Business
India’s first urban bank celebrates102nd anniversary
The first ever urban bank of India is the Bangalore City Cooperative Bank. It is now celebrating its 102nd anniversary. In these days when cooperative banks are going bankrupt, this bank’s achievement sounds incredible. It works more for the welfare of its members and customers rather than for profit. The bank has its head office in Chamarajpet and has 12 branches in different parts of Bangalore. It intends to open branches in rural areas as well. (Prajavani, Saturday, Mar 21)
Court
Retired judge in Bangarappa soup
Retired district judge and present member of the State Human Rights Commission Ramappa Hanumanthappa Raddi is in a soup. The High Court has appointed an inquiry committee to look into allegations that he hurriedly closed the cases of bribe againist former CM S Bangarappa. The records of court proceedings even prove allegations are right. It is alleged that Raddi had created records of imaginery proceedings after taking bribe from advocates of Bangarappa. In an attempt to create records, even holidays are shown as working days. The name of a senior advocate too surfaced in the scam. (Vijaya Karnataka, Friday, Mar 20)
Crime
Police lament raid on rave party
The much publicised police raid on a rave party on the outskirts of Bangalore recently has taken a new turn. Earlier the state forensic lab declined to give the blood test results within a month as it blamed police is not cooperating by providing suitable records. It is not clear under which section of which Act the police have registered the complaint against 100 odd people attending the party. None of such Acts make it mandatory to conduct blood tests, and the police have not specified why they want a blood test. (Kannada Prabha, Monday, Mar 23)
NIMHANS study reveals facts of fatal accidents
1000 out of the 9000 people who died in accidents in the state during 2007 were Bangaloreans. The number of injured was 50 times more than the number of dead. NIMHANS has many such startling details in its study. The study revealed that the number of helmet users has increased to 60 per cent in 2008 compared to 5 per cent in 2005. Yet most deaths are because of head injuries, says the study. Use of improper and poor quality helmets is one of the reasons. (Kannada Prabha, Monday, Mar 23)
Education
3 schools, 4 classrooms!
Despite being the IT city of India, many schools on the outskirts of Bangalore lack basic infrastructure facilities. To name a few schools in Aralalusandra, Kodiyala and Toredoddi near Bidadi, students here have to study sitting on the ground, braving summer, winter and rain. There are no class rooms. These three schools have just four rooms among them. Though grants were released earlier, they were withdrawn for reasons best known to officials. People representatives also seem to be least bothered about these schools. (Vijaya Karnataka, Wednesday, Mar 18)
Elections to hit PU valuation process
The evaluation of answer papers of the 2nd PUC examinations is likely to be hit by Lok Sabha elections. The PU Board has identified about 16,000 lecturers to evaluate the papers. However, the election commission is using about 12,000 of them. This is likely to be a delay in the exam results. Publication of CET ranking too might be delayed. (Vijaya Karnataka, Tuesday, Mar 24)
B Ed has few takers
Until a few years ago you wouldn’t get a B Ed seat even if you were ready to pay Rs 50,000 to Rs. 60,000. Now there are no takers for the same. Even government seats have not been filled this year, thanks to the explosion of B Ed colleges in the State. There were only 68 B Ed colleges during 2003-04. Now it is 410. (Vijaya Karnataka, Thursday, Mar 19)
Elections
No voter ID cards for all yet
50 per cent of the voters in two parliamentary constituencies of Bangalore urban district do not have voters identity card. Despite several attempts, the election commission has failed to provide voters’ ID card to a majority of city voters. Only 48 per cent of voters in Bangalore south constituency have ID cards and 50 per cent in Bangalore central constituency have this luxury. This has prompted returning officers of both these constituencies to request the election commission to allow voters to use other ID cards. The Commission has not yet replied to this request. (Kannada Prabha, Friday, Mar 20)
Delimitaion expands city constituencies
Call it the magic of delimitation, Yelahanka constituency of Bangalore urban district is attached to the nearby Chickaballapur constituency as well. The newly constituted Chickaballapur district has eight assembly constituencies under its parliamentary constituency. Devanahalli, Yelahanka and Hoskote are among them. This constituency has been a Congress bastion. This time it has four BJP MLAs, three Congress MLAs and a lone MLA from JDS. (Kannada Prabha, Wednesday, Mar 18)
Astrologers in demand for elections
Our netas have more trust in astrologers rather than voters. Astrologers in Bangalore are busy these days thanks to parliamentary elections. Though the relationship between astrologers and politicians is not new, astrologers are playing vital role in deciding candidates this time. JDS is taking the lead in using their services. Party supremo HD Devegowda is not finalising any candidate without taking astrologers’ advice. (Vijaya Karnataka, Sunday, Mar 22)
