Government

Government makes preparations for BBMP elections

After a series of elections, Bangaloreans should be prepared for one more. Government has started the preparations for BBMP elections now. High Court, in its revised judgement, has instructed government to hold elections before the end of July this year. The government has already violated the court judgement before. It will not dare to repeat the same mistake again. The notification for BBMP elections is expected to come out next week. ( Prajavani , Wednesday, April 29 )

Vidhana Soudha gets life again

After a couple of months of brief lull, the centre of state machinery Vidhana Soudha gets back to its normal business. Election code of conduct had curtailed ministers to do any activities here. They were not allowed to take any decisions. Now the state election commission has sent a circular to Chief Secretary requesting ministers to carry out day to day administrative activities. With this, some of the ministers are back at Vidhana Soudha injecting life into it. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Sunday, May 3 )

Government website is in English

Government has been initiating a number of programmes to make Kannada compulsory everywhere. However, it fails to follow suit for itself. Government’s website on state temples has details in English. There is not a single Kannada word in whole website viz., http://karnatakatemples.kar.nic.in. Though a company proposed to make website in Kannada and charged Rs 500 to upload information on each temple, Endowment department had entrusted the work to another company at the cost of Rs 37,100 to upload information. The department had spent lakhs of rupees. Still information of only 75 temples have been  uploaded so far. ( Udayavani , Sunday, May 3 )

Officials find new technique to face Lokayukta axe

Whatever the effort Lokayukta puts to punish corrupt officials, the officers’ lobby has found a new way to tackle Lokayukta. In many cases, Lokayukta Justice, Santhosh Hegde, has recommended for suspension of corrupt officials. Though they were suspended by their higher officials, they are successful in getting a stay order for that, thanks to faulty suspension order. Recently KAT (Karnataka Administrative Tribunal) too has expressed its displeasure over the way the suspension orders are being issued. ( Kannada Prabha , Saturday, May 2 )

Police to collect tenant’s details soon

Government’s plan to have database of Bangalore residents will be realised soon. The police department has come out with a comprehensive project where details of tenants will be available on their finger tips. The notification to this regard will be brought out soon which will make it mandatory to all owners to furnish details of their tenants to nearest police station in a specific form. The new initiative will also provide a clear picture of foreigners who continue stay illegally. ( Prajavani , Thursday, April 30 )

Rs. 3 crores spent to repair ministers’ bunglows in just 10 months

Government has used people’s money to the tune of Rs. 3 crores just to "repair" ministers’ bunglows in the last 10 months. The chief minister leads the list with Rs 56 lakhs. He had spent Rs 33 lakhs on the same bungalow when he was a DCM just a year ago. Similarly most of the ministers continued to stay in the same bungalows when they were the ministers in earstwhile JDS- BJP government. Still they spend liberally on purchasing furnitures. ( Kannada Prabha , Thursday, April 30 )

Auction of encroached land creates another problem

Government has been auctioning encroached government land in and around Bangalore. However, revenue officials fail to clear encroachment before auctioning them. This has created a conflict between those who bought land in auction and those who encroached upon it. Developers who paid crores of rupees for the land are in a soup now. Though state government had clearly instructed to auction land only after fencing them, district administration paid scant attention to that. ( Prajavani , Wednesday, April 29 )

Environment

BMRCL’s negligence claims trees

BMRCL’s (Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited) initiative to replant trees has got wide publicity in various media. In order to save trees that come in the way of Metro, BMRCL has uprooted them and replanted in other places. The initial result was encouraging. However, most of such trees are dying now, thanks to BMRCL’s negligence. Bangalore Parisara Sangha was given Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 15,000 to maintain these trees. Maintainance is compulsory for atleast two rainy seasons. However, authorities prefer to ignore them. ( Prajavani , Tuesday, May 5 )

Officials hesitate to provide details on trees

Thousands of trees are lost for so called development work of the city. That’s not over yet. BBMP has spent over Rs 44 lakhs to cut and transport two thousand trees since 2007. Chopped trees are auctioned. However, BBMP officials are not ready to share information about how much revenue the BBMP has earned through auction. A RTI application was submitted seeking these details. BBMP failed to reply within stipulated time and has sought additional time. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Wednesday, April 29 )

Business

Sunday Bazar may be closed down

It’s like the case of cutting nose to avoid cold. Bangalore police seem to believe this solution. A senior police officer has recommended closing down Sunday Bazar on Avenue road as it sells deadly weapons at cheaper rates. Some of the culprits of recent spate of crimes have allegedly bought weapons from this bazar. Sunday Bazar is a favourite ofthe  poor and middle class as they get goods at cheap rates. Of the hundreds of traders only a few are selling weapons. Instead of banning sale of weapons police have decided to close down this 30 year old bazar itself. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Monday, May 4 )

Food parks to be set up soon

Government’s decision to set up food parks in different parts is finally on the verge of implementation. Government has identified six places including Bangalore rural district to have food parks. Process is likely to take off in the next six months. Government has earmarked 580 acres for these food parks which will be set up with private collaboration. Government has made it mandatory to provide 80 per cent reservation to Kannadigas in catogory C and D employment. ( Kannada Prabha , Monday, May 4 )

Weekly market of rural kind in Bangalore

There are allegations that superbazars have killed hawkers’ business interests. However, the weekly market in Yashwanthpur does not support that. Every Sunday, a market takes shape near the Metro bridge. Farmers from around Bangalore bring their vegetables and other groceries and sell them. This weekly market is exception to city’s modern market thinking. People residing around Yashwanthpur make it a point to visit the market, as they get vegetables at cheaper rates. ( Prajavani , Saturday, May 2 )

Heritage

The studio turns into school

The government PU college in 18th cross of Malleshwaram was a film studio when it was built in 1928. Sharada film company from Mumbai had built this studio under the banner of Karnataka pictures company. The venue was utilised to shoot films, film processing and other related works. Three movies were shot in this studio. However, it failed to attract producers resulting in heavy losses. The studio stopped functioning later. The government had taken over the studio and converted it into a college. ( Prajavani , Monday, May 4 )

Mythic society on centenary celeberations.

