City: Bengaluru

Kudos to the Parliament and the Government for passing the Lokpal bill today. It goes along with a bouquet of legislation to combat corruption, starting with the Right to Information Act. Though Lokpal is a powerful tool, we still need to address the causes of the disease of corruption - electoral funding! 1. The reality of direct elections today is that large sum of money is required to reach out to the electorate and provide them with democratic information relating to their electoral choices. The official limits upon election expenses are irrational, barely meeting the appropriate levels of expenditure and…

Upalokayukta Subhash Adi had visited Kaikondrahalli lake in October 2013, to study the work done by citizens and BBMP in restoring the lake. Pic: Meera K Upa Lokayukta seems to be emerging as a new saviour for Bengaluru’s lakes. Subhash Adi, the Upa Lokayukta of Karnataka Lokayukta, has set a deadline of three months for BBMP to clear the encroachment of lakes by slums, with proper rehabilitation. Upa Lokayukta came up with this order after reading the inspection reports on 183 lakes done by BBMP, BDA and other civic agencies that look into the lakes of Bengaluru. The report by…

With the recent examples of harassment charges against journalist Tarun Tejpal and supreme court retired judge A K Ganguly, the issue that most companies choose to ignore has come to the fore. Even in Namma Bengaluru, there are hundreds of such cases that go unreported for various reasons. These are high profile personalities - but what about the millions of others working in various offices across cities, towns and villages in India? Are they aware of their rights? What constitutes sexual harassment at the workplace? Are they aware that there are clear work and personal boundaries? How can a woman…

Kempegowda International Airport. Pic: KGIAL PRO On December 14, 2013, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) was renamed Kempe Gowda International Airport Limited (KGIAL). A new expanded terminal T1A was opened by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh. With this expansion, the terminal area has more than doubled from 73,347 sq.mt to 1,50,500 sq.mt. Infrastructure has been put in place to handle the growth in traffic expected for the next few years. An overview of projection of facilities, done before the inauguration of new terminal BIAL was opened on May 24, 2008, at Devanahalli, about 40…

A bus commuter, Vamshi Krishna, posted a discussion on the Citizen Matters forum. He stated that he was issued a  ticket for Rs.70 on the Volvo from Kundalahalli Gate to Majestic bus station in Bengaluru, and the distance printed on the ticket was 24 km. On 4 December, he boarded the bus, armed with a GPS device in hand and measured the distance. The GPS device however showed the distance covered as 17.4 km. Citizen Matters decided to get to the crux of the matter and find out what the problem was. Was the BMTC doing something they shouldn’t? Was…

A waste dump in Kadu Malleshwara ward continues as ever, even after the pilot project came into being. Pic: Shree D N One thing religiously practised by every citizen when it comes to failure of any project: Blame the government. But this time citizens too have equal blame to take. The citizens of Bangalore seem to have forgotten the garbage crisis which erupted last year distorting the sight and smell of the garden city. The target was to achieve 80 percent waste segregation at the source within eight weeks. But a status report on Kasa Mukta project projects a low success…

LGBT rights activists protesting against the Supreme Court verdict, in Bangalore. Pic: Nikita Malusare They all had planned for a gala celebration. But the Supreme Court’s judgement on consensual sex between homosexuals drove them into a rebellious mood. “I am very disappointed, unhappy and feel voiceless. If not the Supreme Court, then whom should one go to?” said Akkai Padmashali, associated with Sangama - an NGO that is working to protect the rights of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community and sex workers since 1999. Members of Coalition of Sex Workers and Sexual Minorities Rights and Human Rights Activists…

The cancellation of the much awaited event, the fortnight-long Bangalore Book Fair, this year is a reflection of the state government’s inability to understand that good reading habits are important for its denizens. The fair at Palace Grounds was cancelled at the last-minute after the state Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) discovered a legal point on the venue in the light of the long-running battle between the heirs of the erstwhile Mysore rulers and the government on the ownership of Bangalore Palace Grounds. The purpose of any book fair is to create awareness about book culture in the…

This is not a crime thriller but a true story. Right in the heart of metropolitan city Bengaluru, with its 30 lakh vehicles (at last count) for a population of 90 lakh plus 1,300 new vehicles registered every day, a person dies. And no one cares! Muniyappa didn’t die of infection or injuries. He died of malnutrition and hunger, even as the parliament was passing the historic Food Security Bill. Rather, he was murdered - by a government that focuses on GDP growth, FDI and “market reforms” rather than the poor and destitute, who are also human, and for whom…

Students of Inventure Academy, Sarjapura Road participated in the Namma Bengaluru Awards 2013 by nominating their heroes recently. What does BBMP stand for? Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike - Pat came the reply! What’s so unusual in this revelation? Well - nothing except that this came from a bunch of well meaning students in the prestigious Inventure Academy. If you thought today’s youngsters don’t care enough for their city, think again! They are aware of their surroundings and have kept their eyes, ears, heart and soul open in either contributing towards their city’s development or joining hands with those who are…