Articles by Supriya Khandekar

On 30th September 2008, Sahakara Bhavan, a government building got an elevator through an RTI application. This despite the fact that a provision for two lifts was made for this building at the time of its construction in 1975. But the provision remained on paper. Sahakara Bhavan is a multi-storeyed building on Cunningham Road housing several government offices. The building has offices of Coir Board, Karnataka State Co-operative Market Federation(KSCF), Press Information Bureau, Bangalore Urban Additional District Consumer Disputes Forum and Karnataka State Consumer Redressal Forum.S N Subramanya, an RTI and Consumer Rights activist and a senior citizen visits Sahakara…

Anuya (name changed) had just finished her 10th standard and was not sure what subjects she should take up. Being a class topper, her parents’ first choice was science and mathematics but she did not like these subjects. She went to a career counselor, her aptitude and personality test results showed her creative side was very strong. However, her parents asked her to take up the science stream. She did very well in her PUC; later when she did not want to become an engineer her parents forced her to take up medicine. nuya was not really interested in medicine…

“I never got any benefits from my contractors when I was working on my own but from the time I am working for LabourNet, I have my health insurance and was even paid when an accident happened a few months back. All my friends here are benefiting from LabourNet,” explains Suresh who is working all day at a construction site near the Tin Factory, KR Puram. He rests on a boulder to talk, wiping sweat off his forehead with his hands full of cement dust. Bengaluru-based LabourNet provides access to information about jobs and labour to construction workers and clients,…

Almost a year after Bengaluru got its first centrally controlled traffic management system the traffic police claims to have achieved smoother traffic and caught more violators. The traffic police have collected Rs 5.8 crores in fine amounts in 2008 after the new systems were put in place mid year, and Rs 3.14 crores in 2009 till date. "All these fines were possible because of (our) enforcement management system," claims Praveen Sood, Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic and Security. Praveen Sood, Shankar Bidri, Ashwin Mahesh in the Traffic Management Centre (pic: Supriya Khandekar) At a recent press meet at the Traffic…

Even after spending crores on mosquito extermination, there were around 10 Chikungunya and five dengue cases reported in Bangalore earlier last month. Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that is responsible for Chikungunya (pic courtesy: Wikimedia Commons) Dr Usha Vasankar, Director, Heath and family Welfare Department, Bangalore says, "As per the BBMP report submitted to us there are 131 Chikungunya cases and 10 dengue cases in Bangalore as of 31st May 2009.""It is a routine to swat and shoo mosquitoes every evening," says T R Shastry, a resident of JP Nagar shooing a few mosquitoes buzzing above his head. Shastry’s experience is…

"I received a notice for parking in a 'no parking' area on 14th March in Siddiah Puranik Road, near KHB Colony. This road is in Basaveshwaranagar. I don't even recall going to this area at least in the last six months and I am sure no one has even taken my vehicle (car) to this place," complains Anantha Murthy, who wrote to Citizen Matters about his experience. He claims that the notice he received from the Traffic Police is baseless. Traffic Police issuing ticket to traffic violator (pic: Supriya Khandekar) Sumit Chandra, an IT professional who travels from RT Nagar…

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike's fiasco at the JP Nagar 24th Main Road/15th Cross Ring Road intersection (underpass) is well known to south Bangalore residents in that area. A contractor had outsourced the work to another incompetent contractor who was later replaced by the BBMP. The project is months behind schedule and shows no sign of completion, with heaps of mud, broken dividers with mud all over and the main road dug up. 15th cross-ring road intersection dug up (Pic: Supriya Khandekar) In 2006, despite a clear warning from its own chief auditor on tendering, the BBMP violated the process…

Are you a victim of wrong footing on dog poop, while walking on a footpath? Well, you are not alone; this is the nightmare of every Bangalorean, who like me prefers to walk on the pavement, which is made for pedestrians and not for dogs to answer their morning call. One pleasant morning I decide to walk to work and my first encounter is footpaths dotted with dog excrement and I like many other pedestrians is forced to play snakes and ladders while walking. I am not blaming dogs for relieving themselves; neither do I want to punish them for…

My colleague and I were all pumped up when we thought of doing an 'election special' coverage. And yes interviewing/ grilling the politicians was amongst the most exciting part of it. We wrapped up most of our other stories and were all geared up to get interview appointments with our MP candidates. Soon we realised it was not as exciting and thrilling as we had imagined as it was hard to get any at the first place. To start with we somehow managed to get a phone number of a close aide of one of the candidates, and after a…

It is a busy morning as I join INC candidate for Bangalore South, Krishna Byregowda on his way to Koramangala village, in his beige colour Innova. After participating in a television debate in the morning, he starts his campaigning for the day.This 36-year-old two- time MLA and currently President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress is banking on his popularity amongst the youth. He feels that this is the time for change and Indian politics is now ready to see its young faces emerge to power. Krisha Byregowda. Pic: www.krishnabyregowda.inWe are about to move when a group of elderly men stop…