City: Bengaluru

The much awaited final report on Restructuring BBMP has been submitted to the government. The recommendations of the Committee which range from a three-tier system of governance to restructuring Bengaluru into five corporations to establishment of Greater Bengaluru Financial Commission and extension of Mayor’s term to five years, have been appreciated as well as criticised. Citizen Matters tried to pool the opinions of representatives from various political parties, urban experts and citizens on what they had to say about the Restructuring Committee report. One aspect that was talked about by majority of them was the formation of Greater Bengaluru Authority…

A few concerned citizens of Bengaluru who are well aware of the problems faced by laymen while purchasing a house in the city, have made it a point to draft their objections and suggestions to the amended Real Estate Bill 2013. Though they were not invited for the consultation programme organised by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2013, in the city on June 10th and 11th, they did not give up. These groups of citizens contacted the chairman of the Select Committee and requested if the Committee will allow them to submit their objections…

Mestripalya lake, waiting to be filled with water. Pic: Holly Thorpe After decades of delays and legal complications, the finish line for Mestripalya Lake is in sight—but just out of reach. The lake, located in Koramangala 3rd Block in East Bengaluru, is ready to receive water, but until the project is transferred from the BDA to the BBMP, it cannot be filled. The BDA has done all of the structural work visible today, including fencing the lake. Before development, the area was overgrown with weeds, and a receptacle for waste. Now, the lake has been dug out to receive water,…

Plays in Bengaluru are a great attraction. With so many talented actors, directors and playwrights calling Bengaluru their home, it is but natural that many folks residing in the city are drawn to theatre. Though plays are performed at many venues in the city, there are a few places that can be counted on to watch the best of drama in Bengaluru. Some of these even have a show on every day! If you are one to watch a play every day, Ranga Shankara is the go-to spot. It has ‘a play a day’ policy, so you should be able…

The BBMP Restructuring Committee, in its final report, has recommended the splitting of BBMP into five corporations and integrating them under an umbrella institution called the Greater Bengaluru Authority. The Committee has also advocated for introducing a three-tier system in Bengaluru for efficient governance. The committee which was constituted by the State government to study and prepare a report on restructuring Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had submitted an interim report earlier. The Committee submitted its final report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday, July 13th 2015. The State government had formed the BBMP Restructuring Committee with retired IAS officer…

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…

If we are apathetic to Nature today, and view the natural world as being something separate from our daily existence, certainly there was a time when it was not so. Much of our rich mythology deals with rivers, trees, and other natural features, and indeed, our ancients imagined mythical beings which combined several features of living creatures. We all know Narasimha, the half-man, half-lion avatar of Vishnu, but Bangalore, and Kannada culture, in particular, has some interesting depictions of some other mythological beings. As a woman who regularly uses Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses, (which means that I travel…

The homepage of old BBMP website that was filled with lot of information, has changed now with a new design. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) websitehas got a new appearance. The homepage which was earlier overloaded with information and links, has been made simpler and cleaner. All the links and information are categorised under the main menu making it easier for the users to search. The redesigned website was launched on the night of July 7th 2015. The work is still under progress. BBMP IT Advisor T Sheshadri who has worked on the website said the purpose of redesigning…

Tasked with creating an app that addresses a ‘community problem or issue’, five Bengaluru girls won $10,000 (approximately Rs 6.4 lakh) at Technovation, an international technology entrepreneurship competition, to further develop their app designed to keep waste off the streets of Bengaluru. Team Pentechan. From left to right: Mahima, Sanjana, Swasthi, Anupama, Navyasree. Pic: Holly Thorpe Anupama N, Sanjana Vasanth, Mahima Mehendale, Navyasree B and Swasthi P Rao, all of 14 years and in Class 9 at New Horizon Public School, won the prize money when they took first place in the competition in San Francisco. They competed in the…