Arts and Culture

Ganesha idols dearer this year?

Even God is not immune to price rise, it seems. This time around idols of Lord Ganesha may cost more, as sculptors of idols face severe problems in the wake of rise in the fuel and paint costs. Labour costs too have almost doubled. Ganesha idol worship is common in every household during Ganesha Chaturthi which falls during the first week of September. It remains to be seen if there will be a shortage of idols in the market this year. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Wednesday, August 20 )

Crime

From live bands with love- Rs. 20 lakhs as ‘mamool’ to police

How did live bands continue to play in city hotels prior to 2005 despite ‘strict’ regulations? Ask City’s Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari. During a programme conducted by FKCCI, Bidari disclosed that Rs.20 lakhs were paid to the police and BBMP officers every month by live band owners. Livebands in Bangalore were doing more business compared to Mumbai and the turnover was more than Rs.1 crore every month. ( Kannada Prabha , Sunday, August 17 )

No headway in serial blasts case

It is almost one month since serial blasts shook the otherwise ‘peaceful’ Bangalore. Police is yet to get definite leads in the incident, and nobody has been arrested so far. Information on the same is expected from Gujarat, where police were able to find the culprits. ( Kannada Prabha , Wednesday, August 20 )

Education

No demand for Indian languages

There seems to be little demand for higher education in Indian languages. There are very few students in Indian languages in Bangalore University- in most cases their number is equal to that of professors! There is increasing intake in foreign language classes. Apart from employment opportunities, increase in students from other states has led to a preference for foreign languages. Shatavadhani R Ganesh cautions that if the situation continues, Kannada too may be reduced to the status of Sanskrit. ( Kannada Prabha , Saturday, August 16 )

Once orphanage is now engineering college

"Politicians can get away with anything in India. Former JDS minister Chennigappa is no exception. He started an orphanage by raising huge funds when he was forest and mining minister in the erstwhile JDS- BJP government, and named it after former prime minister HD Devegowda, his wife Chennamma and former CM HD Kumaraswamy. Now the premises is renamed as Shivakumaraswamy Institute of Technology and Chief Minister is expected to inaugurate it. Nobody knows what happened to the orphans. " ( Vijaya Karnataka , Wednesday, August 20 )

Entertainment

CBFC slashes ‘Madesha’

Madesha is a Kannada movie starring Shivarajkumar. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has declined to clear the film as it feels that the content violates the guidelines issued by the Central Film Censorship 1997 (Revised) Act. President of the state CBFC A. Chandrashekhar has issued a big list of unwarranted scenes in the movie. Hero Shivarajkumar, son of Kannada matinee idol late Dr Rajkumar, has reportedly threatened Chandrashekhar with dire consequences if the movie is not cleared. Chandrashakhar says that if the objectionable scenes are cut, the movie will be reduced to just four songs and a half – hour scene. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Thursday, August 21 )

Environment

High Court directs the closure of garment factory

While the pollution control board preferred to turn a blind eye, the high court has come to the rescue of the public. Techsport, a readymade garment factory in Makali, a village in Bangalore north taluk, has been causing severe environment pollution. But the pollution control board failed to initiate any action against them. Taking serious exception to this kind of apathy, the high court lambasted officials, saying that the latter always looked at making money in every issue, and directed closure of Techsport. ( Kannada Prabha , Friday, August 15 )

Factories polluting TG Halli lake issued notices

The Karnataka Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has finally issued showcause notices to 11 factories that are polluting the Tippagondanahalli lake. This lake is a major source of drinking water to the city, apart from Cauvery. Norms do not allow any factory to be set up within 1 km radius of Tippagondanahalli lake. However with the ‘co operation’ of officials, they were set up without environmental clearance. These factories had managed to escape from action on earlier occasions. ( Udayavani , Tuesday, August 19 )

Governent hospitals served with notice

The state pollution control board (KSPCB) has issued showcause notices to 17 government hospitals in the city, in the wake of the latter’s negligence regarding disposal of liquid waste. Hospitals are asked to respond to the notice within 15 days. KSPCB is contemplating on initiating action against senior officials of the hospitals and order for their closure if necessary. The Board blamed negligence on the part of the commissioner of health department. ( Udayavani , Thursday, August 21 )

Wind power harnessed to light up houses

After Surya (solar power) it is Vayu (wind power) that might light up houses in Bangalore. Adarsha Wanse, a resident of RBI colony in JP Nagar 7th phase, has made an unique attempt to make use of wind to power to light up his house. Working as a representative of Green Energy, he took a cue from a wind mill installed in a school in Magadi road. He installed a wind mill on the terrace of his house at a cost of Rs 1.4 lakhs. The strong winds during April and November are enough to power the windmill to meet the power requirements of the entire house. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Thursday, August 21 )

Cars raise city’s temperature

The increase in use of cars on Bangalore roads is raising the temperature of the city, according to a survey by Biodiversity Conservation India Limited (BCIL). There are six lakh cars in Bangalore and an average 50% of families with income of Rs. 20 to 30,000 a month spend Rs 3000 to 4000 towards fuel. 47% of car users spend six to seven hours on roads every day. CEO of BCIL Chandrashekharan advises people to set up residence nearby their workplaces to reduce traffic jams and spending on fuel too. ( Prajavani , Thursday, August 21 )