Mythic Society, a place for cultural and thought provoking events in Bangalore is celebrating its centenary this year. The society was established on 5th May,1909 and got its own building in 1916. Great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Sir M Vishweshwaraiah, Rabindranath Tagore and others had addressed a gathering here. The society intends to have centenary celebrations throughout the year. Government has released Rs 1 crore for this. ( Kannada Prabha , Wednesday, April 29 )

Infrastructure

New way to tackle traffic menace

Traffic jams is one of the major woes that Bangaloreans face every day. Police’s efforts to ease traffic are not yielding any expected results. Now they are trying a new technique. You might have seen many junctions where red signal is on for you though there are no vehicles coming from the side with green signal on. For many seconds, this will test your patience. To avoid this, traffic police is planning to activate ‘vehicle actuation’ system. Under this, green signal will automatically turn red if no vehicle passes for more than four seconds. ( Prajavani , Saturday, May 2 )

Bangalore to have model layouts

Bangalore will soon have model layouts like those in US, Singapore and England. ABIDe (Agenda for Bangalore Infrastructure Development) has prepared a plan for this. The plan, ‘model road- model zone’ will be first of its kind in India. The first model layout will come up in Basavanagudi. The layout will have continuous electricity and water supply, clean road and little traffic jams. The plan is one of the ambitious projects of ABIDE. Plan will take off after election results. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Friday, May 1 )

Health

DJ Halli falls prey to chikungunya

Even though health officials of BBMP repeatedly clarify that there is no trace of chikungunya anywhere in Bangalore, the situation is not so, atleast in Devara Jeevana Halli. About 75 percent of the population here suffers from fever and joint pains. About 2000 people reside here. Most of them suffer from the disease that resembles chikungunya. So far none of the officials from BBMP visited the place. BBMP doctors had given some paracetamol tablets some days ago. ( Kannada Prabha , Saturday, May 2 )

Education

BBMP schools show progress

There are not many takers for BBMP schools in Bangalore. However, these schools have made remarkable progress in SSLC results. The average pass percentage is 50 per cent which is reasonably better compared to 43 per cent last year. CGHS school of Srirampur topped the list with 81.53 per cent. BBMP education officers claim that this is the result of various measures that they have initiated. There is an attempt to boost self confidence in the students apart from arranging special classes after regular classes. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Tuesday, May 5 )

Mock CET counselling

For the first time the CET counselling will be done outside Bangalore this year. Hubli and Gulbarga are selected as counselling centers apart from Bangalore, to avoid rural students rushing to Bangalore every time. However, to avoid last minute hitch, Karnataka examination authority is planning to conduct a mock CET counselling during second week of May. Already such mock counselling was organised involving employees. This time students will be involved in the counselling. ( Kannada Prabha , Saturday, May 2 )

Crime

Beware, you may be jailed for drinking and driving

Don’t think that people may escape from drink and drive case by just paying some fine. Traffic police has decided to implement clauses of Motor Vehicles Act more rigorously now. According to this, the culprit may be jailed if he repeats the mistake. To make on-spot decision over the accused, traffic police will be provided with black berries which allows them to trace whether the concerned person was fined for drink and drive on earlier occassions. ( Prajavani , Saturday, May 2 )

Elections come inbetween arresting murderers

Elections have many side effects. Now you have to believe the police version on the delay in arresting murderers in connection with the murders of retired scientist Purushottam Lal Sachdev, his wife and son in R.T. Nagar sometime ago. Police are sure that murderers are in West Bengal. However, they express helplessness to go there and find the culprits. Parliamentary elections are going on in West Bengal and our police expect little cooperation from the West Bengal couterparts in the investigation. So police are waiting for elections to get over. ( Kannada Prabha , Sunday, May 3 )

Stringent action against drag race

Traffic police are initiating stringent action against drag racing in Bangalore which claimed a couple of lives so far. They have requested the court not to release seized vehicles. Now there are 12 vehicles used for drag race in posession of police. Court agreed to police’s request and has not released the vehicles. Fining has not curtailed this illegal race so far where mostly rich youths are involved. ( Prajavani , Tuesday, May 5 )

People

Hobby of collecting newspaper articles

Many have a hobby of collecting stamps, coins et cetera. Have you heard of an individual collecting media stories? Meet A.M. Venkatesh. This 68 year old person has been preserving newspaper and magazine articles for the past 48 years. His collection ranges from literature to entertainment to politics. He classifies clippings according to writer and subject. His valuable collections are safe in polythene covers in his own mini library. ( Udayavani , Tuesday, May 5-

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