ELECTIONS

BBMP Elections are here again. Candidates must make their stand clear about creation of Ward Committees / Area Sabhas as per Karnataka Municipal Corporation (Ward Committee) Rules 2013 and other Acts. Otherwise, people must reject them. Despite High Court of Karnataka orders in 2013, BBMP has failed to form Ward Committees / Area Sabhas in most of 198 wards under its limits; if existing, selection process of members is either skewed or manipulated to suit the whims and fancies of the ward corporation and local MLA. If existing, they are either defunct or the meetings held and recorded are far…

On May 17th, BBMP Administrator T M Vijay Bhaskar blew the lid off “development works” taken up in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), with a tweet. In his tweet, he said  that details of works completed and pending bills as on April 30th 2015 are displayed on BBMP website for transparency. He asked public to check the list of works and inform the officials in case of discrepancies. With it, the Social Audit system was introduced in BBMP for the very first time. Enthused public, activists and new political parties got into action. With the data in hand, they went…

ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯೆದುರಿಗಿನ ರಸ್ತೆಯಿರಬಹುದು, ಕಸವೇ ಇರಬಹುದು ಅಥವಾ ಬೀದಿ ದೀಪಗಳೇ ಇರಬಹುದು, ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ಸರಿಯಾಗಿರುವಂತೆ, ಕಾಲಕಾಲಕ್ಕೆ ರಿಪೇರಿಗಳಾಗುವಂತೆ ನೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕಾಗಿರುವುದು ಬೃಹತ್ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಮಹಾನಗರಪಾಲಿಕೆಯ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯ. ಪಾಲಿಕೆ ಚುನಾವಣೆಗಳು ಇನ್ನೇನು ನಡೆಯಲಿವೆ. ಇದು ನಿಮ್ಮ ವಾರ್ಡ್, ನಿಮ್ಮ ರಸ್ತೆ, ನೀವಿರುವ ಜಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ಸರಿಯಿರುವಂತೆ ನೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವಂತಹ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಮಾಡಲು ನಿಮಗಿರುವ ಸುವರ್ಣಾವಕಾಶ. ಈ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ, ಪಾಲಿಕೆ ಚುನಾವಣೆಯ ವಿಶೇಷ ವರದಿಗಾಗಿ ನಾವು ನಿಮ್ಮ ವಾರ್ಡಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಪರ್ಧಿಸುವ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳ ವಿವರಗಳನ್ನು ಕಲೆಹಾಕಿ ನಿಮಗೆ ನೀಡುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇವೆ. ಕನ್ನಡ ಹಾಗೂ ಇಂಗ್ಲೀಷಿನಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಈ ಅರ್ಜಿಯನ್ನು, ನಮ್ಮ ವಿಶೇಷ ಪುಟಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ತಮ್ಮನ್ನು ತಾವು ಕಾಣಬಯಸುವ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳು ಭರ್ತಿ ಮಾಡಬಹುದಾಗಿದೆ. ಇದು ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ಹಿತಾಸಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಮಾಡುವಂತಹ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮವಾಗಿದ್ದು ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಯಾವುದೇ ರೀತಿಯ ಶುಲ್ಕ ಇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ನೀವು ನಮ್ಮ ಓದುಗರಾಗಿದ್ದಲ್ಲಿ: ನೀವು ಚುನಾವಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಉತ್ತಮ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಯನ್ನು ಆಯ್ಕೆಗೊಳಿಸಿ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರನ್ನು ಉತ್ತಮಗೊಳಿಸುವ ಕನಸು ಹೊಂದಿದ್ದೀರಾ? ಹಾಗಿದ್ದಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಈ ಯತ್ನವು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಅರ್ಥಪೂರ್ಣ ಹಾಗೂ ಮಾಹಿತಿಭರಿತವಾಗುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡಲು ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು…

Schedule for the much-awaited Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) election has been declared. The Karnataka State Election Commission has scheduled the election on July 28th 2015. With the announcement of poll schedule, model code of conduct has come into force with immediate effect and will be in force till August 1st. Addressing media persons on Thursday, State Election Commissioner P N Srinivasachari declared that the BBMP Commissioner will issue poll notification on July 8th. Last date for filing nominations is July 15th. Last date for scrutiny of nominations is July 16th. Candidates can withdraw their nominations before July 20th. Polling…

Be it your road, the garbage or street lights in your area, it is Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) that has to set it right. With BBMP polls to be held anytime now, now is your chance to choose the candidate who will help solve the problems in your area, and give enough representation to citizens from your ward in the BBMP council. As part of our special coverage of BBMP elections, we are happy to provide a special space for candidates to reach out to voters. Here is a form, both in Kannada and English, which the candidates can…

With the High Court on Monday ordering the State government and State Election Commission to conduct Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) polls on time, air of apprehension has surrounded the BBMP restructuring process. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called for a meeting tomorrow, on June 25th 2015, in which selected ministers in the state government, MPs, MLAs and MLCs from Bengaluru, the Urban Development Additional Chief Secretary, the BBMP Administrator and the BBMP Commissioner will take part. The meet is expected to decide on whether the BBMP will be restructured or not. While the BBMP Restructuring Expert Committee is likely to…

Uncertainty that loomed large over BBMP election has been cleared, with the High Court on Monday dismissing the State government’s Impleading Application (IA) seeking time to conduct polls on the grounds of releasing fresh reservation roster. Apart from dismissing the IA, the Court also imposed penalty on the government for abuse of the process of judiciary. The Court has ordered the State government to pay Rs 10,000 to each of the respondents in the case. It also dismissed applications filed by other applicants including Karnataka State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and levied them a fine of Rs…

A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm: Henrik Ibsen Here's proof that the good folks of Whitefield are ever ready to take the helm.  There are several children in the Whitefield area who require help. Help raise money for young Deepan, who needs funds to support his medical treatment. Read how the community came together to ensure two young boys could pursue their studies. Also see how far the road work in Whitefield has progressed and by when you can expect completion. Finally, with BBMP elections around the corner,  do ensure that you…

Lingaraj Urs (third from right) with members of Bruhat Whitefield Residential Community Association (BWRCA). Pic: BWRCA Facebook Page Well-known formula for bringing in change world over is, if you want to change the system, be a part of it first. Lingaraj Urs, a top IT honcho, fed up of the problems in his area, wanted to change the system to improve governance and administration in his area. He decided to get into poll politics to do it. And he won. To most well-heeled urban citizens, politics was thus far known as ‘the last resort of scoundrels’; good men and women…

Sampath Ramanujam (fifth from left) and Lingaraj Urs (second from right) alongwith other members of BWRCA. Pic courtesy: BWRCA FB Page Two residents of posh homes in two Gram Panchayats in Whitefield area are gearing up to actively participate in the GP polls scheduled for June 2nd, 2015. This would not have been news, but for the notion that elite people living in gated communities pay least attention to local affairs. With only ten days left for the polling day, two members of gated communities in Whitefield area have filed their nominations to contest the election from Seegehalli and Kannamangala…