GENRE: Voices

A couple of years ago, the government came up with a hare-brained plan to construct underpasses on Sarjapur road. The sole reason for this was to benefit a private builder developing a large area on the wetlands of Bellandur lake. The residential areas along the way would have been decimated, but that was of no concern to the powers that be. Citizens went to court and finally a negotiated settlement was arrived at between citizens and the government. A government-appointed commission, in its final report, stated that the real problem was on Hosur road and that had to be treated…

As a part of decongesting traffic from Silk Board junction to Madiwala checkpost, the traffic police have converted some two-way roads into one-ways. Now the vehicles going from Silkboard to Koramangala or Diary Circle can move easily on both sides of the road. One may thank the police for this initiative, and for facilitating smooth traffic flow on these roads. But the main problem is for commuters who are moving towards Silk Board or Hosur road, from Dairy Circle or Koramangala water tank. They have to go towards Krupanidhi College junction and then take a right onto the Madiwala market…

I have enjoyed my transition back to Bengaluru, the city I carry very close to my heart. As I start meeting people and understanding local surgery referral patterns, the irregularities are glaring. I have been blatantly asked by doctors how much I would be willing to pay the referring doctor for a patient. Take for example a patient who is referred for an advanced procedure that costs 10 lakhs. The referring doctor in Bengaluru asks for a percentage, commonly referred to as a "cut". In plain words, a bribe. This is completely unethical and against the standards that doctors agree…

A brief summary of some news you might have missed out in the last few days. Applications for jobs, awards and other important stuff that happened in the capital city! Clear 50% or no salary increments BBMP Administrator Vijayabhaskar held a meeting of principals of all government schools and college in BBMP limits on July 6th 2015. He asked them to improve the pass percentage in the schools and colleges, by marking the low-scoring students and giving extra attention to them. If the trend of scoring below 50% continues, the administrator warned that the salary increments of the principals will…

I am keying in these words while commuting to office in a bus. As is the norm with most buses, the big vehicle stopped ahead of the shelter at Whitefield’s oldest stop, impeding movement at the T-junction, and causing hardship to waiting passengers. As it is, with the raised platform razed during the recent repair works, pedestrians find it tough to cross the busy street. Dozens of photos and emails, meetings and training sessions later, there is no visible change: BMTC personnel refuse to fall in line. Of buses and fares With a monthly bus pass in pocket, I am…

I was standing in awe of a temple carved out of stone, the colour of a sunset in a place in North Karnataka, when my travelling companion approached me. She’d been speaking with the man who gives tickets. “He said it’s Rs 10 each, but Rs 100 for foreigners.” Differential pricing for Indian and foreigners. Pic: Holly Thorpe I grinned. Clever joke, ticket-taker. But when I approached the ticketing window, a cheerful blue sign confirmed the sentiment: “Foreigners: Rs 100.” Grin successfully wiped from my face, I was a little taken aback. Was it really going to cost me ten…

Pic courtesy: Information Department, Govt of Karnataka Video conference between courts and jails Acting Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee inaugurated the pilot of high definition video conference between courts and jails at Bengaluru as a part of Digital India Week. The pilot launch includes two courts — City Civil Court and 1st Additional Court Bangalore and district court, Mangalore and six district jails, namely, Mysuru, Dharwad, Kalburgi, Belgavi, Vijayapura and Bellary. The project will provide high definition video conferencing facility to all jails and courts in the state of Karnataka, which is perceived to be…

A week has gone by since I last wrote and about six days have gone by since I last heard from BBMP. BBMP called me several times last Friday asking me if the work was done — and in spite of numerous assurances — no work has been done.  The BBMP Sahaaya complaint number is 10506777 and the last SMS communication I received, informing me that the complaint has been 'assigned' was on June 23rd. I also have a Malleshwaram Sahaaya complaint number - 2760084. However, in this case, the SMS only says that the complaint has been created.  It is…

From the moment I stepped off the plane, it became impossible to forget that I was in Bengaluru; the city demanded my attention. The humidity that alighted on my skin and curled my hair, the sound of new languages being spoken around me - it all seemed to say, “Hey! Pay attention! You’re not at home anymore!” As if I could forget. No sense is left untouched. At all times of day, the sounds, sights, and smells of the city surround me. I fall asleep and wake up to a barrage of horns, the howling of dogs, the sound of…

A night on the street What is the power of the common man? A collaborative and inspiring set of people helped fix the potholed road that had been dug up for 6 months. Till then, local residents and daily commuters were facing severe issues due to big potholes. When most of Bangalore was sleeping, this group was fixing potholes at Nellurhalli junction. Ack : Nallurhalli Rising, a Whitefield Rising initiative, Sumadhara builders,BBMP, WR champion Anu Parekh Plant a tree Tree planting in the greater Whitefield area is on a roll. After the success at Sheelavanthakere, ITPL is the next stop.…