City: Bengaluru

200 Suncity residents, an apartment community in south Bengaluru,  held a meeting on April 9th to remind the builders Corporate Leisure and Property development (CLDP) about the forgotten promises regarding ownership of common areas, maintenance fees and amenities. The project was launched by CLPD in 2003 with promises to provide various amenities such as club house / party hall/ swimming pool. It has nearly been 7 years and the project is still not complete and there are various other outstanding issues that current residents are facing. Suncity aprtment owners raising their voices. Pic: SAOA Though initially we had planned for a…

Thank You begins where Akshay Kumar signed off with Tees Maar Khan, faithfully fulfilling the promise of providing yet another weekend's dose of mindless entertainment. With shades of director Anees Bazmi's previous work like No Entry, it's also Anees' third film with Akshay after Welcome and Singh in Kinng. But this time the duo fails to make their magic work on audiences, let down primarily by a script that always manages to fall slightly short.The film begins with three friends Sanjana (Sonam Kapoor), Shivani (Rimi Sen)  and Maya (Celina Jaitley) who have something else in common - their husbands (Bobby…

Unmindful of the clock nearing midnight, or the on-going IPL, thousands turned up to watch the All India ‘A' Grade Mayor Cup - 2011 Kabaddi Tournament at the Durga Parmeshwari Grounds in JP Nagar. The atmosphere was charged up and the excitement palpable as home team Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) battled Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), New Delhi, in the finals on Sunday, 10th April. HAL and ONGC had earlier beaten BSF and BPCL respectively in the semi-final matches to set the stage for a title clash. The home team arrived on the field amidst loud cheer from the…

I had never heard of Anna Hazare before; Or the Lok Janpal Bill; I was in awe. I asked around and was explained what an icon that man is. Built not of skin and bones, this man is made of Principles and Values. There had to be something that I can do to support his movement. I got an sms the following day from my friend, Dr. Mateen that there is a meeting for the campaign 'India Against Corruption' at Freedom Park. Freedom Park? Where's that. No one has heard of Freedom Park. Well, pretty soon, the World got to…

Anna Hazare's anti-corruption hunger strike of last week resulted in sparking off involvement from around the country. But for Bengaluru, this was not the first major opportunity to hit out  The Saaku campaign of December 2010 was an attempt to send a message to the state government. Santosh Hegde's resignation of June 2010 also sparked an outcry of demonstrations and marches against the government. So much so that Justice Hegde decided to remain is office till the end of his term. Freedom Park on April 9th. The crowd rose up and broke into cheers on news of Anna Hazare breaking…

The digital SLR and her obsession with it is what came to Koramangala resident Chitra Aiyer's  succour about a year and a half ago. Chitra tragically lost her father to an illness and in her own words, photography helped her cope. "I found that when I was looking through the viewfinder and clicking, it helped me deal with the whole thing a lot," says the photographer and blogger. Like Aiyer, who specialises in wedding, children and family photography, the camera opened several avenues for many in the city. Farmers of Bellandur. Pic: Vivek M Bangalore Photography Club's (BPC) Mayur Channagere…

The recent sensational news of thousands of people being inspired by Anna Hazare should make the people of India wake up and gear up for the second revolution. It required the Mahatma to unite the people of India for a common cause. Now it is Anna Hazare who has achieved this feat. Instead of being passive spectators and constant grumblers, we can do our bit to address some civic problems. Some of our common problems and a possible solution has been given below: 1.  Do you want your locality to be clean? Do not throw garbage on the street. Educate…

BWSSSB's incomplete pipeline project is causing immense suffering to the residents of JP Nagar 8th & 9th Phase, Bengaluru. The trench dug to lay pipelines is a serious hazard for those passing by. Pic: Yograj S Mudalgi After digging up and blocking the main road connecting Kanakpura Road and Bannerghatta Road , work has stopped on this BWSSB project, which started over 4 months ago. Citizen Matters followup K N Rajiv, Assistant Executive Engineer, BWSSB, told Citizen Matters over the phone that pipeline work has been completed and the pipes are being tested for any leakage. "The project will be…

On the third day of the fast in Bengaluru, more than one thousand citizens gathered at the Freedom Park. The candle light vigil today (April 8th) is expected to bring close to ten thousand people. Veteran theatre personality Bhargavi Narayan extending her support to the movement, on the third day. Pic: Navya P K From April 5th, eminent individuals led by anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare have been campaigning from New Delhi for a powerful and undiluted Lok Pal Bill to deter rampant corruption. In Bangalore, eight citizens went on an indefinite fast at Freedom Park during the week, joining tens…

In the last week of March, while World Water Day was being marked globally with a focus on "Urban Water Management". But our own urban administrators were busy - giving out contradictory statements about metropolitan water management and plans for tackling water scarcity as summer sets in; leaving citizens with emotions ranging from confusion to anger that can be as enervating as thirst. The Karnataka Groundwater (Regulation and Control of Development and Management)  bill passed recently forbids drilling of  borewells in groundwater-depleted areas (and most areas are depleted, with the water table sinking to incontrovertibly alarming levels)  but four days…