bangalore journal

What was meant to be a healthy debate that would help the people of Vasanthnagar (Ward no: 93) decide on who was best suited to be their corporator went that way for over an hour. And then, in a matter of minutes, it spiralled into an emotionally-loaded exchange of words between rival political factions. The debate held at the Punjab Seva Samithi in the Vasanthnagar Area, saw the participation of five candidates - R. Mallikarjuna (Janata Dal (Secular)), Lokapriya (Nationalist Congress Party), N.S Ramakanth (Lok Satta Party), B.R Naidu (Congress) and Katta Jagadish Naidu (Bharatiya Janata Party). Arguments exchanged between…

Running for the post of corporator from Koramangala are four women from reserved Backward Caste ‘A' category. So come March 28th, the residents of Kormangla ward will have to choose from P Bhagya (BJP), Kokila Radakrishna (Congress), K Malathi (Independent) and Dr Florence (JD(S)) to represent them in the Council.All the four women came together on one platform to interact with the residents of their ward on March 21st at National Games Village, Koramangala. The event was a debate organised by SmartVote and the Koramangala United Citizens Council (KUCC).  Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde was invited as a special guest. The…

Vendors who participated in the melaLabournetJP Nagar II PhaseTel: 44504450, 9448395258Email: rajesh[at]labournet[dot]in, aditya[at]labournet[dot]inGreat Bear PromotionHennur Road, Kalyan NagarTel: 25431414, 9243101670Email: gbpcti[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]inFarmland SystemsJayanagar 7th BlockCell: 9448076595Email: farmlandrhs[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]inHoneywell Rain Water HarvestingGanganagarCell: 9945331381Email: honeywell[dot]rwhs[at]gmail[dot]comRainbow Rain Water HarvestingMattikereTel: 66379585, 9844055050EcoserveYelahanka New townCell: 9341325216, 9379538366FramelinesKengeriCell: 9880659675Email: tomlalthomas[at]hotmail[dot]comSwaraj FoundationAmrutnagarTel: 23622938Email: swarajfoundation[at]gmail[dot]comGreen TechnologiesBanashankari III StageTel: 26696905, 9448571861Email: greentech[at]gmail[dot]comBaduku CollegeSeshadripuramTel: 23468113/114, 9449359156Email: samvada[at]gmail[dot]comRainwater Concepts Pvt LtdSahakarnagarCell: 9448379497Email: rainwatermasagi2000[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]inTechnology Informatics Design Endeavour (TIDE)MalleshwaramTel: 23315656, 9448491501Email: info[at]tide-india[dot]orgHinren Technologies Pvt Ltd.JP Nagar II PhaseTel: 66815120BWSSB Helpdesk numbers23341652, 23348848, 23348849 Note: Listing in this box does not constitute a recommendation by Citizen Matters in favour of any of these vendors. Please make…

It is possibly for the first time that citizens of Bengaluru are getting an opportunity to interact with candidates closely, ahead of the council elections. Through various such sessions being organised across the city, citizens can make an informed choice on March 28th, when they vote for their Councillor. From left to right – Manjunath Reddy (Congress), G N R Babu (Congress), K Devadas (Independent), Asgar Rafiuddin (Indian National League), Mohammad Sadiq (Independent) and H K Muthappa (BJP) at the debate organised by Citizen Matters and BTM RWAs. Pic: Chetan Boray Citizen Matters, along with residents welfare associations of BTM…

With BBMP elections round the corner, Citizen Matters along with resident's welfare associatons of JP Nagar (ward no: 177) and Sarkki (ward no: 178) organised a combined debate-cum-discussion for the candidates and residents of these areas on March 20th at Mahatma Play home grounds, JP Nagar.While Chandrashekar Raju (BJP), Teshi Venkatesh (JD(S)), and Prakash Kumar (Congress) addressed the concerns from residents of JP Nagar; candidates from Sarakki, namely, Swarnalatha (JD(S)) and Arun Kumar (Congress) discussed their plans on how to bring about change in their ward.  (From left) Teshi Venkatesh (JD(S) ), Prakash Kumar (Congress), Chandrashekar Raju (BJP), Arun Kumar…

"I am running to represent the people in all government offices and departments where they want their work done, but I am not going to make false promises about specific projects or schemes", says R Venkatesh, film director and JD(S) candidate for councillor at JP Nagar (Ward 177). Forty-two year old Venkatesh is a first-time corporator candidate and says he is inspired by H D Kumaraswamy's leadership.Venkatesh's attitude sums up a reformist and perhaps even non-ideological line, amongst the tickets mainline parties have given to some candidates. But with a whopping 198 seats up for the council, candidates of all…

In the mid-eighties when I used to travel on Bellary Road from Bangalore to Vijayapura, a small town about 50 kms away from Bangalore, many things were different. There used to be a huge Circle called Mekhri Circle and the metro almost ended there. There were a few residential localities like Sultanpalya, Gangenahalli and Dollars Colony along the Bellary Road but these were not congested like today and the highway to Bellary/Hyderabad began at Mekhri Circle. There were very few concrete buildings along the highway like the Kirloskar Factory, AMCO Batteries, Larsen & Turbo and a few petrol pumps. Dinshaw…

Jayanagar Academic Committee (JAC) organised an event on March 14th to mark its completion of the coaching programme for students appearing in the forthcoming SSLC exam. This was held at SSMRV College, Jayanagar 4th T block. More than 100 people attended the function. A volunteer teacher of the coaching progamme demonstrated to show as to how the 45 days coaching classes have been conducted. The students said that they were made to solve model question papers and the classes were very interactive and practical. The idea of this progamme was put forth by MLA of Jayanagar. Pic: Chetan Boray. More…

On a bright Sunday during the first week of this month, Namma Santhe - Navachetana Trust's first organic market, with 20 odd stalls selling vegetables and fruits, spice mixes, packaged health products, herbal plants, and eco friendly bags, attracted a mixed crowd. Middle class couples hoping for fresh produce and interesting pickles, a considerable number of the elite who had developed an interest in sustainable living, and the common man curious as to what the whole thing was about.One could hear occasional grumbles about the setting - the grounds of a school in Vidyaranyapura in north Bangalore. When some visitors…

Bangalore People's Forum has recently come up with a manifesto for the consideration of voters and candidates participating in elections in BBMP electiions 2010. The forum consists of the following organisations.  ActionAid, Alternate Law Forum, Centre for Education and documentation, CIVIC, Community Health Cell, Concerned for Working Children, Environment Support Group (Environment, Social Justice and Governance Initiatives), Garment and Textile Workers Union, Hasiru Usiru, Hengasara Hakkina Sangha, Janasahyog, Janarogya Andholan Karnataka (PHM-KA), Kilikili, Maraa, Nightingales Medical Trust, Sahajeeran, Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, Sangama, Save Bangalore Committee, Slum Jagattu, The Avenue Road Traders Associations, Vimochana Introduction All efforts of the…