The panchayat has told us it is facing a shortage of funds to improve infrastructure,” he added. “Although we are paying taxes to the GP, we are are not seeing any positive progress on the infrastructural front. No residences around the township are a part of it.” Mani pointed out ELCITA conducts many activities under CSR, but not much was done for areas around it. Rama NS, adviser of ELCITA, said, “ELCITA is responsible only for the 900 acres of industrial township that comes under it. We hear and read about apartments conducting vaccination sessions for their staff, but we haven’t been able to do any such thing yet,” Mani added. “We as residents of Electronics City were not allowed to get ourselves vaccinated at ELCITA’s temporary facility and at the same time, the GP prioritised villagers. Getting the Covid-19 vaccine has become a huge issue.” Electronic City Industrial Township Authority has set up a temporary healthcare facility to vaccinate employees. The next best option for us is a health facility in Jigani, which is about 6km away. Mani Ranjan, a member of Hulimangala Residents Welfare Association, said, “The closest Urban Primary Health Centre is in Singhasandra, 7km away. Road infrastructure and maintenance have become secondary for the panchayat after the pandemic outbreak. Hence the number of black spots is increasing at an alarming rate. Segregated waste too is collected as mixed waste, but there is no proper landfill to dispose it of. The residents believe BBMP is better equipped to provide their areas infrastructure on a par with the city. Once a bulb stops functioning, the panchayat does not replace it.” Under Hulimangala GP, there are 17 villages and about 15,000 apartment units with a population of nearly 50,000. After a struggle of three years we were given streetlights, but they were never maintained. We have been fighting for basic infrastructure such as good roads, streetlights and pavements. Ram Pandey, a resident of Electronics City, said, “I have been living in the area for eight years. They said they have submitted representations in this regard to the chief minister’s office, BBMP and the district authorities. With several of their demands to the panchayat - better road infrastructure, maintenance of lakes, garbage collection - falling on deaf ears, the residents are desperately demanding they be brought under BBMP. The reason: The two villages, located in Bengaluru’s IT hub of Electronics City Phase 1, are administratively beyond BBMP jurisdiction and come under Hulimangala gram panchayat in Anekal taluk, Bengaluru Urban. BENGALURU: Residents of Hulimangala and Shikaripalya on the outskirts of the city say they’re in a limbo.

Limbo residents crossword