In a strong push for the use of the local language in civic administration, Hubballi-Dharwad Mayor Jyoti Patil directly instructed a senior official from Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to learn Kannada to communicate effectively with residents. The directive came during the mayor's weekly phone-in program on Wednesday, a platform for citizens to voice their grievances directly to officials.
A Firm Directive During Public Interaction
During the live session, when the Operation and Maintenance manager for L&T, Ramakunj, attempted to respond to the mayor's queries in Hindi, Mayor Jyoti Patil immediately objected. She emphasized the necessity of using the local language while dealing with the public. The mayor questioned how long he had been working in Hubballi and pointed out his failure to learn Kannada despite his tenure.
She explicitly instructed him to take Kannada tuition classes and mandated that in the next phone-in programme, he must respond to every query solely in Kannada. Following this firm directive, the L&T official complied in Kannada, saying "kaliteni," which translates to "I will learn."
Addressing a Plethora of Civic Issues
Prior to this exchange, the mayor's phone-in programme received 22 complaints from citizens covering a range of urgent civic issues. The complaints highlighted problems related to dust management, drinking water supply, footpath encroachment, and malfunctioning streetlights. Taking serious note of all the grievances, Mayor Patil directed the concerned officials to address each issue within a strict timeframe.
Later, speaking to reporters, Mayor Jyoti Patil expressed her concern over persistent public complaints. She noted that despite each department being allocated Rs 25 lakhs, citizens were still facing issues with long-pending demands for better roads, Underground Drainage (UGD) problems, and other infrastructural shortcomings, which she described as "very unfortunate." She stated she would talk to corporators and suggest they prioritize these works.
Plans for Civic Improvement Inspired by Indore
Mayor Patil also unveiled plans for significant improvements in the city's sanitation system. Inspired by a recent tour of Indore, renowned for its cleanliness, she has decided to prioritize reforms in door-to-door garbage collection and waste segregation processes.
As part of this initiative, she plans to send 100 pourakarmikas (sanitation workers) to Bengaluru and Mysuru for a 2-day training program. The objective is for them to learn and understand efficient waste segregation processes from these cities, aiming to replicate the success in Hubballi-Dharwad.
The mayor's assertive stance on language and her proactive approach to solving civic issues underscore a focused effort to improve governance and public service delivery in the twin cities.
