City: Bengaluru

BMRCL has always been notorious for its lack of transparency. Even being a government entity, the company is reluctant to share information to the media, citizens or activists. The entry into BMRCL head office is restricted compared to other government offices.When I had asked the BMRCL PRO for a sketch of the stations last year, it was denied citing security reasons. I was also stopped from taking pictures, even from outside, of Metro stations under construction, about six months back.Now the strictures have extended to public spaces too - Metro employees in stations stop media persons from taking pictures or…

It was 759am when I got to ITPL bus stop in Whitefield, satisfied that I beat the odds to catch a 500C that usually takes off between 8-815. Even if I missed that, I knew I would get a 500K or 500NA. A section of stranded commuters at 820am. The group increased to sizeable bunch by 845. Pic: Subramaniam Vincent. The opposite happened. As commuters lined up steadily, two 500Cs, one 500K and one un-named volvo, all took their expected U-turn at ITPL. As passengers started moving towards the doors, the buses simply shot off, doors closed. Drivers signalled 'oota'…

If you are thinking of Jab we met when you are watching director Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar, it's a memory you'll have to soon forget. Missing is the refreshingly original sense of humour that you have come to expect in an Imtiaz Ali film. Even when you do find traces of that old familiar magic, it's soon lost in this dark and brooding tale of the making of a rockstar. Playing the rockstar is Ranbir Kapoor, supported by debutant Nargis Fakhri. The film also has the sentimental appeal of being Shammi Kapoor's last film, albeit in a cameo role.To Imtiaz's credit,…

Tennis enthusiasts usually busy with their corporate jobs got a chance to pull out their racquets from storage cupboards. Aces and smashes from the corporate sector are on full swing at the Bulldog Tennis Academy, Kanakapura Road with the ongoing Inter Corporate Tennis Championship (ICTC) 2011. The month-long tennis tournament, which started on November 5th, is probably the first and the only one of its kind in the country that offers players from the corporate sector an opportunity to compete at different play levels. Says Ronnie Sehgal, founder of Bulldog Tennis Academy that is conducting the tournament, "the goal is…

While many apartments in the city are taking baby steps with waste recycling initiatives, Tungabhadra block of National Games Village apartments, Koramangala, has generated about Rs 1 lakh in the last seven months with its waste recycling project. Recyclathon - Best Waste Wise Apartments Championship - National Games Village. Pic: Vani Murthy The 220 apartment block won the championship in the ‘Best Waste Wise Apartment (100-250 unit category)’ award in the Recyclathon awards on November 13th. Recyclathon was organised as part of the Bangalore Recycling Habba 2011, a series of events across the city, during November 1st to 13th. The…

The 2011 Bangalore Ultra Marathon took place on Sunday, 13 November, at Hesarghatta. The marathon, organised by Runners for Life, a community of runners, is in its fifth year. This year, the Ultra had five courses - 12.5, 25, 37.5, 50, 75 and 100 kilometres. The marathon was open to people of all nationalities. More than a thousand people participated in the Ultra Marathon. Pic courtesy: Veloscope Winner of the 50 kilometre course of Bangalore Ultra Marathon, Athreya Chidambi, finished the race in 3 hours, 58 min and 56 seconds; missing out on breaking the course record by one minute.…

Last week Amulya Somashekhar, her mother Asha and a friend were charged for allegedly assaulting a Banaswadi traffic police inspector. Asha Somasekhar is a volunteer with the Bangalore chapter of India Against Corruption (IAC). Two days later, the case took a new turn with IAC getting involved in the issue. IAC, as readers will know is the organising group behind the Anna Hazare-led movement for the Jan Lokpal bill. Intervening in the matter, IAC representatives met the Additional Comissioner of Police Suneel Kumar (IPS) and gave the police department a petition for the constitution of a Police Complaints Authority. "IAC…

If you know someone who has done exemplary work for Bangalore, now may be the time to give them credit. Namma Bengaluru Awards, intended to honour unsung heroes of the city, have opened its nominations for this year.Nominations were launched on October 31st and will close on November 30th.T he awards are instituted by Namma Bengaluru Foundation, founded by Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar. Started in 2009, this is the third edition of the awards. A person can nominate oneself or others here. Supporting documents on the nominee's work can be loaded online itself. This year the awards are for…

Since its inauguration, a large number of people have been taking joy rides on the Metro. Now, after about three weeks, there are those who still take fun rides, but the number of regular users is on the rise too.Most are professionals whose office and home, both, are located near the stretch. But many use Metro along with other transport modes to connect from home to office. Pallavi Rao, a Yeshwantpur resident in her 20s, takes two buses - one from Yeshwantpur to Shivajinagar, and another from Shivajinagar to MG Road - and then rides the Metro to her office…

An announcement from BBMP in newspapers a while back has asked for citizens to write in with objections if any, to the proposed changes in road names. It is not just roads but also areas that have been renamed (among them Frazer Town, which everybody still refers to as Frazer Town rather than as Pulakeshinagar.The rationale for name changes is that the old names are relics from a colonial past and that we need to commemorate our own, indigenous heroes and  leaders (from Kittur Chennamma to Kempe Gowda, to former judge, governor and freedom fighter Nittoor Srinivasa Rau) which is…