Week’s news in brief: 16-22 Jan

Our weekly scan of Bangalore's Kannada dailies includes reports on BDA planning to develop 12 lakes to BBMP plans for flyovers and underpasses.

Business

Adopt a farmer, promote organic farming

We have heard of adoption of children, schools and even animals in the zoo. Now it seems farmers too are up for adoption! Savayava Krishi Parivara, an NGO working in the organic farming sector has mooted such a plan. Consumers interested in organic farm products can adopt a farmer. They need not pay him, but only need to buy goods from him. The NGO says that this will provide a direct link between farmers and consumers which is not the case now. Interested can e-mail skp200809@gmail.com. ( Kannada Prabha , Friday, 16 Jan )

Education

25 % CET seats for Kannada medium students?

Kannada medium students have reason to smile. The education department is formulating a policy wherein 25 per cent of CET seats will be reserved for them. If implemented about 10,000 students will of avail higher education for an annual fee of just Rs 15,000. The law department is yet give its approval for this policy. The policy requires students to complete their elementary and high school education in Kannada medium, and that too in a government school. ( Kannada Prabha , Monday, 19 Jan )

Students launch rockets

The RBNMS grounds witnessed a rare event this week, when 22 rockets were fired into sky at a time. No, it was not a launch by ISRO or any other space organisation. RBNMS school students themselves had built these rockets and launched them to a height of 50 meters. ISRO Chairman Madhavan Nayar inaugurated the event and appreciated students’ efforts. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Wednesday, 21 Jan )

Environment

BDA to develop 12 lakes

BDA has decided to develop 12 lakes in its jurisdiction at a cost of Rs 105 crores. Development works of seven lakes will start from the end of this month. Works include identifying borders and fencing, desilting, change of drainage lines etc. An advisory committee is formed under the chairmanship of environmentalist Yellappa Reddy to advise on development works. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Friday, 16 Jan )

Government

Maytas may be asked to leave Karnataka

The state government is seriously considering revoking all works tendered to Maytas, the controversial infrastructure company linked to Satyam. It is planning to restart tender process on all the works that was given to Maytas, worth Rs 250 crores. These include building infrastructure facilities in Shimoga and Gulbarga airports. Certains works of Metro rail project too was given to Maytas. ( Kannada Prabha , Sunday, 18 Jan )

Police caller tunes to create awareness

The next time you call the police, you may be surprised to hear an awareness message in lieu of a ring tone. The messages are expected to educate the caller about crimes and dealing with criminals. Even cell phones of police officers carry these messages as ring tones. According to ADGP M K Srivastav (Communication, Transport and Modernisation Division), the department is thinking of playing messages about traffic rules and other basic laws instead of common caller tunes. ( Kannada Prabha , Tuesday, 20 Jan )

Government hospitals pay lakhs towards water bills

What do you think would be the water bills of Victoria and Bowring hospitals? The two jointly pay up to Rs 70 lakhs to BWSSB every month! This was revealed during a hearing of a case in Lok Adalat. Administrators of both the hospitals stated that 250 litres of water were earmarked for each patient. Miscreants have taken illegal connections from the pipes that supply water to these hospitals, resulting in hefty water bills to the hospitals. The Adalat immediately ordered BWSSB officials to identify illegal connections and remove them. ( Kannada Prabha , Wednesday, 21 Jan )

City to have Immigration Bureau

Bangalore will soon have an Immigration Bureau, with the central home ministry identifying the city along with Hyderabad for the proposed Bureau. The Bureau will maintain a record of foreigners who visit India and keep track of them. With this, the Foreign Nationals registration wing, currently under the city police department, will be taken over by the central home ministry. This is seen as an important move in the backdrop of terrorist attacks. Vijaya Karnataka , Monday, 19 Jan )

12,000 cases, two judges

The family disputes redressal court in Bangalore has just two judges to look after 12,000 cases. The city has four such courts out of which only two are functioning, which has resulted in delayed justice. If one goes by the number of cases pending, the city needs at least eight courts. But it has only four, with only two being functional. Most of the cases that come here pertain to divorce, compensation and child custody. With justice delayed, cases in the last category suffer most as the future of a child hangs in balance. ( Kannada Prabha , Sunday, 18 Jan )

Health

Financial medical aid to SC patients

Jayadeva Heart Foundation, a speciality hospital has started a unique programme. Patients belonging to scheduled castes can avail of financial assistance for heart surgeries under this programme. The Central Social Justice and Empowerment Department has mooted this programme and only Jayadeva hospital has this facility in the state. Under this programme, patients can avail upto Rs 1 lakh or 75 per cent of the surgery costs. For details call: 2297 7422, 2297 7433 ( Prajavani , Saturday, 17 Jan )

Heritage

Metro Rail claims heritage building

Development always has a negative side to it. The Metro Rail project is claiming a number of heritage buildings in Bangalore, an 80-year old building near National college circle in Basavanagudi being a good example. Built in 1928, this bungalow is known for its sculptures and wooden carvings, and is surrounded by trees that are 60-70 years old. All these will be demolished soon for Metro Rail works. ( Prajavani , Monday, 19 Jan )

Infrastructure

Underpass in Yeshwanthpur

BBMP has planned yet another underpass in Yeshwanthpur, on the lines of the one near the Jayadeva hospital junction. Only BMTC buses will be allowed to travel in this underpass, which will run underneath the flyover. Presently, buses have to take the flyover and need to travel about 2 kms more to reach the Yeshwanthpur bus stand. The underpass will get them there faster. The project is estimated to cost Rs 12 crores and work is expected to begin in April. Kannada Prabha ` Friday, 16 Jan

BESCOM shocker for IT sector

As if recession was not enough to make IT companies miserable, BESCOM is all set to make their lot worse. They are asked to pay commercial rates for electricity usage, as against industrial rates they were paying so far. Commercial rates are almost double that of industrial rates, which means it will cost an additional Rs 2.20 per unit. BESCOM is even asking for payment in retrospcetive effect in some cases. A company has apparently been served with an electricity bill of Rs 59,000. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Monday, 19 Jan )

Police go off
line again

The online system of registering complaints at police stations has gone offline now, thanks to mismanagement. This has resulted in the police going back to registering complaints in books. The city police commissioner’s office had introduced a system wherein all police stations in Bangalore were networked, and registration of a complaint in one station was accessible to all others. But poor computer lieteracy among employees has led to the failure of this system. ( Kannada Prabha , Monday, 19 Jan )

Bus stops turn bill boards

Bus stops in the city are lost in a sea of advertisements these days. BBMP’s plan to generate revenue from advertisements in bus stops has passengers looking hard for the name of the stop, as it is lost in ad-copy. BBMP has given more than 200 bus stops to ad agencies for maintainance. This has resulted in both Kannada and the English name of stop vanishing from the boards in many cases. Even if the board bears the name, it is misspelt. ( Prajavani , Monday, 19 Jan )

Underpass in Maharani’s College junction

BBMP has decided to construct an underpass in Palace road. It will come up in the Maharani’s College junction, and is expected to ease traffic jams. The new flyover in Anandrao Circle has resulted in more traffic in this junction, resulting in big jams on Sheshadri road. Construction of the underpass is to cost Rs 4 crores and is expected to be completed in three days. ( Prajavani , Wednesday, 21 Jan )

Phataphat underpass by BBMP

BBMP has learnt from its past mistakes, it seems. Shaken by public criticism about handling magic boxes, BBMP now prepares well before undertaking such ventures. The underpass on Nripatunga road is an example. This one-way connects KR Circle and Hudson circle, and pedestrians were finding it hard to cross the road. BBMP thus constructed a 50 feet long subway for their benefit, in 32 hours flat! ( Prajavani , Thursday, 22 Jan )

People

Happy days for Bangalore advocates

Nowadays Bangalore advocates have every reason to smile. They can be seen having dinner in star hotels and counting new currency notes, thanks to the impending elections to the Bangalore Bar Association. The 100-year old association will have elections on March 14. Cut-throat competition for the posts of president and general secretary posts, have made this election very colourful. There are about 18,000 advocate voters, and two groups are trying their level best to pamper them. ( Prajavani , Tuesday, 20 Jan )

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