Government
Minister and bureaucrat unaware of each others’ names.
Minister for Animal Husbandry Revu Nayaka Belamagi is known for his innocence. He is uneducated but respected by people. Speaking at the inauguration of a national seminar on animal husbandry, the minister said that he could speak neither English or Hindi. He was unaware of the correct name of his own department’s Principal Secretary Shamim Banu. The latter too just addressed him as ‘Honourable Minister’ in her speech. This strange ignorance was a matter of discussion in the seminar. (Vijaya Karnataka, Monday, Dec 15)
ATS chief on long leave
In this critical hour when all states are on high alert due to terrorism, Chief of ATS (Anti Terrorist Squad) Neelam Achyuta Rao has opted to go on a year-end leave, and the government has sanctioned it too. Rao was appointed to the ATS as he had prior experience as the city’s top cop. Senior IPS officer M K Srivastava has taken charge in his absence. A case of Nero fiddling as Rome burns? (Vijaya Karnataka, Friday, 12 Dec)
MLAs have no time for Dr. Kalam
Leave alone common public, our MLAs have no regard even for Dr Abdul Kalam. The former president had sent a questionnaire to Karnataka legislators workshop organised at IIM, Bangalore focussing on leadership qualities, constituency development etc. Only 80 out of the 217 MLAs and 75 MLCs responded to the request. Dr. Kalam had not only designed the questionaire himself, he also went to the extent of calling up people personally for clarifications. (Vijaya Karnataka, Friday, 12 Dec)
Health
NGO works for Autistic children
Autism is a mental disorder that can be overcome by proper training. Information and Research Center (IRC) is one such NGO which is helping such children. Run jointly by the Rotary Club and Sringeri Sharada Peetha in Chamrajpet, this centre lends a helping hand to parents of such children. For details contact; Information and Research Center, No 9, 1st cross, Shankarapuram, Basavanagudi (Ph. 4120 3426, 9980163855). (Prajavani, Saturday, Dec 13 )
Pro-active health minister receives feedback directly
State health minister Sriramulu has come up with a unique idea for reaching out to people. Public can complain directly to him, as every patient who is discharged by a hospital is handed a postage-paid business reply envelope. Patients can fill this feedback form and mail it to the minister free of cost. (Kannada Prabha, Thursday, Dec 18)
Doctors succeed in removing rare tumor
Doctors of BGS Global hospial have succeeded in conducting a rare surgery on a woman by removing the paragangliyoma (Extra Adrinal Tumor). The tumor had developed due to harmonal imbalance. Doctors said that the tumor, grown to the size of a tennis ball, would have proved fatal otherwise. The patient was complaining of severe headache and fell unconscious before she was admitted to the hospital. (Vijaya Karnataka, Saturday, Dec 13)
Infrastructure
Government to drop plans of high speed rail to BIA
The much talked about high speed rail to connect BIA and city has hit a dead end with the government thinking of dropping the project. Highly placed sources in the government confirmed this. The argument against this lavish scheme estimated to cost Rs 3,700 crores was that the existing signal-less road and elevated road to BIA were enough to handle traffic.The high speed rail would have reached people to the BIA in just 25 minutes. (Kannada Prabha, Tuesday, Dec 16)
Yeshwanthpur flyover to be ready in three months
There is good news for those who commute on Tumkur road. The construction of the flyover in Yeshwanthpur which connects to Tumkur road will be ready in three months. Construction started in March, 2007, but has been dragging along, putting motorists through hardship for two years. The 50 meter long flyover will help commuters avoid three signals. (Kannada Prabha, Monday, Dec 15)
AC bus shelter has few takers
The first ever air conditioned bus shelter in Bangalore has few takers. This bus shelter is on Kasturba road, but no passengers can be seen inside it. Upon inquiry, it was revealed that buses stopped atleast 20 feet away from the stand, and by the time commuters stepped out and ran to board them, they would already have vanished! (Prajavani, Wednesday, Dec 17)
Land acquired for hardware park near BIA
The government has succeeded in wooing farmers to part with their lands acquired for the construction of a hardware park near BIA. Farmers had opposed the move for several months. The park is expected to come up in 713 acres spreading across Bagaluru, Hoovinayakanahalli and Mahadeva Kodigehalli in Bangalore north taluk. Government has agreed to pay Rs 70 lakhs per acre as compensation, apart from giving them 9583 sq ft developed area per acre. It has also agreed to provide employment to at least one member of the family. (Kannada Prabha, Wednesday, Dec 17)
Metro work slows down again
Work on BMRC (Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation) has slowed down again. Only 30 per cent of works have been completed compared to the scheduled 70 per cent. The time frame has again been extended by nine months for completing work between Bayyappanahalli and MG Road. This line had an erlier deadline of April, 2009. The company which is executing the work has blamed the delay on labour shortage, and rise in prices of steel and cement. (Kannada Prabha, Saturday, Dec 13)
Bangalore is now Nano city too
Apart from being called IT, BT city et al, Bangalore now has one more tag – Nano city! This formal declaration was made at the National Nano Award distribution function oragnised by IT and BT departments, attended by Vice President M Hamid Ansari, Governor Rameshwar Thakur and others. The Central government is to set up a National Nano Research Centre in Bangalore with the aid of Rs 100 crores, which is why the city has got this new epithet. (Kannada Prabha, Sunday, Dec 14)
Race course road will be completed in a month
Extension work on Race Course road will be over within a month, BBMP engineers said. BBMP took this work on Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) basis. The road, extended from Basaveshwara circle to Sheshadri circle, is to be upgraded to six lanes. However similar progress has not been made in the adjoining Palace Road. Though trees along the road were chopped off long ago, BBMP is yet to get a green signal from the BWSSB and Telecom departments to go ahead. (Vijaya Karnataka, Monday, Dec 15)
After, Nano city, Bangalore to become solar city
Principal Secretary to the energy department K Jairaj has said that the government is planning to convert Bangalore into a solar city. As a part of this initiative, one lakh houses in Bangalore will be brought under the purview of utilising solar energy, with students and NGOs creating awareness about the same, he said. The energy department and BBMP will install 100 solar street lights, each costing Rs 53,000, Jairaj informed. He was speaking at the inauguration of the national Save Energy day programme. (Kanna
da Prabha, Monday, Dec 15)
Society
Visiting card in braille!
It is not unusual if police officials want to evade the public, but Director General of Police R. Srikumar is an exception. In his eagerness to mingle with all sections of society, Srikumar has printed his visiting cards in brail also. He has been using these braille cards since four years. (Vijaya Karnataka, Sunday, Dec 14)
Slum children become computer savvy
Children from slums have utilised the availability of free software to become computer literate. The Ambedkar Community Computing Center (AC3), started by children of Sudarshan layout slum in Hosa gurappanapalya on Bannerghatta road is spearheading this movement. Using the free software available, these children have learnt operating computers (given by donors), and even teach others too! AC3 has 16 children. (Prajavani, Monday, Dec 15) ⊕