City: Bengaluru

At the recently held BBMP – Work Orders, Budgets and Processes Datajam, a group of citizen volunteers analysed the data available in the public domain, here are their observations and suggestions on BBMP’s cess collection. To:Sri. Nagaraj SherigarBBMP Additional Commissioner (Finance) Dear Sir, We are a group of citizen volunteers who would like to share our observations and suggestions on BBMP’s cess collection. Observations: We attempted to find out how much cess and surcharge was being collected each year by BBMP based on the agency’s cess receipts and where it was spent. The team found that although typically cess forms…

“When I was looking through tweets of someone asking for suggestions on how to get to the airport for a midnight flight, I saw most comments suggesting they go early and wait at the airport. I found that ridiculous. Does one have to struggle so much for safety?” questions Bhuvana Rani. Today, Bhuvana is an advocate by day and a cab driver by night. She joined GoPink Cabs in 2016, and enjoys her job. “When people take our cabs, we see that their families are relieved since safety is ensured. Many solo passengers sleep peacefully throughout the ride and nothing…

“If you plan cities for cars and traffic, you get cars and traffic. If you plan for people and places, you get people and places.” This saying by urbanist Fred Kent holds true for Bengaluru in general, and Gandhi Bazaar in particular. Reminiscing the bygone days As Bengaluru grew into a burgeoning metropolis, due to unbridled urbanisation, it became congested. Haphazard, illegal construction and influx of migrants led to neighbourhood walkability being significantly reduced. This was seen in Gandhi Bazaar, one of the oldest parts of the city. Residents in and around Basavanagudi/Gandhi Bazaar area used to walk to the…

KC Smitha, political scientist and professor at Jain (deemed to be) University, in part one of this interview, talked about the steady dilution of Bengaluru's local government authority. She explained how the increasing influence of parastatal bodies and private partnerships in city governance affect decision-making processes. She also pointed out how international funding impacts services and puts urban local bodies into a debt trap. In part two, Professor Smitha discusses the formation of various committees and vision groups, over the years, to develop the city and argues that they represent the aspirations of the elite. Excerpts from the interview: CM:…

KC Smitha, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Research in Social Sciences and Education at Jain (Deemed) University in Bengaluru, in her latest paper, “The Politics of Entrepreneurial Embedded ‘VIP Urbanism’ in Bengaluru: Elite Practices and Agency Problem", examines the impact of non-political influences on municipal governance, giving rise to 'entrepreneurial urbanism'. In part one of Citizen Matters' interview with Professor Smitha, she discusses how Bengaluru's municipal government and local democracy have steadily declined, while elite private entities have grown in power. Excerpts from the interview: CM: Please tell us a what your paper is about. What does the term…

BBMP's steps to raise revenue The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) targets increasing its revenue through property tax collection by 50% this year. It collected Rs 2,300 crore in 2022-23, but aims to collect Rs 4,600 crore for the ongoing financial year. BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath said that they have set weekly targets for every zone and are reviewing the progress on tax collection every week. He added that those who fail to meet the revenue collection targets will be shunted out. They might either get transferred to other zones or to non-executive posts. Though the current target…

Bengaluru City Traffic Police, as reported by the media, has initiated steps to book those guilty of three major offences -- driving or riding against the flow of traffic, riding on the footpath, and wrongful parking under Section 283 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Although the news reports did not elicit much reaction from an apathetic public, the change in policy has the potential to harm citizens by inflicting devastating consequences for relatively minor infractions. What is Section 283? Section 283 deals with “doing any act, or by omitting to take order with any property in his possession or…

With Siddharamaiah’s government scrapping the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and replacing it with his government’s own new education policy for Karnataka, there is not only ambiguity over what will happen to the students currently admitted as per the central NEP policy, but also lack of clarity over the very implementation of this NEP. Here we try to explain how the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) had proposed to go ahead with the Four-year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) under NEP and how Karnataka is responding to it.  What is FYUGP?  Under the University Grants Commission, Karnataka State Higher Education Council…

For the past few months, there has been contention over the redesign of Gandhi Bazaar. The conflict at hand revolves around the clashes between the preservation of heritage and the construction of a modern shopping hub. The primary issue is in the inability of traders/vendors and authorities to find a compromise or middle ground that satisfies both parties. There is a lack of communication and a lack of clarity regarding the existing plans for development. While traders/vendors have objected to their recommendations not being considered, the authorities say they have documented evidence of repeated meetings and workshops held with the…

The last phase of the Byappanahalli-KR Puram metro line is slated to be completed by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) mid-July or August. The Kengeri-Byappanahalli corridor will be connected to the Whitefield-KR Puram stretch. According to media reports, the ridership on the Whitefield-KR Puram stretch is about 28,000 passengers a day, and once the Purple Line is completed, the numbers are expected to rise significantly and travel time will be reduced too. All stakeholders, BMRCL, BMTC, Auto Unions, BTP, company associations like ORRCA, NASSCOM, and civil society groups, are being asked to get working together to get commuters…