Few give one of Bengaluru’s oldest skyscraper a second look
The Hindu
Traders at Public Utility Building fed up with BBMP’s poor maintenance
It might be one of the city’s oldest skyscraper and shopping complex, situated in the heart of the Central Business District (CBD) and a prominent view from Namma Metro. But today, it is a story of neglect and few give this iconic building a second look.
Traders who have set up shops inside the Public Utility Building hardly receive any new customers. Out of 85 shops in the complex, which occupies the first and second floors of the building, only 30 to 35 are now open for business.
Those who still run their businesses there say that one of the main reasons for traders to close their shutters was the landlord – the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
Members of Public Utility Building Traders’ Association (PUBTA) alleged that maintenance and security arrangements have been neglected by the BBMP. When The Hindu visited the building recently, the hallways and stairwells were stained, while the stench of washrooms could be smelt from a distance.
Inside the washrooms, there were no doors in some stalls and the taps on wash basins were not running. At many places in the complex, there were also electrical wires hanging out of boxes.
“The association pays the salary of the housekeeping staff to have clean washrooms for our employees. Even then, there are infrastructural issues like leaky taps and pipes”, said a trader who owns a textile shop in the complex.
He added that during the night, there are no proper lighting systems in place either.
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