March (and end of financial year!) is nearing and we need to gear up for our next fundraising drive. But before that, we would like to hear from you – what do you think of our work — does this journalism supported by Oorvani Foundation matter to you? What can we improve on? Write to us at edit@citizenmatters.in!

This week’s highlight: Are you getting cheated by your LPG dealer?

How much are you paying for your LPG cylinder? Pic: Meera K

If you are a private gas consumer, this is a must-read! Many consumers have been charged as high as Rs 1,280 for a 12 kg LPG cylinder. The prices are supposed to be not more than Rs 800. So are you paying the right price or are you getting cheated?

Read: Make sure you are paying the right price for private LPG.

If you feel you have been overcharged for the LPG that you buy, recount your experience over email, with relevant pictures of the bill. If you have reached out to your gas agency for clarification, do let us know what they have said as well. Click here to mail us. A copy of this mail will also be sent to officials in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry.

Living in the city

The streets of Bengaluru are decorated with the black cables that Cable TV operators hang from trees, balconies and street light poles, crisscrossing everywhere, posing a danger to walkers and vehicles. So what is the government doing to solve the problem? Read: Finally, rules to address those dangerous dangling cables.

Imagine getting notified about a public hearing on a Sunday morning, only 14 hours before the meeting. Would you be able to make it? Read: How Namma Metro invites public participation.

Tanker data collection

Citizen Matters is looking to create a crowd-sourced list of tanker water suppliers in Bengaluru. If you get your water supply from tankers, request you to take this survey. Click here »

Those were the days

Kannada film and TV serial director, TN Seetharam reminisces about life in Bengaluru in the 1970s and remembers a visionary who had predicted the city’s problems 40 years ago. Read: When a Bangalorean didn’t want Bengaluru to become big.

Alternative schooling

Little hands at work. Pic: Abhijit Sinha

In the past year, over a 100 people—from ages seven to 55—have taken up do-it-yourself projects at an alternate school at Banjarapalya village on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The founder of Project DEFY shares what it’s all about. Read: Here’s a school where a 100 students learn all by themselves!

Food for thought

Ashok Kumar writes about a chance encounter with someone on the street, and realises that not everyone is motivated by money! Read: The lady under the flyover.

Our youngest blogger is looking to change schools, that too in his tenth standard. As he goes through the application process for his next school, he realises that the quality of education is directly proportional to how much one is willing to pay for it. Read: Where knowledge is free.

Ideas for change

Building local credibility, holding the government accountable – these are some of the things that Ashwin Mahesh thinks social entrepreneurs and NGOs should work towards. Read: 10 things that social entrepreneurs and NGOs should keep in mind.

The week that was

• In order to make it easy for people to reach out to the BBMP officers in their area, Mayor Manjunath Reddy has reportedly asked top Palike officials to joing to social networking sites. With this, the joint commissioners of every zone, chief engineers and executive engineers are expected to be active on Twitter soon.
• For the first time in the city, residents and private players have joined hands together to build a sewage treatment plant to prevent the entry of sewage into lakes. The work on the 720 kilolitre STP being developed at one of the inlets of Kundalahalli lake at a cost of Rs 1.2 crore using CSR funds began on Monday.
• The temperature is soaring in Bengaluru. On February 22nd, the city recorded the hottest day in the month in the last 10 years. An all time high temperature of 35.9°C was last recorded in 2005, and on Monday the temperature was 35.5°C.
• Over 10 acres of land was burnt as wildfire broke out at the Jnana Bharathi campus last Friday. It took more than five hours to douse the fire. It is the fifth such incident in a row at the university campus.
• A study conducted by DBS, the Singaporean Multinational Banking has revealed that Bengaluru is one of the most retirement-ready metros. The report parameters suggested that Bengaluru is sufficiently prepared, financially and health-wise.

Events this week

• The 8th edition of the Bangalore Queer Film Festival, featuring queer films, art and photo exhibitions, performances and discussions is taking place at Goethe Institut and Alliance Francaise from February 25th to 28th.
• Acoustic duo What The Pluck is performing at Urban Solace for Friday Nights Unplugged on February 26th.
• Gayathri Vihar is hosting a free music concert on the occasion of Tabla Nawaz Ustad Shaik Dawood’s birth centenary celebration on February 27th.
• Alternate Law Forum is offering two courses on Street Justice—Gender and the City Streets, and Streets and Livelihoods—on February 27th and 28th.
• Last few days of French visual artist Marko93’s exhibition, In Light We Trust; his work will be on display at Alliance Francaise till February 29th.
• Capt. Jaganath Kotekar, an ex-army man, talks about his journey into the north east at Biker Dreams on February 27th at Urban Solace.
• Participate in the Race for 7, a 7 km run to raise awareness about the 7,000 documented rare diseases on February 28th.
• Visit a wrestling akhada, watch the weavers of silk saris at work and catch a scrumptious south Indian breakfast at the Pettah Walk on February 28th.

To know more about events in Bengaluru, click here

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