Civic

On December 18th, Bengaluru, which had seen near-daily protests for the previous few days, was gearing up for two simultaneous protests at 11 am the next day - one at Mysore Bank Circle and the other at Town Hall. This followed a nationwide call to hit the streets on December 19th, to protest against the recently-passed Citizenship Amendment Act (which would fast-track citizenship for non-Muslims from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh) and against the nationwide NRC promised by Home Minister Amit Shah.  Bhaskar Rao, the Bangalore Police Commissioner announced that Section 144 was going to be imposed from December 19th 6…

Karnataka government has imposed curbs in Bengaluru and some other parts of the state, under Section 144 of the CrPC. The government move came amidst widespread protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Registry of Citizens (NRC). Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao said yesterday that those who violate Section 144 would be booked. But what do our laws say about protests? If you want to hold a protest, what rights do you have and what permissions do you need to take? Do citizens have the right to protest? The word ‘protest’ is not explicitly mentioned in the…

75,000 illegal properties may be regularised State government may regularise about 75,000 unauthorised properties in BDA (Bangalore Development Authority) layouts. Law Minister J C Madhuswamy said that the illegal properties are located in 5000 acres of BDA land spread around the city. They are paying neither taxes nor development fees. The government is planning to levy penalties based on guidance values, so as to regularise them. A cabinet sub-committee has been formed, which will suggest some amendments to the BDA Act, 1976, for regularisation. The buildings can be regularised if Section 38(c) of the BDA Act is amended. The sub-committee…

Chennai gets first online portal to exchange reusable products Chennai became the first city in the country to have waste trading online, with the city corporation launching a website where Chennaites can buy and sell reusable and recycled products. A first-of-its-kind website in India, www.madraswasteexchange.com has a variety of products made from dry and wet waste such as school bags, slippers, vermicompost, manure, coconut powder, lemon dishwash among other products. Residents can collect the products from the 210 Resource Recovery Points (RRPs) across the city. The website is part of the Smart City Mission and currently, the civic body only…

Translated by Sandhya Raju மூன்று ஆண்டுகளுக்கு பின் உள்ளாட்சி தேர்தல் நடத்த தமிழகம் தயாராகி வரும் நிலையில்,  உள்ளாட்சி செயல்பாட்டில் அதிரடி மாற்றத்திற்கான அவசியத்தை வலியுறுத்துகின்றன தன்னார்வ அமைப்புகள். இந்த மாற்றம் நகர்புறம் மற்றும் கிராமப்புறத்தில் தேவை என மேலும் அவை தெரிவிக்கின்றன. என்ன மாற்றங்கள் தேவை என்பதையும், தன்னாட்சி இயக்கம் தலைமையிலான கூட்டணி அமைப்புகள் பட்டியலிட்டுள்ளன. வாய்ஸ் ஆப் பீப்பிள், சட்ட பஞ்சாயத்து இயக்கம், அறப்போர் இயக்கம், தோழன், இளைய தலைமுறை, எச் ஆர் ஆஃப் ஆகிய அமைப்புகள் ஒன்றிணைந்து,  முக்கிய அம்சங்கள் அடங்கிய கொள்கை விளக்க அறிவிப்பை வெளியிட்டுள்ளன. சீர்திருத்தங்களின் அவசியம் மற்றும் பொதுமக்களின் ஆதரவின் அவசியம் குறித்தும், வாய்ஸ் ஆப் பீப்பிள் இயக்கத்தின் உறுப்பினர் சாரு கோவிந்தன் பேசினார். "இந்த கொள்கை அறிவிப்பை எல்லா தரப்பினரிடமும் கொண்டு சேர்ப்பது நம் கையில் தான் உள்ளது. ஆட்சியாளர்கள் கவனத்திற்கு மட்டுமல்லாமல் பொது மக்களுக்கும் இதன் அவசியம் குறித்து…

With the state all set to conduct local body polls after a gap of three years, civic activists have called for sweeping changes in the system and functioning of local bodies, both rural and urban, with a view to improving them. A coalition of citizens’ groups such as Voice of People, Satta Panchayat Iyakkam, Arappor Iyakkam, Thozhan, Illaya Thalaimurai and HRF, led by Thannatchi Iyakkam, has released a manifesto detailing key demands for reforms in the local bodies. Charu Govindan, a member of Voice of People commented on the need for reforms and mobilisation of support from the public for…

“Will I be able to watch Shimla’s first snowfall before I return to Patna after my semester examination in December 2019?” Ankit Kumar, a student at Shimla APG University asked his teacher. Hailing from Bihar, Ankit said one of the reasons he chose to do his journalism course in Shimla was to see his first snowfall. “I have seen lots of lovely pictures of this beautiful hill station completely wrapped in soft white snow. It’s my life’s dream to experience this”. With the sudden drop in temperature to 6 degrees centigrade on November 29, and popular tourist spots like Noranda,…

Six-month deadline for Marina beach to be turned world-class The Madras High Court has directed civic and police officials to do all that it takes to make Marina beach world-class in six months.  The court also directed the commissioner of GCC and Chennai police to work together and develop the beach into a world-class, clean beach. The Court said that the fish vendors can be forcefully evicted if they do not move to the new fish market and asked Chennai Corporation to furnish the construction plan for the proposed fish market. Meanwhile, the Green Tribunal has sought a report from…

Bypoll voter turnout only around 50% A large number of Bengalureans, true to tradition, failed to vote in the by-election to the four assembly constituencies - Shivaji Nagar, Mahalakshmi Layout, Yeshvanthapura and KR Puram - on Thursday. The voter turnout was lower than that in the 2018 assembly elections and that in the other 11 constituencies polled on Thursday, as per Election Commission figures. The constituencies in Bengaluru recorded an average turnout of more than 50 per cent. Yeshwanthpur, at 59 percent, showed the highest polling. Mahalakshmi Layout had a turnout of only 51 percent; Shivajinagar turnout was lower at…

Man and animal are being deprived of their daily requirement of meat, as a thoroughly exasperated Justice S. Raghuvendra Rathore of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) summarily ordered the closure of Bhopal’s only licensed abattoir at Jinsi. Justice Rathore also directed the police SSP to provide all assistance to the Bhopal Collector to implement this order. The government-run abattoir situated in Jehangirabad area at the city centre, had been facing protests from people residing and working in nearby areas for a long time, primarily complaints against the foul stench emanating from it. There have also been complaints over meat from…