The South City residents’ association called off Sunday’s interaction between its members and the local candidates of the Trinamul Congress and the BJP at the housing complex following a spurt in Covid-19 cases.
“The first-of-its-kind event at our complex has been called off because around 20 residents have recently tested positive for Covid-19,” said an office-bearer of the South City Apartment Owners Association.
“There has been a spurt in the number of cases over the last two weeks. So we thought it was better not to take a chance.”
The housing complex, which falls in the Rashbehari Assembly constituency, has 1,650 flats. More than 1,200 of the apartments are occupied, said a member of the association.
One resident said they wanted to discuss with candidates for the ongoing Assembly elections issues such as water supply and cleaning and restoration of the Bikramgarh Lake, which the Prince Anwar Shah Road complex overlooks.
The event was planned to be held in an open-air space inside the 31-acre compound of South City Residency, for which the place got a fresh coat of paint. The organisers said hand sanitisers and masks were arranged.
The decision to invite Debasish Kumar (Trinamul Congress candidate) and Subrata Saha (contesting on the BJP ticket) was prompted by requests from political parties to enter the complex for campaigning.
Instead of allowing them one by one, the association decided to set up a common platform where both candidates could interact with the residents.
“Instead of making it a political programme, we had turned the format into a resident-friendly event where we could be able to discuss our problems as residents of South City. Our biggest problem is lack of water supply from the Calcutta Municipal Corporation. We are spending lakhs only on the annual maintenance contract of the water treatment plant as the arsenic level of the underground water is beyond permissible limit,” said Sunil Saraogi, a resident of the housing complex who was to coordinate the event.
A long-standing demand of the residents has been construction of a footbridge outside South City Residency as the traffic volume outside the housing complex and the shopping mall is quite high, said Saraogi. “Also, it is difficult for pedestrians to cross the road with median dividers blocking it.”
Another resident said had the interaction been held, they would have taken up the issue of cleaning up the cluttered footpath between South City and the Lords Bakery crossing. A number of elderly residents walk the stretch every morning to buy groceries.
“It really does not matter to me which party wins. We want our complex and its surroundings clean. Someone should take care of the condition of the Bikramgarh Lake as well. Day by day it is shrin-king and getting dirtier,” said an elderly resident of South City.
Residents said that on at least on two earlier occasions, senior politicians had visited South City as guests and made promises that were never fulfilled.
This election, political parties are leaving no stone unturned to reach out to voters, including those who live in highrise buildings and housing complexes, which are usually inaccessible.
The Telegraph reported on Sunday how political parties are making inroads inside housing complexes in an attempt to maximise their outreach.
Several housing complexes in the city, including South City, had agreed to allow candidates to campaign inside the compounds so residents could make an informed choice about who to vote.
A resident of South City said there would always be people who would not like the entry of politicians inside the complex.
“But we have to understand that we can only solve our long-standing problems with the help of the administration. Interacting with prospective elected representatives and making them understand the local issues are in our best interests,” the resident said.
