IT engineer's plea for drain construction gets PMO's attention

Mandya: Haleboodanur village resident and software engineer, BS Chandrasekhar, took matters into his own hands after facing a five-year struggle to get a drain constructed in front of his house. Frustrated by the lack of response from local Gram Panchayat officials despite multiple appeals, Chandrasekhar penned a letter to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) seeking intervention.

To his surprise, the PMO promptly responded by instructing the concerned officials to initiate the drainage construction work. Within two days of receiving the instructions, the construction of the sewer system began. Chandrasekhar, employed as a software engineer in a Bangalore-based company, had been working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seizing the opportunity, he approached Budanur Gram Panchayat officials multiple times, requesting the construction of a drain in front of his house for cleanliness and convenience.

Despite raising the issue in village meetings and filing complaints with the Mandya Zilla Panchayat Grievance Authority, Chandrasekhar faced bureaucratic hurdles and local politics that hindered the start of the drainage work. Undeterred, on July 5, Chandrasekhar directly wrote a letter to the Prime Minister's Office through the CPGR MN portal. The PMO swiftly responded, instructing K Sushila, Under Secretary to the Government, to address the complaint. Sushila, in turn, informed the Mandya Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer (EO) to take necessary action. As per the Under Secretary's directive, the drainage work commenced on November 9. However, Chandrasekhar expressed dissatisfaction, alleging that the work was only halfway complete. Instead of the intended 30-meter drain, only a 10-meter drain was constructed. While the construction has started, Chandrasekhar continues to push for the full implementation of the proposed drainage system, emphasizing the importance of citizens' grievances being addressed promptly and effectively.