Governance

Recently, the virtual abuse of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, for supporting an interfaith couple, drew attention to the chilling phenomenon of 'trolling' that has seen an exponential rise since the advent of social media. The minister suffered not just verbal, but also relentless sociopathic, emotional slander. In a way, it has been a democratising trend. No one is spared. Anyone who holds a point of view that is different from that of the establishment or the troller has been subject to continuous, intense harrassment and verbal assault on online platforms. A number of well-known names such as Barkha Dutt…

When it comes to transparency and providing information to citizens, Tamil Nadu has a rich legacy. The southern state was a front runner in passing the Right To Information (RTI) act in 1997, eight years before the Centre passed it in 2005.  The Act proved to be a game changer. To cite just one example, an RTI activist exposed a scam by the Tamil Nadu Housing Department (TNHB) in December 2010, where selected government servants were provided with houses, under the Government Discretion Quota. Through the RTI reply and further investigation, it was learnt that undeserving people were categorised as social…

In a unanimous and all-over-news verdict, the Supreme Court last week favourably defined the powers of the Delhi government led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), giving it greater autonomy and limiting the scope of interference by the Lieutenant Governor (LG). The verdict declared that the LG is "bound by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers of the Government of Delhi" in all matters except three: land, police and public order. While Delhi does not yet have full statehood, the elected government now has more room to make and implement policies that had since hit a roadblock…

The 80-year-old prime land site of Malleswaram Market seems to be buzzing with construction. Founded in 1940s, the Market located at 11th cross, Malleswaram in Bengaluru is a prime property of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), in the pulsating city of Bengaluru. What was a local market for residents of Malleswaram, with its high real-estate value, but old single level market that accommodated a few vendors, was deemed to be a low-earning area for the city government In June 2017, when Bengaluru became the seventh Karnataka region to get included in the Smart City plan, Malleswaram Market development got earmarked…

Elevated roads, transport authority and soapnut-based detergent industry: Six elevated corridors have hit the headlines once again, with the H D Kumaraswamy-led Co-alition government affirming the commitment to this decades-old plan in the state Budget presented on July 5. Other decisions include a 100-crore aid for BMTC, and formation of Integrated Road Transport Authority (IRTA). Source: Deccan Herald BBMP discusses lake encroachments and waste management: The BBMP council meeting held on June 28 discussed the necessity of buffer zone for lakes to construct buildings, which is contrary to the NGT's order in 2014 on no construction zone within 75 metres…

The residents of Sarjapur Road are spoiled for choice. How would you like to get run over today? A speeding bike? An auto? A car or a SUV? Even a truck if you’re lucky. All plying on the WRONG side of the road. It all started when the stretch of the road from the Sarjapur Road Fire Station to Iblur junction was made a no right turn zone - no break in the median for about a kilometre or so. This was done to ease traffic hotspots elsewhere and it HAS served its purpose. The side effect however, given our…

The Smart Cities Mission project was one of the most ambitious projects launched by the Union Government in 2015. Identifying 100 cities (currently 99) across the country for sustainable development at an estimated cost of Rs 98,000 crore, the project was among the first major efforts launched by the Modi Government with a focus on urban development. Among the cities identified, based on their Mission proposals, seven were in Karnataka – Mangalore, Belgaum, Shimoga, Tumkur, Davangere, Bangalore and the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad in the northern part of the state. As the Ministry as well as the cities chosen acknowledge,…

Information is an asset. Before the Right To Information (RTI) Act enacted in 2005, information was limited and often, important public data remained within the access of a select few only. The state of affairs in India has changed undoubtedly after the RTI act, with citizens filing petitions, but there is still a lack of awareness that has limited its adoption. Even now, many civic activists follow the conventional procedure of visiting the government offices for information, when it could be done through a simple application.  There are others who complain that getting the relevant information from a government department through…

As the NDA government’s flagship program, Smart Cities Mission completes three years, the New Delhi-based policy think tank, Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN), has released a new report titled India’s Smart Cities Mission: Smart for Whom? Cities for Whom? This report comes as a sequel to HLRN’s earlier report on the Smart Cities Mission released last year, which provided a comprehensive review of the first 60 selected Smart City proposals. This updated report provides major findings of the research team’s analysis of Smart City proposals from 99 cities, highlights important developments, raises human rights concerns related to the Mission…

Manjunatha Prasad re-posted as BBMP Commissioner: He was removed from his position in May by the Election Commission and was awaiting a transfer ever since, but he was unexpectedly given the job back on June 28, 2018. The government transferred M Maheshwara Rao who was holding the position, to the position of Secretary in the Department of Agriculture, additionally managing Horticulture and Sericulture. Source: The Deccan Herald BMRCL revises six-coach train route:  Based on a pattern of commuting identified by BMRCL, certain revisions in timing and routes have been made for the six-coach train. The six-coach train for Purple Line…