GENRE: LN

How about starting 2014 with a walk for gender minorities? Praja Rajakiya Vedike along with other organizations is conducting "Freedom Walk – ​​E​​nd Violence on Sexual Minorities" tomorrow (Wednesday, Jan-1-2014). This is an effort to facilitate interaction between sexual minorities and the society at large, in the context of the December 2013 Supreme Court judgment on IPC Section 377. ​The Freedom Walks are an initiative to make the public understand the issues of disadvantaged sections of our society.​ Participants will gather at 5:00 PM near the Radhakrishna Theatre (in Matadahalli) and start walking at 5:30 PM. They will pass through…

Recently, there was an article in Citizen Matters by Ganga Madappa pointing to the fact the BMTC fares are higher than the distance indicates. I have been having a problem with this for some time now and given this opportunity, would like the share some information. As I understand it, BMTC buses are considered to be 'Stage Carriages' and their fares are governed by notifications put out by the government under the act. The latest notification that I could find dated 03-11-2010 on Maximum Fares for Stage Carriages in the State of Karnataka can be seen here: http://rto.kar.nic.in/Maxi%20rate%20for%20SC.pdf The notification…

As many as 26 passengers, traveling in the Bangalore-Nanded Express, have been charred to death and several others injured, when the three-tier Air-Conditioned bogie caught fire in the wee hours, around 3-30 am, on Saturday, at Kothacheruvu near Puttaparthy in Ananthapur District of Andhra Pradesh. According to the District Public Relations Officer Thimmappa, on learning about the incident, the district administration led by the District Collector Lokesh Kumar swung into action and is carrying out relief and rescue operations. The Minister for Revenue of Andhra Pradesh, Raghuveera Reddy, who is also personally supervising the relief and rescue operations, has appealed…

BBMP, we know, has a plan to remodel storm water drains (SWDs) of Bengaluru. While BBMP is still working on the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) and fund mobilisation to remodel the Rajakaluves, there seems to be somebody else working hard to remodel the major storm water drain that connects Madiwala lake to Bellandur lake, in South Bengaluru. A JCB digging a parallel channel next to the major storm water drain in Koramangala-Chalaghatta Valley area. Pic: Nikita Malusare Citizen Matters team happened to see a major work going on with JCBs digging the earth, in the eastern border of Koramangala ward.…

  Construction work on Bellandur wetlands continues unabated. Pic: Nikita Malusare Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike issued an order to M/s Manipal ETA Infotech Ltd. (Mantri Techzone Private Limited) directing the latter to stop the construction of the 72-acre project coming up on the wetland between Agara and Bellandur lakes in Bengaluru. This order comes after the Karnataka Upa Lokayukta rapped BBMP on the continuance of construction activities in spite of the lack of proper approvals from BBMP. The order, from the BBMP Commissioner Lakshminarayan, a copy of which with Citizen Matters, directed the Bommanahalli Zonal Joint Commissioner to act immediately to…

Upalokayukta Subhash Adi had visited Kaikondrahalli lake in October 2013, to study the work done by citizens and BBMP in restoring the lake. Pic: Meera K Upa Lokayukta seems to be emerging as a new saviour for Bengaluru’s lakes. Subhash Adi, the Upa Lokayukta of Karnataka Lokayukta, has set a deadline of three months for BBMP to clear the encroachment of lakes by slums, with proper rehabilitation. Upa Lokayukta came up with this order after reading the inspection reports on 183 lakes done by BBMP, BDA and other civic agencies that look into the lakes of Bengaluru. The report by…

Kempegowda International Airport. Pic: KGIAL PRO On December 14, 2013, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) was renamed Kempe Gowda International Airport Limited (KGIAL). A new expanded terminal T1A was opened by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh. With this expansion, the terminal area has more than doubled from 73,347 sq.mt to 1,50,500 sq.mt. Infrastructure has been put in place to handle the growth in traffic expected for the next few years. An overview of projection of facilities, done before the inauguration of new terminal BIAL was opened on May 24, 2008, at Devanahalli, about 40…

A bus commuter, Vamshi Krishna, posted a discussion on the Citizen Matters forum. He stated that he was issued a  ticket for Rs.70 on the Volvo from Kundalahalli Gate to Majestic bus station in Bengaluru, and the distance printed on the ticket was 24 km. On 4 December, he boarded the bus, armed with a GPS device in hand and measured the distance. The GPS device however showed the distance covered as 17.4 km. Citizen Matters decided to get to the crux of the matter and find out what the problem was. Was the BMTC doing something they shouldn’t? Was…

A waste dump in Kadu Malleshwara ward continues as ever, even after the pilot project came into being. Pic: Shree D N One thing religiously practised by every citizen when it comes to failure of any project: Blame the government. But this time citizens too have equal blame to take. The citizens of Bangalore seem to have forgotten the garbage crisis which erupted last year distorting the sight and smell of the garden city. The target was to achieve 80 percent waste segregation at the source within eight weeks. But a status report on Kasa Mukta project projects a low success…

LGBT rights activists protesting against the Supreme Court verdict, in Bangalore. Pic: Nikita Malusare They all had planned for a gala celebration. But the Supreme Court’s judgement on consensual sex between homosexuals drove them into a rebellious mood. “I am very disappointed, unhappy and feel voiceless. If not the Supreme Court, then whom should one go to?” said Akkai Padmashali, associated with Sangama - an NGO that is working to protect the rights of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community and sex workers since 1999. Members of Coalition of Sex Workers and Sexual Minorities Rights and Human Rights Activists…