Articles by News Desk

  Bengaluru this week July 16th 2015     CITIZEN MATTERS Bangalore's own interactive newsmagazine Speak up, it's your city!     In this edition of Bengaluru This Week, look out for our BBMP Elections Special - there’s a survey you can take, and for corporators, a way of reaching out to voters. Also check out our report on the BBMP Restructuring Committee’s suggestions for splitting Bengaluru. In addition, you can also read about the Mestripalya Lake in Koramangala which after decades is still awaiting water, why doctors ask for a commission while referring patients, and much more. Happy reading! Here…

Gone are the days of indefinite wait—the BBMP elections are here again. We would like you, our readers, to fill this survey, to help us understand how you perceive the local governance in your area. This will also help us in preparing citizens’ report cards for the existing corporators. Here's an extra pointer to see who won in last election, in which ward. The map is prepared by Bengaluru-based techie Thejesh G N. You need to log on to your gmail id if you want to enter the survey. You can fill the survey only once. If you are unable…

It’s back! And it’s bigger and better! (And cleaner!) The 1st Bengaluru Underground Festival (held in August 2014) was a unique first-of-its-kind Underground Festival to reclaim Bangalore’s filthy subways. The good news is that the subways have stayed clean and usable for a year now (despite lots of cynicism from lots of people), and it’s time to celebrate again! What is it? Bangalore is following in the footsteps of New York, London, Paris and major world cities, by transforming its underground pedestrian underpasses, or subways, from the stinking, dingy dangerous places that they have always been, to vibrant public spaces…

Pic courtesy: Information Department, Govt of Karnataka Video conference between courts and jails Acting Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee inaugurated the pilot of high definition video conference between courts and jails at Bengaluru as a part of Digital India Week. The pilot launch includes two courts — City Civil Court and 1st Additional Court Bangalore and district court, Mangalore and six district jails, namely, Mysuru, Dharwad, Kalburgi, Belgavi, Vijayapura and Bellary. The project will provide high definition video conferencing facility to all jails and courts in the state of Karnataka, which is perceived to be…

Subways are typically built so that pedestrians can cross over from one side of the road to the other, without having to risk their lives by meandering their way through traffic. Subways in Namma Bengaluru are another matter altogether. Some of them are used as public toilets and reek of urine. They get waterlogged after a heavy downpour. And being dimly-lit, many people avoid then for their lack of safety. Well, the Bangalore Underground Project looked to changed that. Last year, Bangalore Rising and BBMP came together to clean six subways near Cubbon Park and KR Circle. And the effort did…

  Bengaluru this week July 2nd 2015     CITIZEN MATTERS Bangalore's own interactive newsmagazine Speak up, it's your city!     It is game time in Bengaluru with the State Election Commission declaring BBMP elections. If all goes according to plan, the city may just have a new BBMP council by this time, next month. For the next couple of weeks, Citizen Matters will be presenting an in depth coverage of the elections - the latest news and updates, who is contesting from where, and much more. Keep a track of our special BBMP Elections coverage. Here are the top…

  Bengaluru this week June 25th 2015     CITIZEN MATTERS Bangalore's own interactive newsmagazine Speak up, it's your city!     Here are the top stories from Bengaluru for this week: All-India Sub-group of Chief Ministers on Swacch Bharath headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met in Vidhana Soudha earlier today. Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT) showcased citizens’ efforts to make the city garbage-free to the sub-group. Law Minister TB Jayachandra confirmed that the approvals for tenders for the proposed signal-free corridors between Mysuru Road junction to Central Silk Board junction on Outer Ring Road (Rs 153.42 crore), and between…

Schedule for the much-awaited Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) election has been declared. The Karnataka State Election Commission has scheduled the election on July 28th 2015. With the announcement of poll schedule, model code of conduct has come into force with immediate effect and will be in force till August 1st. Addressing media persons on Thursday, State Election Commissioner P N Srinivasachari declared that the BBMP Commissioner will issue poll notification on July 8th. Last date for filing nominations is July 15th. Last date for scrutiny of nominations is July 16th. Candidates can withdraw their nominations before July 20th. Polling…

  Bengaluru this week June 18th 2015     CITIZEN MATTERS Bangalore's own interactive newsmagazine Speak up, it's your city!     Last week, we had featured the Under-23 Ultimate team and how for the first ever time, India was set to send a team to London for the Under-23 Ultimate Frisbee World Championships, provided they raised sufficient funds… And here’s the good news. The team has raised enough funds and will be making it to London! We wish them the very best. You can follow the team and their journey here: Team India U23’s long and hard road to London.…

The Bruhat Bangalore Beedhi Vyaapaari Sanghatanegala Okkoota is (Federation of Street Vendor Unions of Bangalore) is calling for a protest rally and a bundh on street vending on Monday, June 15th. The protest march is scheduled for 10 am from City railway station to Freedom Park. Thousands of vendors are expected to participate from all eight zones of BBMP. This come in the light of the spate of evictions of street vendors by Bangalore’s police (Law and Order and Traffic) and BBMP officials. While the UPA-2  has brought in the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihoods and Regulation of Street Vending)…