Governance

Who governs the lakes of our cities? Or should that question be: who should be governing our lakes? Most of us believe it should be the government. A lot of us assume that places like lakes are, by default, to be  taken care of (preserved, maintained and conserved) by the government. And we are not wrong there. It is the government who does that, by default. But what we often don’t realise is that that reality can be changed, and the community that inhabits the areas around these lakes have a big role to play.  At the same time, a…

How many of us consider approaching the consumer court for a faulty piece of electronics, for an insurance claim that’s not honoured or for services like warranty and maintenance contracts that are promised but not provided? What happens when you do? How long do you wait? And how many of us succeed? The idea and intention behind setting up Consumer Dispute Redressal Commissions was to ensure swift and cost-effective access to justice to us, the consumers. Though it serves this purpose (in comparison to having to fight consumer cases in other courts, where it would take longer), a report by…

[In Part 1 of this series we saw that sex workers in Bengaluru are facing starvation and violence due to the COVID lockdown. In Part 2, we explore why they haven't been able to access aid and support, and how this could change.]  “What is there to feel sorry? They have created their own problems out of greed and lust” says Shamim, waiting for a relative near the Majestic bus station. Shamim was responding to my question: “Where are the women who used to hang out here at night? Any idea how these poor souls are managing?” He hesitantly confesses that…

On November 3, Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly constituency will go into bypolls. The bypoll was necessitated by incumbent MLA Munirathna N's disqualification, for violating the anti-defection law. Munirathna was elected from the Congress in 2018, but defected to the BJP in mid-2019. He’s contesting as the BJP candidate this time. The election results will be announced on November 10. The constituency is made up of nine wards - Jalahalli, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Jnana Bharati, Kottegepalya, Laggere, HMT ward, Lakshmidevi nagar, JP Park and Yeshwanthpura. RR Nagar is one of the four largest assembly sections in Bengaluru, with 4.6 lakh voters this by-election. The constituency…

On October 28, elections will be held for the position of MLC (Member of Legislative Council) from Bangalore Teachers’ Constituency. This constituency consists of Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural and Ramanagara districts. Find the parts coming under the constituency here.  What is a teachers' constituency? Not all residents can vote in a teachers' constituency election. Only a full-time teacher in at least a secondary school or higher, is eligible to vote. Also, the person should have been holding this position for the previous three years. In Bengaluru Urban district, all teachers who meet this criteria can vote in the Bangalore Teachers'…

In the recently concluded monsoon session of the Karnataka state assembly, two audit reports by the CAG of India were tabled: Report No 1 of 2020, tabled on September 22, pertains to State Finances of Karnataka Government for the year 2018-19.Report No 2 of 2020, tabled on September 23, presents the Performance Audit on Implementation of the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act. (Read the English version of the CAG report here, and the Kannada version here.) Also, on September 23, CAG’s Audit Report on Union Government (Finance Accounts) for the year 2018-19 was tabled in parliament. This showed a savings of…

Each year at Dasara, Malleswaram 8th Cross turns into a vibrant, festive street, owing to its many temples and commercial areas. It attracts thousands of people each day from all over the city. However, this year, the same packed streets pose a health hazard for residents and visitors due to the potential for spread of COVID. 8th Cross, October 2, 15 days before Dasara 8th Cross, October 16, one day to Dasara Keeping this in mind, Malleswaram Urban Living Lab - a collaboration between Malleswaram Social, a resident community group, and Sensing Local, an urban do-tank - has been working…

During the recently concluded monsoon session of the Karnataka state assembly two audit reports by the CAG of India were tabled.  Report No 1 of 2020 - tabled on 22nd September - pertains to State Finances of Karnataka Government for the year 2018-19. Report No 2 of 2020 - tabled on 23rd September - presents the Performance Audit on Implementation of the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act. Read the Performance Audit Report in English hereRead the Performance Audit Report in Kannada here On September 23rd, CAG of India’s Audit Report on Union Government (Finance Accounts) for the year 2018-19 got tabled…

Note: The edited version of the article, published on 14 Oct 2020, has been replaced by the version submitted and subsequently modified by the author himself. The author had contested the copy edits made by Citizen Matters prior to publishing. A revamp of the city government was long overdue; our freedom fighters had led a long struggle for Swaraj, ie., Self Rule, which has eluded entire generations, due to the centralized nature of government adopted by our constitution. Cities and towns in India, have in administrative terms, remained colonies of their respective State Govts, giving the residents of the cities…

The last few weeks have seen a renewed debate on whether the State needs a new capital. This is of course one of those topics that are periodically dusted, discussed and then put back on the shelf. But nevertheless, it is a matter that merits attention, especially in the present circumstances. It must however be pointed out here that after having been aired, all talk on this has died out for now, but we never know as to what can take focus, especially with state assembly elections due next year. Concentration of development The ongoing COVID crisis has shown that…