Governance

“I want a home. It should have a toilet with a door, at least one room spacious enough to stretch my legs and sleep, and a kitchen of our own,” said Dhanashree, a student of Class IX, when I visited Kannappar Thidal two years ago. This was not just her dream, but that of hundreds of families living there, who were evicted from the streets near Ripon Building over two decades ago. Today, all 114 families in Kannappar Thidal have new homes they can call their own — with toilets and kitchens, no less. Over 22 years of struggle tells…

On October 1st, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) launched the process of issuing e-khata on the e-AASTHI website and published the application procedure. The BBMP states that 21 lakh out of 22 lakh properties with khata in Bengaluru have their draft e-khatas listed on the site. Property owners can view their draft e-khata and apply for the final version by uploading additional information. However, many Bengalureans are confused about the process or are unable to access their property listings on the website. Here is a simplified guide on e-khata, how to apply, BBMP’s approval process and some common challenges.…

Chennai is home to countless apartment complexes, many of which are in dire need of redevelopment. While the city has seen a surge in new constructions, older buildings often require attention. So, what should you do if your apartment is showing its age and you are considering redevelopment? Two years after the Tamil Nadu Apartment Ownership (TNAO) Act of 2022 came into effect, the Tamil Nadu Housing and Urban Development Department introduced the TNAO Rules, 2024 recently, which include specific guidelines for redeveloping ageing apartment buildings. A little background on TNAO Rules, 2024 KP Subramanian, a retired Professor of Urban…

An old-time resident of Perambur, 71-year-old K S Krishnan would never have imagined that he would be duped and robbed in his neighbourhood in broad daylight. A few weeks ago, Krishnan, a retired Central government employee, went to a temple in Thiruvanmiyur and was getting back home. When he got down from the bus and went to a nearby shop, a person claiming to be a police personnel waylaid him saying that he should be careful of his valuables and talked him into putting his gold chain and rings, which were around 3.5 sovereigns, in his pocket. The stranger said he…

It has been over two years since the State government notified the rules under the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act Rules, 2023, which establish regulations for the functioning of Area Sabhas and Ward Sabhas throughout the state. However, no information is available or being maintained in the public domain by any of the Urban Local Governments (ULGs) or the Department of Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) to track the functioning of these Area Sabhas. We at Voice of People, have repeatedly appealed for transparency by petitioning the State government.  Read more: Area Sabhas and Ward Committees: Power to…

Until a year ago, Selvi*, a 38-year-old from Tirunelveli, worked as a salesperson in a small textile shop in Chennai. "One of the male supervisors, who is related to the shop owner, would verbally abuse the women staff and misbehave with them. The instances of such abusive behaviour kept increasing. One day, I spoke up and told him it wasn't fair for him to act that way. He became furious and started verbally abusing me. It escalated into an ugly confrontation, and I was thrown out of my job," says Selvi. As the sole breadwinner of her family, Selvi struggled…

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme designates October as the month to raise awareness about urban sustainability and related challenges. Known as 'Urban October,' it begins with World Habitat Day on the first Monday of October and concludes with World Cities Day on October 31. This period is apt for revisiting the aim of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11), which is to 'make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.'  Currently, more than half of the global population lives in urban areas, up from around one-third in 1950 and projected to increase to around…

A report by the three-member Justice Hema Committee, established by the Kerala government in 2017 to examine the issues faced by women in Malayalam cinema, was released on August 19th. The report has sparked discussions about the sexual harassment experienced by women not only in the film industry but also in various workplaces. When the allegations of multiple instances of sexual harassment and abuse in Chennai’s famed Kalakshetra broke in 2023, we looked into the functioning of the Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) in Chennai's educational institutions. The roles and responsibilities of ICC apply to all organisations that have 10 or…

In a recent incident, a 56-year-old woman died when the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) conducted a drive to evict street vendors from a ‘no-hawking zone’ at the NSC Bose Road junction. According to news reports, the woman, M Krishnaveni, was trying to protect her wares during the eviction drive. This incident has sparked widespread concern and reignited discussions on designating vending and non-vending zones fairly. A series of such developments in Chennai have impacted both residents and street vendors. While residents raise issues like reduced walkability and increased garbage, vendors argue they need a proper space to sell their wares.…

The extension of 3rd Cross road in Vijayanagar is like any emerging neighbourhood in Bengaluru, with houses packed like boxes on either side. This led us to explore the role of regulations in shaping our buildings, streets and city at large. We presented our findings at the ‘Bengaluru Design Jam’, organised by organised by OpenCity, and held on July 6th. The participants collaborated to analyse and interpret different aspects of BBMP’s construction bye-laws.  The changes and growth of cities are often guided by economic activities. But the development of cities needs to be managed and regulated to ensure liveability. This…