Z-Blogs

As per the meeting conducted on 13-10-2011, BBMP commissioner has instructed officials to issue notices to property owners with tax overdues of more than Rs. 10,000. Wherever necessary warrant notices are also to be issued to collect tax along with the penalty amount. The official are to collect at least 200 crore rupees by the end of 31-10-2011 compulsorily.In several cases developmental charges have not been paid by the owners. Such cases have to be identified from 1-4-2008 till date, and a list has to be made as per the format and submitted to the commissioner by 17-10-2011.(Format includes Ward…

When I go to Ranga Shankara to see a play, I go with an open mind...as I often say, I go, not knowing if it will be "fair play" or "foul play"! Recently (7th of October) I went to watch the interpretation of Hamlet, staged by the Mumbai troupe, Cinematograph. And I saw one of the best productions I have seen in the recent past. The cast in one of the scenes. Pic: Author It's always a difficult exercise to make a comic interpretation of a tragedy...it could work, or fall so flat that it might become a worse tragedy…

 On Vijaya Dashami Day, the Casa Ansal Apartment Owners' Association (CAAOA) organized a Garba and Dandiya evening.    Several of the residents put up food and clothing stalls, at which the sales were brisk.  The effigy of Ravana...representing the powers of evil and darkness...was kept ready to set on fire at the end of the evening.   The ladies participated enthusiastically in the Dandiya ras, wearing traditional Gujarati garb.   Here are one of the apartment buildings senior residents, who are connoisseurs of music and dance, who were enjoying themselves that evening!  "The sense of community gets fostered by such cultural events," remarked Mrs. Alamelu, one…

On the 14th of October 2011, Citizen Matters organized a meeting of several of the writers who contribute to the magazine. From 4 pm onwards, people started trickling in, and after a round of self-introductions, people got to discussing the various issues that faced the city of Bangalore...prime among them being, of course, civil administration. While this was going on, tea, coffee and snacks were being served: Several of the writers gave their inputs: And along with Padma and Meera, Subbu moderated the meeting, and elicited responses and inputs of various kinds from the authors. Many of the contributors came…

BBMP Commissioner Mr Siddiah held a meeting with all BBMP officials on 13 October to intensify the Property Tax Collection drive.He has instructed to issue warrants to all cases with overdue tax and specified that there should not be any part payment of tax but instead the total overdue tax is to be collected along with the penalty.If any differences are found in Self declared property tax, then the same should be collected with penalty immediately. By the end of October 2011 a target of 200 to 250 crore rupees should be collected from overdue tax cases. ⊕

In continuation of several initiatives taken by B-TRAC to address the traffic woes of Bangalore city, another citizen friendly programme is being launched on 15th Oct’ 2011 – Citizens Traffic Forum. A special programme under which the citizens can actually participate and contribute their valuable opinions, thoughts, suggestions to solve their locality’s traffic related problems. Starting tomorrow every third Saturday of the month all Traffic Police Stations will have the forum between 11.30 am to 1.30 pm. Public are requested to make use of this opportunity and join hands with the Bangalore Traffic Police to find solutions.  Traffic Inspectors will be…

BBMP had entrusted a company called Optic Cable to survey the total length of all OFC cable laid out in the city. According to the data collected by BBMP 4,717 km length of OFC cables have been laid out from all organisations. But they estimate that the actual numbers might be higher.  Mayor and Deputy Mayor cut unauthorised OFC cables. Pic courtesy: BBMP As such, from today BBMP has started using OTDR device to identify all illegally laid out cables and started disconnecting them. The first disconnect was done today in Ward No 11, Abbigere area in North Bangalore, where…

BBMP council opposition leader, M Udayshankar (Congress) has written a letter to BBMP listing the measures to conserve power, on 12 October. Here's the translated copy. Karnataka state has been facing acute power shortage in the recent days as never seen before. Hence it becomes the government's responsibility to take up measures on a large scale. At the grassroots level all the citizens and organisations should also contribute towards power savings. In this direction: BBMP must control lighting in parks. Park lighting should be done only at specific times in the evenings. BBMP should control road lights and keep them…

BBMP has allocated 2 crore rupees for the development of Ulsoor lake in the current year’s budget and work for the same will commence from November. Commissioner Siddhaiah and MLA Roshan Baig at Ulsoor Lake. Pic courtesy: BBMP Local MLA Mr Roshan Baig conducted an inspection around the lake. Tenders have been called for to build pedestrian path around the lake, bridge construction, painting for grills etc and work will start as soon as the process is over.During October a program has been taken up to clean all weeds and partheniums and to plant about 300 saplings on a single…

In the August Oota from your Thota (OfyT) event, not only did I have the opportunity to interact with several garden enthusiasts, I also managed to overhear snatches of conversations among the visitors and participants. What struck me particularly was how people thronged to buy vegetable seeds sold at the event. Some visitors even fretted over the absence of particular seed varieties! And then there were the school children who had not only initiated and nurtured a vegetable garden but had also saved seeds which they sold that day. Students from B M English School, had set up a stall…