City: Bengaluru

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Reports are a compilation of financial audits, compliance audits, and performance audits of the central government and state governments. The Indian Audit & Accounts (IA& AD), headed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, audits almost all branches of Government at every level. The reports offer insights on the nuanced workings of governance. Citizen Matters series on Understanding Public Project Audits, curated by experts from the CAG, tells us how these reports can be leveraged by citizens to hold their local governments accountable. For instance, when the office of Accountant General (Audit II) conducted…

Students in city protest against NEP At a convention in Freedom Park on Wednesday, AIDSO (All India Democratic Students Organisation) said that about 40,000 students have collected and will send almost 35 lakh signatures to the Prime Minister and the state Chief Minister, demanding the scrapping of the NEP (National Education Policy), 2020 . AIDSO opposed many NEP features, including four-year degree courses and students simultaneously studying two degree courses, saying it would commercialise education. Experts slammed the government for rolling out the NEP without consulting stakeholders. They added that instead of focusing on developing infrastructure and addressing dropout rates in…

The Kannada movie, 777 Charlie, not only beautifully showcased the relationship between dog and man, but also highlighted the perils of indiscriminate breeding. The film also stressed the essential narrative of ‘adopt, don't shop’. The reality is that dogs are bred indiscriminately, pups and dogs do get abandoned, and there are still many dogs looking for homes.  An abandoned St Bernard. Pic courtesy: Voice of Voiceless Dog Breeding and Marketing (DBM) rules, 2017, and Pet Shop rules, 2018, lay out the broad structure,  regulations and controls to ensure responsible breeding and to avoid cruelty. While the framework exists, does it…

On September 22nd, a one-storied building built over a stormwater drain (SWD) or rajakaluves at Shanti Niketan Layout near Munnenakolalu was demolished. The residents were served notice by the tehsildar of the Revenue Department to vacate the house immediately, following which, the structure was razed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the drains cleared of the debris. BBMP zonal officials oversee the demolition of encroachments. Pic: BBMP PRO The city's collective anger over the recent flooding of residential layouts and damage to property finally led to the municipal body scrambling to clear all constructions that encroached the rajakaluves.…

Family courts, by definition, deal with speedy and secure settlement of disputes relating to marriage, guardianship, and all matters related to family. Family Courts were first established, across the country, after the Family Courts Act, 1984, came into effect. Inside Bengaluru's family courts In Bengaluru, the family court complex is located off the road from the Lalbagh Main Gate, leading towards the double road bus station. The court complex has about three floors with six  court halls along with the Principal bench on the second floor. After passing  through the security check, one is greeted, at the mediation centre, by…

On September 4th, Bengaluru experienced one of its wettest days on record, causing large parts of the city to get severely flooded. This was after weeks of heavy rainfall that turned roads into rivers in some of the city’s rapidly developing ‘high-tech’ areas. This is going to happen again and again unless we fundamentally change how we approach urban planning. We need to proactively work with the assumption that such severe extreme weather events are the new normal and what can be done to prevent flooding in the city under these circumstances. As a sustainable architect and environmental modeller, I…

Government tables Language Bill The government, on September 22nd tabled the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Bill, 2022 to provide for reservation to Kannadigas in industries and other establishments as per the state industrial policy. A non-complying company will not be eligible for any government concessions. The proposed legislation will also make Kannada mandatory for employees of banks and other financial institutions. Failure in using Kannada for official and administrative transactions would be considered as dereliction of duty. Source: The Indian Express 57% dissatisfied with government: Survey The Bengaluru Citizens’ Perception Survey, released by the B.PAC (Bangalore Political Action Committee) on…

An informed citizenry is the hallmark of a mature democracy. Hence, institutions or mechanisms that empower citizens, by providing feedback on the working of government, are essential pillars of democracy. Citizen Matters has published a series of explainers by experts from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), India’s statutory watchdog agency. It is responsible for the performance audit of government functions/departments. CAG reports have covered a wide range of subjects: health, education, road safety, toll, guidance value of property, mining, construction workers’ welfare, etc. The articles focus on the performance of overall state finances with respect to State…

Mohammad Irshad, a person with a disability and a native of Bengaluru, when asked about the current state of accessibility for the disabled in the city, said: “I have never been to a public washroom”. Irshad, diagnosed with a condition called Spina Bifida, where a  baby's spinal cord fails to develop properly, has been a wheelchair user for as long as he can remember. Irshad believes that the lack of accessibility in Bengaluru stems from the fact that the public and policymakers are unaware of the types of disabilities that exist. He believes accessibility for people with disabilities can only…

River Cauvery is the lifeline of Bengaluru’s economy. But before Cauvery, it was the Arkavathi. Polluted and now running almost dry for around half a century, Arkavathi is biologically dead. It stands as living proof of what is to come for Cauvery. A victim of urban-industrial society, Arkavathi today is a shadowy semblance of a former glorious river. It is a ghost river. This is the story of how the Thippagondanahalli Dam and Thippagondanahalli Reservoir, also known as Chamaraja Sagara, on the Arkavathi river rose to prominence as Bengaluru’s drinking water source and 80 years later, became defunct because of…