City: Bengaluru

Her journey is one every aspiring technology manager will want in a city that virtually sees a startup a week. She is known in tech circles as co-founder of the start-up Aarohi Communications, which was acquired by Emulex Corporation, a California-based firm. In Bengaluru, a startup's successful acquisition usually means a lot, from a sense of enormous accomplishment at the end of a journey and the beginning of many things new, in addition to just plain becoming wealthier. Shanti Subbaraman did all this as a woman, and while working in urban India. Not easy, most will say. She started her…

Since 2002, we - owners of L&T South City apartment - have been waging a long battle against our apartment's builder L&T and land owner Dinesh Ranka. (Citizen Matters had reported on this here.) We have been running from pillar to post - going to police stations, holding protest marches, filing cases in City Civil Courts, High Court and Consumer Courts. Now, a complaint filed by our association SUGRUHA (South City Group Housing Apartment Owners' Association) at the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in August has made an impact. CCI is a central government body to ensure fair play by businesses…

Rajee Shanker, a resident of Kalyan Nagar is troubled by falling leaves on all roads and empty sites, “For the past 5 months,  nobody has been entrusted with cleaning of roads and removal of leaves".This is a common issue in all residential areas in the city especially the winter/post winter season. BBMP workers often burn the leaves, so their job becomes easier, inspite of the Commissioner’s order otherwise.BBMP’S RESPONSEResponding to complaints of leaf burning in the Organic Terrace Gardening Forum, Bangalore's composting evangelist Vani Murthy (who has documented her leaf composting process here) shared the contact details of the BBMP…

Maverick Holdings and BBMP signed a concessionaire agreement on 2 January, 2012, clearing the deck for the construction of 1,640 Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quarters at Ejipura. This is coming after a protracted legal battle that lasted nine years. The agreement was signed between Uday Garudachar of Maverick and BBMP Engineer in Chief BT Ramesh. Pic: Vijayalakshmi P But the residents still do not know where they will be relocated when the construction starts. Neither the BBMP nor Maverick has informed them about the relocation plans. And on January 14, Shantinagar MLA NA Harris had a shocking request to make…

In the case of a citizen's death during a Fire Department mock drill on February 24th, the Police have filed an FIR under Section 304A of the IPC (death by negligence) and are investigating. The case was based on a complaint by the victim's brother against fire department. Section 304A is bailable and carries maximum sentence of two years imprisonment with or without fine. File pic: Kiran Jonnalagadda Lawyer Mukund T S confirms that prosecution can be under Section 304A itself, as there was no intent to murder. "The incident was caused by negligence only, hence the more serious Section…

The residents’ associations of about 15 apartments of Somasundarapalya and Haralukunte, down HSR 27th Main Road have joined together to create a HSR-x Federation to collectively solve their problems and improve their neighbourhood. On Saturday, March 3rd, the group invited Bommanahalli MLA, Satish Reddy and HSR Corporator Latha Narasimhamurthy. Also present were Ravi Reddy, HSR ward BJP president for Bangalore), Syed Salam, businessman, husband of Mangammapalya ward Corporator Syed Haseena Taj and BBMP officials. Satish Reddy, Ravi Reddy and Latha Narasimhamurthy at citizen-MLA meeting, HSR Layout extensions. Pic: Satvik Koushik Virat Gohil, from Sai Poorna Paradise shared the problems of…

Bangaloreans started their day with a fitness run on Sunday, 4 March. Contours, a women's only fitness gym held its 3rd edition of fitness run of 10 kilometres. It is held every year close to the women's day. This run started at 6.30 am from Kanteerava stadium. Dancing their way with aerobics. Pic: Anisha Nair More than 1000 runners participated in this woman's day run including men and children. Age seemed no bound here. Participants were from the age group of 8 years to 70 years. The run was held with the support of charity partners - ASHA and PARIKRAMA…

The Byrasandra lake, situated in Jayanagar, which was once almost sold, is now set to be rejuvenated. The lake area was under a land dispute as it was allegedly sold by Indian Overseas Bank in an auction for a sum of Rs.7.60 crores. Citizen Matters's 29 Jul 2010 article has a detailed report on the various developments of the lake. Pic: Deepthi M S With the local people's initiative, the lake is now moving towards development. The fencing work at Byrasandra lake has started from 17 February.The lake development project was inaugurated by Ananth Kumar, MP, BJP. It will be…

  A few days ago, I was having lunch at a restaurant in Jayanagar 4th Block which offered an excellent view of the Cool Joint junction. A surprise checkpost set up by three traffic policeman close to the junction was the highlight of my lunch. During the course of half-an-hour, the police stopped 16-17 vehicles with no apparent discrimination between autos, two wheelers, four wheelers and goods vehicles. The policeman would stand behind a tree and suddenly step in front of the vehicle of his choice to make sure that there was no escaping the long arm of the law.…

Incense sticks, camphor, vermilion are the items that we normally associate with Grandhige Angadis. But these stores known for stocking up on all things related to pooja, are also the treasure trove of folk medicines. Pic: Vijayalakshmi P That brown bark to cure the acidity or that seed to fix the cough, these Grandhige Angadis are the place to find the ingredients for grandmother's sure shot home remedies.Some of these shops are decades old and the shopkeepers can practically prescribe these folk medicines. "I am here for the past 20 years, I have learned many things about the roots and…