GENRE: Explainers

BDA Flats in Nandini Layout (1 BHK EWS Quarters). Pic: Ganga Madappa Namma Bengaluru, with its burgeoning population, is witnessing a sea change in the kind of housing that is available for its citizens. Even in as recently as 2005, those looking to invest or set up base in Bangalore, preferred to buy a site and build their house from scratch. The reality now is different. While people will probably always prefer to own an independent house, the lack of space has made it necessary for them to look upwards. The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) in 2012, in line with…

Namma Bengaluru is home to people from across the country. While a good number of people depend on public transport or company-arranged travel to commute around the city, there’s likely to be an equal number driving around in their own vehicles. Given the fact that Bangalore has a sizable migrant population, there are many vehicles from other states entering the city now and again. Getting your own vehicle from your home state is perfectly all right, provided all your documents are in place, you get the vehicle  re-registered in Karnataka and pay the prescribed tax. The Karnataka Motor Vehicles Act…

After reading lot of blogs and articles on Aadhar enrollment, I thought would share my own experiences at two centers in Bangalore. I enrolled in Malleshwaram center and my family members did at Basavangudi center (both are Karvy's center). I enrolled in December 2013. My family members in January 2014. Address: 337, Karuna Complex, Sampige Road , Opp. New Vegetable Market, Malleshwaram Landmark: VGP showroom (1st floor). You can see the Board Aadhar enrollment centre in front of building. 1) I went in at about 9:30 am (on a Monday) and hence could not find much crowd. 2) I filled…

There were days when you had to call and book an appointment, wait in long queues and go through harrowing ordeals to get a passport. Now, with online appointments and professionalised services like Saakala, the experience of getting a passport has changed in Bengaluru. Here's how you can apply for a normal passport. Why do you need a passport? Why would you need a passport? To be eligible for foreign travel of course. It also holds good as a valid government-approved ID card, it acts as a proof of address, it is a reminder of your heritage and can also…

Also read: Have STP and fire hydrant in your apartment? This is what BESCOM can charge In the past month, several apartment complexes on Sarjapur Road in Bengaluru received a notice from BESCOM asking for payment of additional security deposit. In one case, the notice specified that the existing deposit was Rs 47,120 and the calculated MMD (Months Minimum Deposit) was Rs 1,43,690, and therefore the difference of Rs 96,570 was needed to be paid to BESCOM to avoid disconnection. When this came to Citizen Matters’ notice, we decided to have a chat with BESCOM to find out what the…

Talk about illegal buildings, and you come to know that more than 80% of buildings in Bengaluru have violations. Building owners who have knowingly or unknowingly violated the building rules, have been looking to resolve these issues once and for all. And the respite is here - in the form of Akrama Sakrama. The government has published the draft rules for Akrama Sakrama on December 31, 2013, deciding to regularise the buildings built before October 19, 2013. Like any other law, The Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act - now known as Akrama Sakrama - was framed with a lot…

After a recent discussion on TV, I got the feeling that people hardly know what corruption is and generally share a feeling of despondency and lack of hope about reducing or eliminating it. However, corruption is a systemic failure like many others and can be and has been cured in many countries, and within countries, in many sectors. Over the last four years, anticorruption has been a significant part of my consultancy portfolio. Starting from my experience in ipaidabribe.com, a site that began to crowd-source corruption-related experiences of citizens, I have since worked in several countries and authored reports on…

It’s 7 pm on a Friday evening in Bengaluru; you have just visited a friend. You want to go back. Your family vehicle is unavailable, you do not want to commute by bus and the cab company you have called says they are booked till 10:30 pm. Your friend agrees to drop you off to the auto stand, but the drivers refuse to come or ask you to pay more. What can you do? It’s no state secret that most folks who commute by auto are skeptical of auto drivers. Of course, there are a good number of honest ones.…

Think of sugar and it brings sweet memories to everyone’s mind. Sweet memories of chocolates, payasams, laddus, cakes, milkshakes and all the lovely treats that are ‘oh so sweet’! Can you imagine a day without eating sugar? Not unless you are a diabetic. A day without sugar is something unimaginable for most of us. Imagine drinking that cherished cup of tea or coffee without sugar! Well, thankfully most of us don’t have to eliminate sugar all together, but what we need to do is keep a watch on the amount we consume every day. Back in 2009 the American Heart…

My write up last week attempted to quell some of the qualms one might have had about cycling to work in Bengaluru. In this sequel, we discuss some of the practical aspects. Okay, I am convinced - what do I do next ? 1. Visit a bike shop. There are a number of bike shops in Bangalore where you can get good quality bikes. Among the shops are: Decathlon - www.decathlon.in - Sarjapur Road - White field - Mysore Road. Pro Cycle - www.procycle.in - Indiranagar Bums on the Saddle - www.bumsonthesaddle.com - Jaynagar. They have recently opened a branch…