Government

Child labour in greasing trucks

Despite a number of legislations against child labour, the practice continues to haunt the city. Apart from hotels and automobile garages, child labour is used for greasing vehicles. It’s a common scene near Kengeri on the Bangalore-Mysore highway to see children greasing huge trucks. About 50-100 children are put to work on this in various places throughout the day. Labourers do not take up this work as greasing big trucks is not an easy task, requiring at least 3-4 persons. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Sunday, August 17 )

Hoardings pose danger to public

The government has at last initiated action against mindless hoardings. But existing legal hoardings and other advertisement placards still pose a threat to the public due to negligence, as BBMP is yet to issue notices to vacate these dangerous hanging hoardings. There are instances where heavy hoardings are put on weak buildings. Some traders on Brigade road complain that dangerous hoardings hanging on their heads may claim lives at any given time. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Tuesday, August 19 )

Police quarters in danger of collapsing

The police quarters in Frazer Town are in danger of collapsing. More than 150 police families reside in the 10 blocks of this building built 30 years ago. The quarters have not been maintained, and have never seen a coat of paint since the first one. Several memoranda to PWD and BBMP by residents have fallen on deaf ears. The police can’t protest either, as the law doesn’t permit them to do so. ( Prajavani , Wednesday, August 20 )

Plastic and wine banned in Nandi hills

Nandi hills is a picnic place for Bangaloreans. However it is losing its charm due to rampant littering of plastic and nuisance created by drunken revellers. The government has finally woken up and Principal Secretary, Horticulture department BP Kaniram has banned plastic and wine bottles in Nandi hills. He said that a check post will be put up at the bottom of the hills and banned goods will be confiscated. Those who try to sneak them in will be heavily fined. ( Kannada Prabha , Thursday, August 21 )

Ligh weight fibre pillars welcome people on Brigade and MG Roads

The next time you walk on MG Road and Residency Road, be careful about the new pillars that BBMP has set up. The BBMP is seeking revenue by inviting advertisers to place ads on them. The pillars are placed in lieu of the innumerable illegal hoardings. The fibre pillars or ‘cantilevers’ as they are called, are not strong enough to resist even strong winds. Already, a car has been hit badly by one such swaying pillar. ( Prajavani , Thursday, August 21 )

Infrastructure

Contonment railway station to get facelift

With railways deciding to give a facelift to Cantonment railway station, a long pending demand of commuters will be fulfilled. This railway station has so far been reduced to just a stop over. The department has now decided to convert this into a full fledged railway station to reduce pressure on the central railway station. Work is expected to commence in three to four months. ( Prajavani , Friday, August 15 )

Rs. 46,944 crore earmarked for the city development

The government will take up a long term project to provide basic infrastructure facilities to Bangalore at a cost of Rs. 46,944 crores. Gaurav Gupta, Special Secretary in the infrastructure department said that the project will be implemented in three phases. Rs. 31,377 crores will be spent in first phase which will be completed within 2012. Rs. 14,157 crores has been allocated to phase II, to be taken up between 2013-2018. The remaining amount will be spent in phase III which will taken up between 2019- 2024. ( Kannada Prabha , Friday, August 15 )

Tussle leads to garbage pile up

The ongoing tussle between BBMP officials and contractors over waste disposal has left the public in distress. Contractors have threatened to protest over the statement by BBMP commissioner Dr S Subramanya, that underworld activists are responsible for mismanagement of waste disposal, in an interview to a newspaper. He later denied saying so. Contractors allege that the BBMP itself is responsible for the present scenario. Meanwhile, mounds of waste are piling up across the city. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Sunday, August 17 )

Phase I of Metro rail to be completed by December, 2010

Dr M Ramachandran, President of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) has said that phase one of Metro rail works will be completed as per schedule, by December 2010. Denying allegations that the work had slowed down, he said snags in land acquisition and identifying world class contractors did occur in the initial stages. However the work is back on track, he said. ( Prajavani , Monday, August 18 )

Light weight cylinders to replace traditional ones

Hindustan Petroleum will introduce light weight gas cylinders in Karnataka. These cylinders will replace traditional and heavy weight cylinders. Karnataka is the first state to receive these cylinders in India. The HP cylinders will not explode, unlike traditional one. (The report provided not details on the technology). They weigh just 6.5 kg without gas, as opposed to the present ones that weigh 16.5 kg. This Norwegian technology is commonly used in US, UK, Norway and some other countries. ( Kannada Prabha , Monday, August 18 )

Global tenders invited for peripheral road works

BDA is likely to invite global tenders for its much hyped peripheral road in October this year. 65 kms of road will be taken up in phase 1. The peripheral road which goes around the city is specially meant for goods vehicles. Work on this road is expected to commence from February, 2009, which will have 60 underpasses. ( Kannada Prabha , Monday, August 18 )

Super bus stand to replace Kempegowda bus terminals

The present KSRTC and BMTC bus stand in Majestic area will make way for a super bus stand, according to sources. Both the bus stands are to be demolished and a new super bus stand at the cost of Rs 1000 crores will come up in the same 40 acres of land. Three designs are said to be ready. The new bus stand will accommodate the Metro rail station too. The concept is a first of its kind in India. ( Kannada Prabha , Wednesday, August 20 ) ⊕