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Before we get into our stories, here’s a round-up of the latest news from Bengaluru.  

• BBMP Council discusses the topic of special Letter of Credit to some contractors, on the basis of references by politicians such as BJP floor leader N R Ramesh, Chief Minister’s special secretary, Mayor, Vice-mayor and others. Contractors who did not receive the letter of credit were seen protesting in front of BBMP.
• Three persons were arrested in Bengaluru by CCB police while trying to sell the rice given by the government to poor, through Anna Bhagya scheme.
• One of Bengaluru most colourful and historical festivals, the Dharmarayana Karaga is scheduled to start today, and will continue till April 5th.
• The dispute over shifting the racecourse has reached the Supreme Court now, with the Bangalore Turf Club and Race Horses Owners’ Association questioning the move. The High Court had earlier ordered the government to dedicate the space for social forestry. Now the petitioners are proposing that trees be grown in the area.
• The government has started distributing Akrama Sakrama applications. The applications can be obtained from any of the 64 AROs offices across Bangalore, upon paying Rs 100. The application can also be downloaded from the BBMP website.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the progress of Metro in Bangalore through a video call. The BMRCL assured that Phase-I will be fully operational by December 2015.
• BBMP has decided to sell 130 sqm of space near Mantri Square to BMRCL.

This week’s highlight: Is the government’s new rule on housing for the poor, toothless?

According to a new government rule on housing allotment criteria, 15% of the total space in new layouts and housing complexes above 1000 sqm is to be reserved for the urban poor. While the regulation talks of earmarking the land, it makes no mention of how it will be implemented, leaving scope for manipulation. Is this a mere gimmick to get hold on JNNURM grants?

Read: New rule mandates flats for poor in all apartments.

For parents of school-going children

Looking for tuition centres for your children for after-school classes? There are many web-based platforms that can connect you with tutors. Read: Home tutoring services in Bengaluru.

This month is bound to be a stressful time for children who are giving their board exams and their parents. Chitra Srikrishna shares a list of songs that can help alleviate stress. Read: Music and exam fever.

Tickle your funny bone

Our new intern from the University of Illinois, Eden Ezsak explains why she feels differently about monkeys, when what should have been a pleasant picnic, turned into a battle for food with the simians. Read: Monkeys are not cute!

As a young lad, Dr Chandrasekhar Balachandran would come down with some form of shiver-inducing fever every April. In his latest post, he reminisces about the yearly drama. Read: Doctor, doctor!

Deepa Mohan questions the logic behind some of the signs that the Indian Railways puts up on trains. Read: Senseless signs on Indian Railways.

Guide for senior citizens

Deepa Mohan shares her experience on how she went about applying for a senior citizen card. Read: How to obtain Senior Citizen Cards (for those aged 60 and above).

A matter of health

In light of the recent incident where a Bangalore hospital was vandalised by a patient’s family, Dr Govind Nandakumar says that vandalising healthcare facilities will only terrorise doctors.

Events this week

• Trace the history of how birds have manifested themselves in Indian art by attending a The Illustrated Bird, a talk by ornithologist Bikram Grewal on March 26th at Bangalore International Centre.
• Watch Gadjo Dilo, a movie about a friendship between a young Frenchman and a gypsy at Alliance Francaise on March 26th.
• Bangalore International Centre is hosting a panel discussion on The Report of the 14th Finance Commission on March 27th. Experts will throw light on the recommendations of the report and their impact.
• Watch The Seed Wars, a documentary that explores the possibility of a future where farmers lose their right to plant seeds at Alliance Francaise on March 27th.
• Green Bazaar’s Eco Habba is back is being held at HSR Layout on March 28th. Pay a visit to know about the best of sustainability from across the city.
• Attend a concert by the Benares Trio, and listen to them perform a fusion of classical music and jazz at Windmills Craftworks on March 28th.

Check out our Events section to stay up to date on the all that’s coming up in Bangalore.  

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