City: Bengaluru

The ongoing process of constructing and implementing Namma Metro has been fraught with conflicts over property. Citizen Matters has been reporting about the litigation filed by Indiranagar's CMH (Chinmaya Mission Hospital) Road traders against the BMRCL (Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited). Traders are asserting their right to stay on CMH Road and continue their trades.The media have also recently briefly highlighted court cases being fought over properties at M G Road, Vijaynagar and Yeshwanthpur between private property holders, traders, residents associations and the BMRC. Pramila Nesargi, legal counsel for the traders association, had earlier suggested that as the Metro starts…

In Metro vs Traders: legal test coming up, we explained how land acquisitions are being carried out under Bangalore's Namma Metro project. The acquisitions are premised on the notion of eminent domain and public purpose. The experiences of eminent domain cases in other cities across the world help us understand the nuances involved when the state decides to take away private properties in the name of public purpose. The Dutch jurist Hugo Grotius first explained the term eminent domain. According to him, the state has the right to take away private property for implementing projects that will serve public purposes,…

Access to information using the RTI Act may have changed for the worse. The Government of Karnataka under Governor Rameshwar Thakur's administration has added a new rule, #14, which places a restriction on the subjects and the number of words to be contained in an application asking for information under the RTI Act. The rule was in the form of amendment (GO) to RTI rules 2005 and signed by the Under Secretary, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms on behalf of President of India and published in the Gazette of GOK. It is now in force. The rule allows only…

On Sunday, the 27 April, 2008 at 8 AM, a group of eleven people met up in front of the Apsara theatre at K R market and embarked upon what could well be called Bangalore's first ever PhotoWalk. As the name suggests, a PhotoWalk is all about people walking and taking pictures of whatever they find interesting along the way. They walk along as a group and click photographs, while sharing their information related to photography, to the buildings they pass by, or about anything else they find relevant. This concept as first mooted and implemented in Chennai by blogger…

This report captures stories from the polling booths to a new scandal emerging on land conversions and registrations. There are also briefs on the deplorable state at the High Grounds Police station and a new volunteer effort by engineering college students to help with blood donations and finding matches. Thursday, 15 May Kannada Prabha Two more underpasses will come up in J P Nagar and Kadirenahalli in Bangalore South. The success of underpass near Cauvery theatre prompted BBMP to have such underpasses in different places of city. But new underpasses will be constructed in the traditional style, instead of the…

Yes, I voted, with a name that was not only spelt wrong, but strangely had an extra word as well - "Meja Pramod Kumar".Over two months ago, I had submitted the form for changing the errors in my name to the ARO, and had got his signed receipt. When I applied for the ID card last month, I realised my name was still listed incorrectly. To avoid missing a chance to vote, I got the same name printed on my ID card. (Now that this election is over, I need to start the process of applying for corrections in the…

On 14 May, the Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) ruled that the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) can be construed as “Public Authority” and therefore it would be within the purview of the RTI Act. This issue arose out of an RTI application regarding suo motu disclosure by BIAL sought Benson Isaac, a citizen. While refusing to entertain Isaac's RTI application, BIAL took the stand that it was not a public authority as defined under the Act and as such was not under any obligation to make disclosures under RTI. Isaac then appealed at the KIC. The KIC used Section 2(h)…

When I heard that Dr Manmohan Singh was coming to Bangalore and would address a citizens' meeting at Chowdiah memorial hall on 8 May, I was very keen to attend. What other chance would I have to see...or even meet..the prime minister of my country? This man was an academician, a man of learning; and he was one of the leaders I could look up to...a rarity in the present political scenario. Rajeev Gowda, a professor of IIM-Bangalore alerted me to this event first and said that it was going to be a citizens' meeting with the PM. This was…

Yes, I voted couple of days back, as on many other occasions. And I am proud to be one of the only 44% Bangaloreans who voted. Now, why did I vote? I voted because I strongly believe that I have no right to complain about the system if I do not participate in the process of voting. While this sounds cliched, an important incentive for me is that I also believe that unless enough consumer resistance comes up, the system is not going to improve. So I believe in voting, and complaining and in being happy occasionally when I see…

The first time I ever voted was in these elections. I've lived in Bangalore for 8 years and I figured I've lived here long enough to be eligible to vote. This was before I found you that you only need to be in a place for about 6 months before you're eligible. I wish someone had told me that. In fact, I wish someone had told me a lot of things because I asked the questions, I just didn't get any right answers. So I got out this time. Determined to register, come hell or high water because I'm so…