Entertainment
Jaggesh’s heart in the right place
RN Sudarshan, the matinee idol of yesteryears’ Kannada films, was in distress for a long time. He acted in a number of hits like Vijayanagarada Veeraputra during the 60s. He acted in both supporting and negative roles later. Settled in Chennai, Sudarshan and his artist wife Shailashri were in dire starits, and even contemplated suicide. Kannada actor Jaggesh, a distant relative, heard about their misery and brought them to his house in Bangalore. The couple are now under Jaggesh’s shelter. (Vijaya Karnataka, Saturday, Mar 21)
Environment
Bore well water contaminated by poisonous gas
Bore wells in many parts of Karnataka including that of Bangalore are contaminated by poisonous gas. The pollution level is high in the areas near granite quarries. The central government had already directed the Central Underground Water Board to inquire into it. Bangalore University has also been asked to study the phenomenon, which will begin from May this year. The university had already conducted a pilot study. Its Environment Science department studied the water of 69 bore wells. Out of them 57 were contaminated by the poisonous gas. Baba Nuclear Energy Center is further analysing the result. (Kannada Prabha, Thursday, Mar 19)
Encroachers eye Vrishabhavathi valley
BBMP has announced that the Vrishabhavathi valley will be developed on the lines of Sabarmati river valley in Gujarat. However, there is no attempt to curtail the continued encroachment of the Vrishabhavathi river bed. BBMP has divided Vrishabhavathi river valley into five phases. Encroachment is rampant on Mysore road. More than 20 houses were built on valley area in Rajarajeshwarinagar. As a result a short spell of rain can cause the area to be flooded. BBMP officials have said that a complaint against these encroachments has been registered with the police. (Prajavani, Thursday, Mar 19)
Government
File goes missing again
It happened first in the Woman and Child Welfare department. It happened again in the Civil Rights Enforcement cell. Now it repeats in the police department. We are talking of missing files. A senior police officer conducted a detailed inquiry into allegations of producing fake caste certificates by many government officials. The officer recommended action against these officials including senior police officer Kempaiah. This file is now missing since three years, and there has been no attempt to trace it. Now the case has come before the Right To Information cell. (Vijaya Karnataka, Saturday, Mar 21)
Health
New initiative to tackle rabies
The street dogs menace is not new to Bangalore. Many incidents in recent times and BBMP’s inaction has made citizens furious. Now, though not directly linked to controlling the menace, a Central Government’s scheme to control rabies has been implemented as a pilot initiative. Termed ‘Control and prevention of human rabies’ project, the project is implemented in six government hospitals in the city. People who are bitten by dogs may get immediate treatment here free of cost. (Vijaya Karnataka, Wednesday, Mar 18)
Infrastructure
Tender finalised for Metro stations
The Bangalore Metro Railway Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has finalised the designs of stations that come under Reach 4 phase of Metro railway. Meanwhile, tender process of construction of stations in Reach 1 to 3 is nearing completion. Sources say that the rail between Bayyappanahalli in Bangalore East to Chinnaswamy cricket stadium will be the first to run by December 2010. Metro stations are designed keeping the possibility of increase in the number of passengers in the next 20 years. When a design was finalised for Reach 1 there was criticism that the design would not suit Bangalore culture. So that was changed. Now designs are finalised taking all such factors into consideration. (Prajavani, Friday, Mar 20)
Balbhavan to get science park soon
Balbhavan in Cubbon park will have a science park soon. The park seeks to teach science in a simple way to children using models. It will introduce various science equipment like telescope, tools to explain science, et cetera. Administrators of Balbhavan submitted a request in this regard to the National Balbhavan Board. (Kannada Prabha, Thursday, Mar 19)
A litre of water at one paise from BWSSB
Bangaloreans lag behind in the proper usage of potable water, which is used for non-drinking purposes as well. This summer BWSSB has come out with an unique plan. It will supply a 1000 litres of water just for Rs 10. The water is not potable. However, it can be used for cleaning, construction and all purposes other than drinking and cooking. This water is filtered from waste water. The initiative is likely to help construction and industries. (Kannada Prabha, Sunday, Mar 22)
Rock obstructs underpass
BBMP’s plan to open the Sheshadri Road underpass soon has hit rock literally. The underpass work near Maharani’s College was in full swing and there was every reason to believe BBMPs’s claim of opening the road in a few days. However, now a huge rock has been encountered on the way of underpass. This has blocked the construction of ramps. Now commuters have to wait for 20 more days to use the underpass. (Kannada Prabha, Sunday, Mar 22) ⊕