RTI

Unhygienic drinking water. Moon-cratered roads. Uncollected, stinking garbage pile-ups. Power thefts. Statue-like BBMP officers. Land grabs. Unauthorised structures. Residential plots converted to commercial properties. Bribe-hankering government staff. This list can go on and on. Bangalore is down in the dumps and its leaders and administrators seem to have abandoned their virtues and lost their will along with their sense of right. Looking at the current state of affairs, there appears to be no hope in sight unless the average citizen picks up the gauntlet. If the power of the Right to Information law is anything to go by, it is…

We pay taxes and duties on just about everything - on our income, on purchase of capital assets such as property and cars, on services, and on our expenses. Part of the tax collection goes to the central government, and part to the state and local governments. A substantial portion of these funds is earmarked for spending on area development. This much we know. In Bangalore, the reality is that city corporators work hand-in-glove with corporation officials (BBMP) and contractors to ensure that a good portion of the funds earmarked for development are milked back into their own pockets. Guru…

Various apartment blocks that have sprung up in Jayanagar 1st block threaten to destroy the quality of life in the area. Residents in the area have pointed out that they have come up in violation of all building norms and ask the pertinent question whether this was in connivance with the authorities. Building Violations in Jayanagar (pic: Rajeev Yeshwant) The most blatant example of this is the case of the 14-floor apartment building coming up on 1st cross, 1st block near Madhavan Park. Being built by Bysani Developers it is located at a dead end. The approach road is a…