Update:
The Bellary district police has reportedly denied the minister's involvement in the rerouting of the traffic away from his bungalow. The police has cited the reasons for ongoing road work rather than an order from Anand Singh.
Original story...
Calling out the VVIP culture, the Karnataka forest minister Anand Singh has drawn the public's ire for allegedly ordering rerouting of traffic away from his Hospet bungalow. Reason: the minister is said to be allergic to dust and complains of noise outside his multi-crore bungalow in Hospet's outer ring road.
The police have allegedly been ordered to reroute movement of freight vehicles, including lorries and other heavy trucks, away from Singh's bungalow, which is located at K.R.Road on Hospet's Ranipet. The district's Outer Circle road is meant for heavy vehicle traffic in order to keep the city center traffic free-flowing. But that changed with the minister's audacious orders.
"There is an outer road for heavy vehicle traffic. The restriction there is the end to the abuse of power. Another face of the 'Republic of Bellary.' The ISR sugar factory was previously closed. Now, the traffic blocking the bungalow covers is nothing but the minister's dictatorial attitude. All the farmers are protesting against this," Karnataka State Farmers' Union and Green Militia leader Chilukki Rudrappa was quoted as saying by Prajavani.
Speaking of the order, a traffic cop who chose to remain anonymous told the local paper that "the restriction is not right and we are following the instructions of the authorities. Traffic has been restricted due to complaint and noise pollution."
But the common people of Hospet are on the receiving end of this senseless decision. The city traffic has been increased as heavy vehicles now have to avoid the outer ring road. The public is furious over this and are actively calling out the VVIP culture in the industrial Karnataka district.
Anand Singh's alleged criminal cases
When CM Yediyurappa gave the forest portfolio to Singh, many were quick to point out the alleged criminal charges the minister has been named in over the years. Criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and encroachment are a few to be named.
"He himself has declared in his election affidavit that he has cases against him under violation of the Forest Act. My question is, the cases will be prosecuted by the forest officials, so how genuine will that prosecution be if he is the minister?" Justice Santhosh Hegde, former Karnataka Lokayukta, asked.
