Governance

Smart cities need a vision. But perhaps more importantly, they need people who are able to draft that and take it to fruition. On February 28 2017, the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) of the Government of India asked states to create a professional municipal workforce and carry out merit-based recruitment of suitably qualified people. It also urged lateral entry of experts and professionals for specific posts and for a specified contract period in their bid to ensure "professionalization of municipal cadre" in the states. A similar thrust was evident even in the formulation of the implementation policy of the…

BBMP contract workers protested in front on BBMP on Womens' Day. Even as the BBMP had organised exhibitions and other programs for Women’s day, more than a thousand women contract Powrakarmikas of Bengaluru gathered at the BBMP head office to ask the BBMP, why these working women were being denied their rights. Workers from Indiranagar, RT Nagar, Koramanagala, Hegganahalli, Kengeri, Ramamurthy nagar, Gandhinagar, Banaswadi, Yelahanka and several other areas, braved threats from contractors and participated in the protest. The Contractor of Horamavu and Rammurthynagar has even threatened to fire the workers for being part of the protest. Students, several activists…

Send it back to where it came from... after it has been thoroughly segregated and composted, of course. We’re talking about sending the biomass part of the waste a city generates back to the soil. This would ensure the recycling of nutrients, creating closed economies as is the need of the hour, and virtually trigger off a positive domino effect. It remains a fact that we are a country with a rich history of recycling, the returning of nutrients in the way that the Karnataka State Agriculture Department is proposing plays to that history. The department has proposed that the…

For two decades now, the Women’s Reservation Bill, which was proposed to amend the Constitution of India to reserve 33% of all seats in the Lower house of Parliament of India, the Lok Sabha, and in all state legislative assemblies for women, has either been defeated or has lapsed. The law, which would give a boost to active political participation of women and help them fight the abuse, discrimination and inequality they have historically suffered, has sadly not received enough importance even from parties headed by women. On March 5th, Satta Panchayat Iyyakam, a Chennai-based NGO fighting to protect the…

G Padmavathi (56), a 4th time Congress corporator from Prakash Nagar ward, took charge as the 50th Mayor of Bengaluru in September 2016. She is the seventh woman to assume the coveted post. On a Wednesday at around 3 pm, she arrives at her chamber to make herself available for visitors. She is at her office after a long day of field visits and attending events across the city. A group of residents wait in a corner to invite the Mayor for an upcoming event. Meanwhile, a batch of auto drivers arrive at her office to submit a memorandum requesting…

Last October, we spoke about several instances of individual and community initiatives towards solving water problems of the city. Sewage water treatment and rainwater harvesting are tools households and communities can use for decreasing their water dependency. These are small initiatives in comparison with the water issues Bangalore faces, but aggregating initiatives at the city scale holds potential; such is the discourse, right or wrongly, held by some activists, public servants, businesses etc. Stretching the idea slightly we have: the water problem of Bangalore can be solved through collective action. Stretching it even further: the BWSSB can do its own…

Contract workers working in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanakara Palike have decided to take to streets on March 8, International Women's Day. A press note from the BBMP Contract Workers Union demanded that the employments of contract workers be regularised. The government has revised their salaries but the benefit is not being enjoyed by the workers, says the press note. Here are the edited excerpts of the press note: Bangalore sees several events to mark women’s day – protests, celebrations, marathons, art and culture events etc. This year, we are asking Bangaloreans to mark women’s day by asking you all to come…

A quick glance at the BBMP budgets of the recent past show over-estimated revenues - check them out and learn how keep track of city budgets using our Open City platform. BBMP has just set up an online budget feedback form, but before you communicate views make sure you have all the information you need!   On March 28, 2016, Chairman of BBMP Taxation Committee M Shivaraj gave a speech on the 2016-17 BBMP budget. An analysis by Bharathy Jayaprakash - an analyst with Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy - showed that the budget was largely over-estimated, a consistent phenomenon over the…

Pic: Praful Residents of Bengaluru might have noticed in the media, that recently the BBMP has commenced issuing notices to many commercial/non-residential establishments in residential areas to shut shop. Whilst this may come across to many as a sudden and arbitrary act by the BBMP, for those conscientious citizens and Residents Welfare Associations (RWA’s) that have spent numerous hours over the years (mostly behind the scenes) seeking to improve the quality of life of the residents of the city, this is only a long overdue first step towards implementing regulations/orders that have stood violated repeatedly for over 5 years right…

Why is the BBMP issuing closure notices to commercial/non-residential establishments in residential areas? The Revised Master Plan 2015 (RMP – 2015), the master plan in force amended in 2015, restricts non-residential uses of land in residential zones (so classified under the RMP 2015). As per the amended RMP – 2015, 1)    No commercial activities of whatsoever nature are allowed in any of the three Rings (of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Area) in Residential Main and Residential Mixed Zones if the road width is less than or equal to 40 feet. 2)    Ancillary usage (uses mentioned in the notification only) are permitted…