PRESS RELEASE

We invite citizens to join us in protesting against destruction of the spirit of democracy and citizen participation as envisaged by the Nagarapalika Act  or 74th Constitutional Amendment (CA). BBMP was ordered by the Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka (HC) during a hearing of a PIL petition on 24th April 2017 to form Ward Committees (WC) in all 198 wards within one month.  When the practice of councillors nominating the ward committee members was challenged in the Court at a subsequent hearing, the HC gave oral orders to BBMP that out of the ten members to be nominated to the ward committee, “two…

Efforts to mobilise citizens to apply for ward committee membership have gained splendid traction in the last few weeks. Citizens’ groups such as Lanchamukta Karnataka Nirmana Vedike (LMKNV), Citizens for Bengaluru (CfB) and B.PAC have motivated more than 500 citizens to apply for ward committee membership. A team of LMKNV met almost all BBMP officials connected to the formation of WCs, including Zonal JCs, Council Secretariat officials and Mr. Sarfaraz Khan, Special Commissioner (Health and SWM), stressing the point that it is the “Corporation” that nominates WC members and NOT the “Corporator”. Several Joint Commissioners of zones of BBMP, who…

On Sunday, June 18th, Chennai Trekking Club (CTC) and Environmental Foundation of India (EFI) in association with The Hindu and Casa Grande organized the 8th edition of the Chennai Coastal Cleanup (CCC), a South India-wide awareness drive on our growing garbage footprint and the impact on the environment. 5000 volunteers and 130 organizations, schools, NGOs in 10 large cities removed 41 tonnes of garbage from lakes, rivers and beaches. In Chennai, 4600 volunteers participated in removing 32 tonnes of garbage from 20 km of Chennai's shoreline between Lighthouse and Uthandi. Volunteers segregated garbage in 69% recyclables (glass, plastics, etc) taken…

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has launched the much-awaited Smart Card to the bus commuters in the city. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched the Smart Card and also inaugurated hi-tech buses and renovated foot-over bridge at Kempegowda Bus Station on June 17th. BMTC’s Smart Card has been launched in order to facilitate cashless transaction in purchasing ticket and passes. It intends to implement Smart Card based fare collection system. For this it has planned to implement a new method called Open Loop Smart Card based fare collection system in its services. This type of Smart Card is the first of…

The BBMP, after a rap from the Karnataka High Court in April, decided to constitute ward committees as per the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976. We welcome this decision of the BBMP to constitute ward committees. This will ensure that decentralized governance takes place and that citizens have more say in the development of their wards. A press meet demanding inclusivity in constituting ward committees was organised by several groups and organisations on June 15th, 2017 (Thursday) at the Press Club. • BBMP should ensure that urban poor, slum residents and workers are part of ward committees • Working class…

The city and municipal corporation civic workers who were on an indefinite strike demanding for regularisation of contract workers and payment of salaries, called off their protest on the second day. The BBMP Guttige Pourakarmikara Sangha, along with Karnataka Rajya Nagarapalike, Nagarasabhe, Purasabhe Pourakarmikara Mahasangha and the Safaikaramchari Kavalu Samiti had staged an indefinite strike starting June 12th, 2017. The strike was called off on June 13th , after the Minister for Social Welfare and Backward Classes Welfare H Anjaneya and Minister for Municipalities and Local Bodies Department and Public Enterprises Ishwar Khandre, along with Bengaluru Mayor Padmavathi G, assured…

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India has notified the E-waste [Management] Rules, 2016 which is effect from 01.10.2016. For implementation of these Rules, the Central Pollution Control Board has notified “implementation of guidelines for E-waste Management Rules, 2016”. The Board had issued authorization to 27 collection centers, 42 dismantlers, 24 recyclers and 14 recyclers/dismantlers. To review the implementation of E-waste (Management) Rules, 2016 in the state, meeting was conveyed by the Chairman of the Board on 12.6.2017. The representatives of the Central Pollution Control Board and the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change were…

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation is commencing the issue of Student Concessional Bus Pass for the year 2017-18 through pre-printed card and newly introduced Smart Card.  The smart card and pre printed passes are simultaneously issued by BMTC for the smooth and hassle-free issuance of passes for the students of Primary, High School and PUC grades. The Pre printed passes will be issued from 12 June 2017 and Smart card from 17 June 2017 onwards. Students who have availed  the pre printed passes have to switchover to smart cards compulsorily, between 01 Aug 2017 to 30 Sep 2017 at the BMTC…

25 years after the 74th Constitutional Amendment (Nagarapalika Act) prescribed effective citizen participation through ward committees, to bring in accountability of the local councillor to the community, an opportunity is at last being given to citizens to get into ward committees.  Till now, if at all the ward committees were constituted; councillors were themselves nominating the individual members and registered associations who would sit on ward committees.  It was not surprising that the ward committees used to be filled with the councillors’ own party-men and cronies, defeating the purpose of the ward committees. The two seats for registered associations used…