Bengaluru, March 24 (NationPress) R. Ashoka, the Leader of the Opposition and a prominent figure in the BJP, has vehemently criticized the Karnataka government over its handling of the ongoing garbage crisis in Bengaluru. He contended that the situation signifies a total breakdown in civic administration.

In his pointed remarks, Ashoka labeled the circumstances as an “absolute failure” of the government, placing direct accountability on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

He argued that basic governance has deteriorated under their oversight, highlighting the persistent delays in salary disbursements to sanitation workers and the filing of FIRs against contractors. “When sanitation personnel are left unpaid for extended periods and contractors face intimidation instead of support, chaos is an inevitable outcome,” he asserted.

In his critique of the government’s prominent “guarantee” initiatives, Ashoka remarked that the administration has not even managed to secure basic wage payments for those tasked with keeping the city clean.

He further declared that the citizens of Bengaluru are suffering due to what he termed “Congress mismanagement,” pointing to the accumulation of waste on the streets, lack of clear policies, and ineffective coordination among civic bodies like the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML).

Ashoka noted that rather than resolving the crisis, the government has been preoccupied with establishing new committees and creating additional administrative roles. He questioned the leadership regarding the reasons behind the delayed salary payments to sanitation workers, the intimidation of contractors through police actions, and the elements contributing to the current garbage crisis.

It is important to mention that the disruption in waste management across the city led to a halt in garbage collection in at least 50 wards on Monday. This situation arose as auto tipper drivers and loaders initiated a mass leave in protest over unpaid wages and new waste segregation regulations.

The Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) has mandated that waste must be segregated at the source, a policy that contractors have opposed. They maintain that the responsibility for waste segregation should fall on the waste generators, not on those tasked with its collection.

BSWML CEO, Karee Gowda, clarified that the issue is confined to around 40–50 wards and that garbage collection in the remaining parts of the city is proceeding normally. He also confirmed that measures have been taken to address the salary arrears that have accumulated over the past four months.

In the meantime, 35 FIRs have been lodged under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against contractors who have failed to perform waste collection duties. The contractors’ association has voiced strong opposition to the new regulations. S.N. Balasubramanian, President of the BBMP Garbage Contractors’ Association, reiterated that waste segregation is a responsibility that lies with those who generate the waste.