Articles by Ganga Madappa

Following the Delhi Uber cab rape incident, the Karnataka State Government went on to ban Uber from running operations in Bengaluru. In addition, three other organisations, namely Taxi For Sure (TFS), Carzonrent and Zoomcars, were also included in the list of banned agencies. Authorities said that they were banned since they had not registered with the Regional Transport Authority. Uber still accepting bookings On December 16th, Transport department officials raided the Uber office and confiscated mobile phones and computers. The company was reportedly asked to suspend all bookings through its app until they had sought the necessary license. However, despite…

The recent altercation at Bangalore Club involving Rajvir P Sharma, ADGP, Railways, whose driver allegedly abused a security guard onsite, raked up the issue of people in power or their staff flouting the rules or demanding special treatment. [also read: Rajvir Sharma case: CAT on the wall] Sharma was asked to show the club identity card, following which it appears that one thing led to another. Referring to the incident, Sharma says, “I was on official duty, going from my office to the DG’s office. I needed to use the restroom, and therefore considered going through the Club to use…

A vegetable vendor rents a bag to a customer. Pic: Vignan Gowda Vignan Gowda, Business Excellence and Operations Manager with an IT firm and a resident of Sanjay Nagar, spearheaded several clean up drives in his area. In all the clean up drives, he observed a pattern: polythene covers comprised a significant portion of the garbage. It was this that led him to do something about it. Gowda mobilised several other active members in the locality to figure out what they could do to reduce the usage of plastic. The group then decided to tackle the problem at the source.…

Suresh, an employee of a private firm, waited patiently at the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) premises, for his name to announced in the flat allotment list. He had applied for a one bedroom flat in Kaniminike, as he trusted the BDA, and was wary of going through any middlemen to purchase a house. He was one among the hundreds who waited with bated breath to see if they would be lucky, in flat allotment that took place on November 27th 2014. In its 4th notification dated February 28th 2014, the BDA called for applications for 4,228 flats (1BHK EWS category…

Someone in your apartment complex has collapsed. You suspect it is a cardiac arrest and have called for an ambulance. However, you know that the ambulance is going to take a while to arrive, considering the traffic. You also know that the victim needs timely help. What can you do now? When an individual suffers a cardiac arrest, this is what happens within his body: His heart has unexpectedly and suddenly stopped functioning. This prevents the effective supply of blood, and therefore oxygen to his brain. This also causes him to lose consciousness and stop breathing. If untreated, the lack…

On October 2nd, Prime Minister Modi announced Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or Mission Clean India. In his speech, he appealed to Indians to devote 100 hours every year towards the cause of cleanliness. He also stated, “It is our social responsibility as citizens of India to help fulfil Gandhiji's vision of Clean India, by his 150th birth anniversary in 2019.” Since then, the media has been reporting of clean-up drives across the country, involving bigwigs from the industry, celebrities, politicians, NGOs and what not, almost on a daily basis. Why, some politicians even arranged for garbage to be littered, so that they had…

A petition on Change.org, that demands the increasing of non-AC buses on ITPL-Majestic route (335 AA or 335E) to at least 25, has garnered more than 400 supporters. This only highlights citizens’ demand for an increase in the number of non-AC buses on the ITPL-Majestic route that goes through Kundalahalli gate, near Whitefield, Bengaluru. The petition that has been initiated by Naveen Kumar Dahiya, a project engineer with an automobile company, states that the number of non-AC buses plying on this route is woefully inadequate. As there is a sizeable population that commutes daily via this route, it is necessary for…

14-year-old Ruth goes to a school in DJ Halli, Bengaluru, every day—not to study—but to work, unlike most children. She has been doing so since January 2014. She leaves home at 7 am and walks for about half an hour to get to school. At school, she looks after children younger than herself—giving them food and water, taking them to the bathroom, washing their feet. Once Ruth finishes her work at school, she once again walks and reaches home by 6.30 pm. At home too, she has several household chores to attend to. In any other family, these chores would…

Ramalinga Reddy, MLA at his home office in Lakkasandra. Pic: Ganga Madappa Ramalinga Reddy, MLA of BTM Layout, is a busy man. In addition to holding the Transport portfolio in the State Government, he is also the Bangalore In-charge Minister. Citizen Matters caught up with the six-time MLA over tea at his home office in Lakkasandra, even as the rains lashed the city. Read on to know what he has to say about the BBMP bifurcation, the waste management crisis and where he sees the city four years from now. What development works have been initiated in your constituency? Is…

Bangalore will be witness to pomp and celebration in the next couple of days on account of Deepavali, the festival of lights. While it is certainly a time to come together with family and friends, it is also important that we give a thought to how we celebrate. If bursting crackers, lighting up your house and exchanging sweets is the norm, then consider making a few changes that could very well make the entire affair more eco-friendly. Here are a couple of tips to celebrate Deepavali in a safe and eco-friendly manner. Avoid bursting crackers Crackers are probably the first…