Articles by Bhanu Sridharan

The recently elected state government, along with BBMP and BDA officials, has been busy trying to 'fix' Bengaluru's issues. The measures include reinstating BBMP's re-structuring committee and initiating the Brand Bengaluru committee. Activists have criticised such committees as elitist and have called for more democratic urban planning. But how can we devise an inclusive, equitable plan for Bengaluru? Neha Sami, Associate Dean, School of Environment and Sustainability, at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), attempts to answer this question. Neha is a researcher with a background in urban planning and environmental governance. Her research broadly focuses on governance in…

At the recently held BBMP – Work Orders, Budgets and Processes Datajam, a group of citizen volunteers analysed the data available in the public domain, here are their observations and suggestions on BBMP’s expenditure on street lights and surveillance and its links to road safety. To: Sri. Ravindra P N, BBMP Special Commissioner (Projects) Dear Sir, We are a group of citizen volunteers. We would like to share our observations and suggestions on BBMP’s expenditure on street lights and surveillance. And examine its links to road safety. Observations: We looked at road accidents and the distribution of the funds (work…

KC Smitha, political scientist and professor at Jain (deemed to be) University, in part one of this interview, talked about the steady dilution of Bengaluru's local government authority. She explained how the increasing influence of parastatal bodies and private partnerships in city governance affect decision-making processes. She also pointed out how international funding impacts services and puts urban local bodies into a debt trap. In part two, Professor Smitha discusses the formation of various committees and vision groups, over the years, to develop the city and argues that they represent the aspirations of the elite. Excerpts from the interview: CM:…

KC Smitha, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Research in Social Sciences and Education at Jain (Deemed) University in Bengaluru, in her latest paper, “The Politics of Entrepreneurial Embedded ‘VIP Urbanism’ in Bengaluru: Elite Practices and Agency Problem", examines the impact of non-political influences on municipal governance, giving rise to 'entrepreneurial urbanism'. In part one of Citizen Matters' interview with Professor Smitha, she discusses how Bengaluru's municipal government and local democracy have steadily declined, while elite private entities have grown in power. Excerpts from the interview: CM: Please tell us a what your paper is about. What does the term…

In March this year, we reported on how the small, but loved neighbourhood lake, Venkateshpura in Chokkanahalli, in the upcoming Arkavathy Layout, was allegedly notified as a Civic Amenity (CA) site. It was divided between a private trust and BWSSB. Three months on, the lake has now reduced physically as well. Here is an update on the lake and a look at how quickly landscapes can change in Bengaluru. A lake loses its edge In three months, the classic peri-urban idyll of the Chokkanahalli village has disappeared. The path leading to the lake, which was dotted with grazing land, now…

The Gruha Jyothi or free electricity scheme appears to be extremely popular across the state. Over 1 crore people have registered for it , nearly 42 lakh from Bengaluru. But the process of registering is turning out to be challenging for many people. Under the Gruha Jyothi scheme, households that consume less than 200 units of electricity will not have to pay the monthly bills. But to access these benefits, consumers must register on the Seva Sindhu Portal with their RR numbers and Aadhaar. The Ministry of Energy recently announced that there is no time limit for consumers to register…

On June 17th, DK Shivakumar, as the Deputy Chief Minister and the Bengaluru Development Minister held a meeting of 42 eminent personalities and experts to look into issues that need to be fixed in the city. The idea is to reform Brand Bengaluru by constituting a committee of industry leaders and officials. The state government also launched a website where the public can offer comments. City based NGO, Environment Support Group (ESG), has criticised the move for being elitist. The organisation is appealing to the government to undertake Bengaluru’s development through elected representatives in the Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC). Although…

Kavitha and Jyothi are domestic workers from Tamil Nadu who have been living in North Bengaluru for two decades, raised families here, and speak Kannada fluently. However, only Jyothi can access the free bus scheme. Kavitha doesn’t have an Aadhar card with a Karnataka address. The Congress government’s free bus scheme, Shakti, is highly popular and has been lauded across the media. But the benefits of the scheme will not reach all women. Migrant women in the state who are not domiciled, will be left out of it. Free bus travel has opened up the city for women, say activists.…

On June 11th, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah boarded a BMTC bus, turned conductor for a few minutes, and issued the first free tickets to women passengers as part of the Shakti scheme. Free bus travel is one of the five guarantees of the newly formed Congress government and the first to be fulfilled. While the scheme has been appreciated by many women, several issues need to be resolved to sustain it in the long term, according to public transport advocates. Launch of the Shakti scheme. Pic: Twitter/BMTC_Bengaluru Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV), a group lobbying for better bus service in the…

Indian National Congress’ election campaign hinged on five guarantees to the public: 1) Anna Bhagya, which guarantees 10 kg rice per head every month to families below poverty line (BPL); 2) Gruhalakshmi, where every woman head of the family will be given a monthly allowance of Rs 2,000; 3) Gruhajyoti, where households consuming up to 200 units of power will have free power supply; 4) Shakti, where every woman resident in Karnataka can travel free in all but luxury, AC buses; 5) Yuva Nidhi,  a scheme providing unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 for graduates and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders…