Governance

A determined Rajvir P Sharma is not ready to quit the battle. Last week, two days, after Karnataka's Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) shot out his transfer order, he was able to get a stay from the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). CAT stayed the transfer order for 14 days in view of the application given by Rajvir Sharma against the stay order. "The petitioner Rajvir Sharma and M Nagarajan, standing counsel of state government, respondents from government side will have to be in the CAT court for the hearing on August 30th 2012. I have no more comment,"…

Even as police confirmed making the first arrests in Bengaluru for rumour-mongering, city businesses depending on staff from the Northeast have been affected since the panic-driven exodus began on Wednesday.  V S D'Souza, DCP (Intelligence) confirmed around midnight August 17th that two people were arrested earlier in the evening for threatening rumors. D'Souza however declined comment on whether the arrested were from any sectarian organisation or community.  Meanwhile, restaurants, retail chains and spas have been hit according to some business owners in the city. Philip Deepak, owner of Popsies restaurant in Koramangala who employed 12 Northeast service staff says that…

On August 10th, 2012, an elderly couple’s decomposed bodies were found in JP Nagar 1st phase, who were murdered three days earlier. July 4th, 60-year-old Lakshmidevamma’s head was bludgeoned to death at her house on 5th Cross, Prakashnagar. Continuing this there have been several other cases of abuse, assault or murder in city against elderly people. Sonia Narang, DCP, Bangalore -South. Pic courtesy: DCP Office IPS officer Sonia Narang, Deputy Commissioner of Police(South)-Bangalore, is known for her tough stance against crime spoke to Citizen Matters  about ways to keep elderly safe at home. Excerpts:Can you suggest some basic steps for…

Now one more week to see the fate of the reconstruction of EWS flats for the poor at Ejipura. After the hearing High Court Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice Aravind Kumar adjourned the session to Aug 21st, 2012. Aniyan Joseph feels that, on 21st High Court may release a final order over EWS flats. In a week the fate of the reconstruction of EWS flats for the poor at Ejipura will be known. Pic: Sankar C G On August 8th, the High Court asked BBMP, Maverick Holdings and Aniyan Joseph, advocate for original 1512-beneficiaries in the Ejipura case, to…

Rajvir P Sharma, the man who dared to take action against BBMP engineers for their inaction against building violations, has been transferred out of Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF). J D Madhuchandra Tejaswi, Under Secretary to government, DPAR (Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms) services, sent the transfer order to Sharma. ADGP Rajvir Sharma. Pic: Sankar C G According to the order, Dr P Ravindranath will assume charge as Inspector General of Police (IGP), BMTF, with immediate effect.  Ravindranath is an IPS officer of the 1989 batch of the Karnataka Cadre. He had been serving as IGP, Excise Enforcement.ADGP Rajvir…

Recently, BBMP passed a resolution to include Electronic City (Ecity) under its jurisdiction. But on the other hand, state cabinet is already contemplating giving industrial township status to the area.On July 31st, BBMP passed the resolution to include Electronic City phase 1, 2 and 3 under its jurisdiction. State government has to approve the resolution now, for it to be effective. If approved,industries and commercial areas that are notified as part of Electronic City, will go to BBMP. Dr Amita Prasad, Principal Secretary at state government's Urban Development Department (UDD), says that BBMP has not yet sent the resolution to…

  That was how around 40 of us reclaimed our space vociferously and visibly on the roads of Madiwala (South Bangalore) and its environs between 5.00-7.00 pm last Saturday, 4th August. We energetically and emphatically expressed our views against various recent cases of moral policing and sexual assault across India including Guwahati, Mandya (Karnataka) and Mangalore. Ithi (meaning "a start" in Sanskrit), a support forum for women employed in the IT/ITeS industry organized the action which attracted necessary attention from local residents, college students and onlookers some of who joined us. Starting with a stationary protest at a busy corner…

When Dr S C Sharma, 45, resident of Jayanagar 4th Block filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Metropolitan Task Force against a BBMP engineer who was allowing an illegal building to stand, he did not know that by sheer coincidence, engineers were going to revolt against BMTF police head Rajvir Sharma, an office of the rank of Assistant Director General of Police (ADGP).The particular illegal building was constructed in 1992.  The RTI record, which Citizen Matters has received from Sharma shows that BBMP (then BMP) has sanctioned a two storey building in 1992. But the owner has constructed a five…

Citizen Matters launched its book ‘Living in Bengaluru' on August 4th. The book is a guide to make living in Bengaluru easier. It is a compilation of FAQs and how-to articles written by Citizen Matters' professional journalists and experts. The articles include guides on buying property, getting khatas, ID cards etc., tips for saving time on these tasks, and other tips on saving water, fuel etc.R K Misra, member of ABIDe Task Force, released the book at Reliance TimeOut book store in Mantri Mall, Malleswaram. Vatsala Dhananjay, well known property lawyer and author of a chapter in the book, was…

The revamp and modernisation of Bangalore’s first and oldest shopping complex in Jayanagar got off the ground on August 4th. Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar laid the foundation stone. Deputy Chief Ministers K S Eshwarappa and R Ashoka, Vijaya Kumar B N (BJP MLA, Jayanagar), BBMP Commissioner Shankarlinge Gowda, Mayor D Venkatesh Murthy were also present. The much awaited project being inaugurated by Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar. Pic: Sankar C G The project has been under discussion for four years even as shop owners resisted, fearing loss of their livelihood.On the day of inauguration, N Narasimha Raju, vice-president of Traders Association…