Service centre still eludes Ballari village

BALLARI: Two political parties have made a Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company service centre their bone of contention in a village here, and people of the area are suffering the consequences as it has remained shut for more than one year.

The service centre was all set to be opened to the public when a BJP taluk panchayat member demanded its inauguration. Hoovina Hadagali Congress MLA P T Parameshwar and his followers objected to the office, saying the Gescom facility was not strategically placed, so would not serve too many people. A fluttering board hangs outside the newly-constructed closed building in Hiremallanakere village in Hoovina Hadagali taluk, which is about 12 Km away from the taluk.

The board reads thus: ‘Executive and maintenance division’ inaugurated on March 2, 2017. The office was neither inaugurated nor has it functioned in all these days. Interestingly, Gescom has taken up the premises on a monthly rent of Rs 4,000. “This was supposed to be an office for maintenance, collection of bills and other services. Gescom entered into an agreement with us for a rent of Rs 4,000. But it was never opened,” owner of the property Malappa Rajur told The New Indian Express.