Civic

A budget is a statement of accounts; it is an estimate of planned expenditure and receipts of the government or any organisation or a company in a particular period of time. And while this document really gives us the planned allocations and expected income of the local body, every financial year, citizens look at the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) budget to form an idea of the various new civic or infrastructure projects that the municipal government of the day is prioritising. But what are the sources of income for the Corporation and what are the various heads on which the…

The Bangalore Apartments' Federation is holding it's annual event 'Bengaluru Apartments – Making Bengaluru  Operationally Outstanding and Sustainable' (BAMBOOS), on December 12th and 13th. Covid-19 restrictions has forced the event to go online. Stakeholders will discuss, engage, share and collaborate on the theme Responsible, Resilient &  Responsive Apartment Communities for the Bengaluru of next decade. To participate, one would have to register at: https://baf.org.in/bamboos Representatives from government, bureaucracy, civic agencies, expert groups, non profit organisations, media, management committees of apartments and residents will come together to reimagine a better Bengaluru.  Panel discussions would be held on the following topics:  Essential…

Five years since the international community agreed to the list of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs, achievement of the sixth (SDG 6) -- ensuring inclusive access to clean water and sanitation facilities -- remains a far cry in Indian cities.  What obstructs inclusive and resilient access to water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and healthy spaces for all urban dwellers?  What are the challenges specific to Indian cities, especially the metros? Are there successful experiments led by communities or organisations, using either technology or nature-based solutions, that can be showcased and scaled to bridge the gaps that exist? To probe…

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and Janaagraha’s #MyCityMyBudget annual campaign, meant to involve citizens in the making of the city’s budget, was kicked off on Tuesday.  The thrust of this year’s campaign is to improve public toilets, end public urination and ensure pedestrian-friendly footpaths.  The campaign that will  be live for a month, seeks inputs from citizens for the next BBMP Budget. Citizens can submit their proposals at: https://www.ichangemycity.com/mcmb2020. BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad said that inputs are welcome through email, apps, forms and even through the budget van. He recalled that in the year 2017-18, the campaign received 22,000 suggestions…

Eight-year-old Sarath's eyes light up at the sight of the skating rink at Sivan Park in K K Nagar. He had been using the facility for a few months before the lockdown and was eager to continue improving his balance and form. He had even persuaded his parents to buy him skating gear. Sarath is one of the many children who have been affected by the recent imposition of charges on the use of the skating facility at Sivan Park. The private contractor who has been entrusted with maintenance of the facility inside the park now charges Rs 500 per…

Hyderabad civic polls: TRS slips as BJP makes major gains The results of the much-hyped and keenly contested elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation were declared on Friday. The ruling party of the state, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), suffered a dent in performance with its secured wards going down from 99 to 55. The BJP made significant gains, raising its tally from 4 to 48. Despite being the single largest party, the TRS will need the support of other parties to retain the mayoral post as it falls well short of the 65-member mark. The voter turnout for the…

SWD project in south Chennai to start in two weeks In two weeks, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will begin construction of the stormwater drain (SWD) network in south Chennai. The project is funded by the World Bank. The SWD network in north Chennai is likely to commence next year. A minimum sum of Rs 2,600 crore is likely to be used for developing the drains, eco-restoration of waterbodies and interlinking of tanks in Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Ambattur, Sholinganallur, Perungudi and Alandur zones. Residents have been up in arms against the proposed project. Several sections of ECR did not witness…

HC directs holding BBMP polls without delay The High Court of Karnataka directed the State Election Commission to hold elections to the 198 wards in the BBMP with speed and efficiency. Towards this, the SEC should publish the election programme within a maximum period of six weeks from the date of publication of the final reservation notification, it said. The court directed that the final notification on caste-based reservation for the 198 wards (based on the draft notification issued in September) be published within a month. By this order, the ruling party's amendment to increase the number of wards in…

 The silvery reflection of moonlight on the waterway, lined on both sides with shops and havelis, gave the stretch its name—Chandni Chowk. That was 17th century Shahjanabad, the city built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The water has long receded, but the name remains.   Today’s Chandni Chowk is a far cry from what it had been before the pandemic struck. The few intrepid citizens who ventured to that heritage street in recent weeks were pleasantly surprised and totally thrilled by what they saw. Vloggers, particularly, had a field time capturing the bustling 17th century market in Old Delhi in its Kejriwal-times avatar. Chandni Chowk…

Hyderabad has been in a tizzy ever since the sudden call for civic polls on December 1, 2020, followed by ballot counting on December 4th and if required, repolling on December 3rd.  The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is in charge of the civic administration and infrastructure of Hyderabad, which is the 6th most populous urban agglomeration in India and spanning an area of 650 sq km. The GHMC elections are generally held once in every five years. This time around, they have been advanced by two months, causing strong ripples in some sections of the political parties in the…