Governance

The issue of institutionalising people’s participation in urban governance has been hanging fire since the passage of the 74th Constitutional Amendment or Nagarapalika Act more than two decades ago.  The hopes of urban civic activists on government enabling increased citizen participation in civic issues got a major blow when the Urban Development Department (UDD) came up with a new set of rules for Ward Committees & Area Sabhas recently. While the new rules hardly include any suggestions proposed by citizens, shockingly a few points that were suggested by citizens and added in the earlier draft rules, were also removed from…

Transport Minister, Ramalinga Reddy and BMTC MD, Ekroop Caur flag off BMTC's month long awareness campaign on diabetes. Editor's note: On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, BMTC launches an awareness campaign on diabetes prevention, detection and management. The campsign will target 35,000 bus drivers and conductors across Bengaluru. A special 'Changing Diabetes' bus will also travel through the city to create awareness about diabetes. Driving on Bengaluru roads can be stressful, often leading to major and minor accidents in the city, more so if you are hypoglycemic and ignoring symptoms such as hunger, sweating, dizziness and others. While the city’s…

A press note from Environment Support Group (ESG) calls out citizens to ask Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) not to plan Bengaluru, in the wake of BDA notification of public hearing related to Revised Master Plan - 2031.   This small advertisement of extraordinary significance appeared in the papers a couple of weeks ago. It does not say much. Notice that no document or map is made available as a basis for debate and feedback. And if you review the BDA website, all you find about the 2031 Master plan is the minutes of a meeting soliciting consultants to prepare the…

BWSSB Water Tariff 2014

  BWSSB has hiked the price of water, as well as reduced the number of slabs, with effect from November 2nd, 2014. The minimum water charge has gone up by almost 20% — from Rs 48 to Rs 57 a month and the monthly bill from Rs 83 to Rs 100 for domestic usage. Sanitary charge has been reduced from Rs 15 to Rs 14. For water usage above 8,000 litres, sanitary charge will be 25% of water supply charges. This was 15% earlier. Even with this hike, if you feel you are forced to pay more for water, you…

A petition on Change.org, that demands the increasing of non-AC buses on ITPL-Majestic route (335 AA or 335E) to at least 25, has garnered more than 400 supporters. This only highlights citizens’ demand for an increase in the number of non-AC buses on the ITPL-Majestic route that goes through Kundalahalli gate, near Whitefield, Bengaluru. The petition that has been initiated by Naveen Kumar Dahiya, a project engineer with an automobile company, states that the number of non-AC buses plying on this route is woefully inadequate. As there is a sizeable population that commutes daily via this route, it is necessary for…

Managing Director of BMTC, Dr Ekroop Caur travels on Bus Day. Pic: BMTC Providing efficient, reliable, safe and comfortable transport to the citizens of Bangalore city has been the sole motto of BMTC. In addition to this task, BMTC has initiated other important steps aimed at improved mobility and reduction in air pollution in the metropolis, through decongestion of traffic by marginalisation of personalised mode of transport, by observing Bus Day on the 4th of every month since February 2010. BMTC has so far successfully completed four years of Bus Day and is on the verge of completing the fifth…

Police commissioner's office on Infantry Road.If you are the decisionmaker in a firm that is looking to hire employees through private consultancies in Bengaluru, you need to be careful! And if you are looking for a job in Bengaluru, there are some consultancies you would not want to register with. Crime Control Bureau (CCB) Fraud and Malpractice Squad conducted raids recently on seven job consultancy firms, which provided fake experience certificates on experience, projects and trainings. CCB open to getting info from citizens CCB has also asked people to share information on trafficking and flesh trade, financial frauds via email…

Ramalinga Reddy, MLA at his home office in Lakkasandra. Pic: Ganga Madappa Ramalinga Reddy, MLA of BTM Layout, is a busy man. In addition to holding the Transport portfolio in the State Government, he is also the Bangalore In-charge Minister. Citizen Matters caught up with the six-time MLA over tea at his home office in Lakkasandra, even as the rains lashed the city. Read on to know what he has to say about the BBMP bifurcation, the waste management crisis and where he sees the city four years from now. What development works have been initiated in your constituency? Is…

On 21 October, when the newspapers carried reports about the move to convert Balabrooie (the government guest house next to Chitra Kala Parishad) into a club house for legislators, there was also another news item. A toddler was mauled by stray dogs. The grievously injured child was rushed by his migrant labourer parents to the BBMP hospital in the area, but there were no specialist doctors available. So the toddler had to be taken to KIMS hospital at Chamarajapet. Thereafter the child had to be shifted yet again, to a hospital at Malleswaram. Hospitals, especially government hospitals meant for those…