in the city.

When corporation Commissioner S.P. Mudhol tried to address the gathering he was shouted down by angry residents who demanded more than empty promises.

Meeting

The corporation has convened a meeting on Monday to discuss all issues raised by the samiti and the residents of different localities and find a solution to them.

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