Coldest November day in a decade
The minimum temperature of 13.9 degrees celsius, on November 21st, was the lowest reported in November in a decade, said the IMD (India Meteorological Department). At HAL airport station the temperature was reported to be 12.5 degrees celsius, while at Bengaluru International Airport station, it was recorded to be 14.7 degrees celsius. The maximum temperature on November 21st was 25.2 degrees celsius.
It was on November 21, 2012, that the temperature plummeted to 13.3 degrees celsius, but the all-time low record was 9.6 degrees celsius on November 15, 1967.
Source: The Indian Express
Read more: Bengaluru: Still unprepared to face unusual weather events due to climate change
Voter data theft probe goes on
Following TNM’s joint investigation with the Kannada outlet Pratidvani, revealing the theft of electoral data, there are suspicions over the credibility of the BBMP’s (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) electoral rolls revision. The recently published draft voters’ list showed that 6.6 lakh names were removed and that the highest number of deletions were in the Bengaluru South constituency, followed by KR Puram, Yeshwantpur and Dasarahalli.
Resident groups urged citizens to check the draft voters’ list. Citizens can raise objections, demand additions and modifications before December 9th, by downloading the Voter Helpline App (VHA), logging into www.nvsp.in, www.voterportal.eci.gov.in, or calling the 1950 helpline.
The ECI (Election Commission of India) deputed Deputy Election Commissioner in-charge of Karnataka, Ajay Bhadoo, to meet the Chief Electoral Office and BBMP officials. Meanwhile, investigations show that the government BLO (Booth Level Officer) ID cards used by Chilume workers to illegally collect voter data in Mahadevapura were issued by the ERO (electoral registration officer), Chandrashekar K, of Mahadevapura, though he said that he was merely following instructions from authorities.
On November 22nd, the Halasuru Gate police made its sixth arrest with Lokesh K M, who looked after the administration of the Chilume Educational Cultural and Rural Development Trust. They also arrested Ravi Kumar, the NGO’s founder director; Renuka Prasad, one of the directors; Dharanesh, the NGO’s HR chief, Kumar’s brother Kempegowda; and application developer Sajeev Shetty. A suspicious money trail has been unearthed.
Source: The News Minute, The Hindu, Deccan Herald, Indian Express
HC notice on delimitation of wards
The government filed an application to the courts for an extension of three months to notify the reservation of wards by November 30th, for the BBMP (Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike) polls. The writ appeal was filed by BJP MLA from Bommanahalli, M Sathish Reddy, and several others.
The appellants submitted that according to Section 7 of the BBMP Act, 2020, a ward should not be spread into two Legislative Assembly constituencies. Yet, the delimitation exercise of Hulimavu ward (number 239) is flawed as its areas are shared by Bommanahalli and Bangalore South Assembly constituencies. Many areas such as Akshaya Garden Layout, Satya Sai Layout, Shirdi Sainagar, VIP Layout, and certain other places are spread over two Assembly constituencies. The non-mention of population figures in the delimitation of wards also violates Section 7, said the appellants.
Source: The New Indian Express, Deccan Herald
Nandini prices rise
From Thursday, Nandini products, sold by Karnataka Milk Federation, will increase their prices for both milk and curd by Rs 2 a litre across the state. Nandini toned milk (blue sachet) will increase from Rs 37 to Rs 39, while a litre of curd will cost Rs 47 and homogenised toned milk will be Rs 40.
For a year, the KMF had been seeking to increase the prices by Rs 3 a litre for a year, citing a steep hike in the costs of cattle feed and fodder. Even after the rise, the consumer price of Nandini milk will remain cheaper compared to nearby states, according to KMF, which said that it would pass on the hiked amount to its nearly one million member-farmers who bring milk to the village-level societies every day.
Source: The Times of India, The Hindu
Budget bus
The BBMP and NGO Janaagraha with the support of Bengaluru Ward Samiti Balaga and members of RWAs (resident welfare associations) launched the seventh edition of ‘MyCityMyBudget’ 2023-24 campaign at the BBMP head office, where a ‘budget bus’ was flagged off.
The campaign will run for 30 days, visiting all the wards. Citizens can submit their budget inputs online by visiting www.mycitymybudget.in or through the budget bus, which will be submitted to the BBMP for analysis.
Source: The Indian Express
Chief Secretary calls for decongestion of 10 traffic junctions
Karnataka chief secretary Vandita Sharma told officials to decongest bottlenecks from 10 major traffic junctions – Silk Board, Iblur, Jayadeva, MM Temple Junction at Tin Factory, Hebbal, Goraguntepalya, Sarakki, KS Layout, Kadubeesanahalli and Banashankari, which have been identified as the major bottlenecks by the traffic police department.
In a meeting on traffic management with BBMP, BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply Sewerage Board), city police and BMRCL (Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited), Sharma directed the officials to fill the potholes on arterial, sub-arterial roads and ward roads.
The traffic police department said that they have identified 112 manholes where water stagnates during rain. The BWSSB officials have repaired 53 such manholes, so Sharma asked officials to repair the renaming 59 immediately.
She also said that 107 roads need to be asphalted, street lights have to installed in 210 places, 33 black should be cleared, construction debris should be cleared from roads, high-mast light should be set up at 330 points and unscientific road bumps at 427 places should be corrected. The traffic police department also said that they would remove the abandoned vehicles lying on the footpath and roadsides. A total of 521 abandoned vehicles have been identified in the city.
Source: The Indian Express
Read more: How Bengaluru roads can be free of potholes: Discussion highlights
New ticketing machines
The BMTC (Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation) is setting up new ticketing machines that would permit payments through UPI (Unified Payments Interface) and the NCMC (National Common Mobility Card), which would help to speed up multi-modal transport. The NCMC will also act as a digital wallet, allowing passengers to make payments for different modes of transport and related services, such as renting a bike or parking.
Meanwhile, the BMRCL (Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited) will soon permit a maximum of six commuters to travel using one ticket, even as the single journey Quick Response (QR) tickets on Namma Metro’s app and WhatsApp clicked. Hence, a group of people, particularly families, can scan a single ticket on one mobile at the QR Reader, at the Automatic Fare Collection gates.
The QR ticketing system launched on November 1 has had a great response, with almost 1,800 commuters using a QR ticket, while on November 20, there were 12, 787 commuters. Till now, 1,35,564 QR tickets have been used.
Source: The New Indian Express
[Compiled by Revathi Siva Kumar]