GENRE: LN

Bellandur Buzz... Issue # 36 Date: 22 May 2015 This fortnightly newsletter is brought to you by the residents group bellandur-forum@googlegroups.com   Protest against Bellandur – Agara SEZ   Peaceful protest Date: 7th June 2015 Venue: Next to Agara lake and the temple Time: 9:30am – 11:30am Protest is organized by Koramangala and Bellandur residents. Why we are opposed: Blatant encroachment on ~100 acres of Bellandur wetlands. Threatening the survival of Bellandur Lake, the largest in Bangalore. A serious threat to underground water levels and sources Mega project requires water currently being supplied to 3 big wards. Supply zero sum…

  May 7th 2015 saw the launch of a unique initiative in Bangalore -  the Neighbourhood Improvement Partnership (NIP) Challenge. Rolled out by United Technologies Corporation (UTC), the challenge is the first of its kind in the country, and calls for a collaboration between citizens and public officials, to identify key civic challenges in their neighbourhoods, and voluntarily contribute time, energy and resources to tackle them. The challenge will be be rolled out by the Centre for Public Problem Solving (CPPS), a division of Imagine Bangalore with support from EMBARQ India. Organisations like BBMP and BPAC are also slated to…

Vijaya Bhaskar, IAS, Administrator, Kumar Naik, IAS, BBMP Commissioner and Darpan Jain, IAS, Joint Commissioner (SWM), BBMP held an interaction with various civil society organisations in which at least one trade union representative participated. The purpose of this interaction was BBMP’s keenness to engage NGOs in its city cleaning drive. Commissoner Kumar Naik explained that the last minute invitation that did not reach many was well-intended at inclusivity of all, though the organising was all last minute, which he agreed the next time around would be done right. Here are the highlights of the meeting: 1) Almost everyone present agreed…

A key challenge to inclusion of disabled people into the mainstream is the basic lack of access. Accessibility is not limited to physical spaces alone, but also includes transport infrastructure, information and technology, aids and appliances etc. Access is therefore an issue that cuts across disabilities, sectors, abilities and age groups and forms the very basis of empowerment of disabled people. 'Universal Design', i.e. a design that is usable by all therefore becomes intrinsic to any kind of access. It was to recognise innovative work that improved accessibility and promoted the principles of Universal Design that NCPEDP with the support…

Bellandur Buzz... Issue # 35 Date - 8th May 2015 This fortnightly newsletter is brought to you by the citizen group bellandur-forum@googlegroups.com Bellandur wetlands project case update In a judgement delivered in a case filed by a number of citizen welfare groups in Koramangala, HSR Layout and Bellandur, the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal has found prima facie evidence of serious irregularities and imposed fines amounting to Rs. 139.4 Crores on the two developers involved for environmental violations in the project opposite Agara lake (wetlands of Bellandur). This case was being fought by a series of RWAs and…

Uncertainty surrounding the BBMP election seems to have ended, with the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordering the Karnataka government to conduct the polls within three months. In a turn of events, senior advocate Kapil Sibal who represented the Karnataka government submitted before the Apex Court that the government will hold the BBMP polls within three months. Senior advocate V Laxminarayana, who represented the petitioners, the BBMP corporators, gave Citizen Matters a brief of what went on inside the court hall. The government advocate, Kapil Sibal clarified to the Supreme Court that the State government will not restructure the BBMP before…

footpath noun A path for pedestrians in a built-up area; a pavement. A path for people to walk along. Source: www.oxforddictionaries.com If Bengaluru’s footpaths could talk, they’d have many a tale to tell. Perhaps about the mounds of garbage that are dumped on them… Or about people pitching camp to sell their wares, or sometimes even build their homes. While some could claim that they have sent people to the hospital with injuries, some others would state that they have claimed lives! Even today, when there is so much conversation about road safety, and despite pedestrians being at the fore…

There were less of suggestions and more of ire against the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) at the public meeting convened by the BDA to seek suggestion and opinion from public before drafting the Revised Master Plan-2031. Bengalureans who are upset over the routine exercise of convening meetings before introducing the RMP, used the opportunity to attack BDA for the kind of mess it has created in the city. The BDA convened a public meeting on RMP-2031 at Ambedkar Bhavan in Miller’s Road on Wednesday. Members of Citizen Action Forum (CAF), the city-based civic group, questioned the BDA’s power to call…

KSTC buses will ply as usual after 6pm. Pic: Pavan Kulkarni With Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation Staff and Workers’ Federation calling for a day-long strike opposing the provisions of the Road Transport and Safety Bill, 2015, KSRTC and BMTC buses will remain off road in Bengaluru on Thursday (April 30th). Confirming the strike call to Citizen Matters, Staff and Workers’ Federation General Secretary H V Anantha Subba Rao said that the strike will last for 12 hours, from 6 am to 6 pm. “As many as 1,20,000 employees of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation…

KSTC bus on its way to Hassan. Pic: Pavan Kulkarni Anticipating that a large number of people will travel outside and into the city over this weekend on account of Friday being an off for May-day, KSRTC has arranged 30 additional buses for the three-day period between 30th April and 2nd May. These buses will operate from Mysore Road Bus Station, Basaveshwara Bus Station Peenya, Vijaynagar TTMC, Ganganagara, Malleshwaram 18th Cross bus stand and a number of other pick up points. However, not all buses have been reserved so far, and only if there is a demand for more, these…