Articles by Shree D N

This article is supported by SVP Cities of India Fellowship. Shreyas sat on the ‘bench’ for a few months after being selected by a top information technology company in Bengaluru through a campus recruitment drive. Coming from a tier-1 college in the city, and even after undergoing an induction programme, he wasn’t given any project to work on. He felt the need to study more and acquire new skills, to keep up with the trends in hiring. He quit the job and moved to Germany to study more. Many of his classmates who couldn’t study further are still on the…

In April last year, Citizen Matters had published an article on Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Urban Development Department apologising to the National Green Tribunal (NGT); This was after the BBMP had claimed the NGT’s order increasing the buffer zone to 75 metres was not applicable retrospectively. The NGT was upset, and lashed out at the state bodies, objecting to the term ‘quasi-judicial body,’ which the agencies had used to describe the Tribunal. As a result, the Karnataka government’s Urban Development Department and the BBMP retracted the notifications that clarified the NGT ruling, and apologised to the Tribunal.…

A high-decibel campaign followed by exit poll bets and now onto resort drama? Political pundits exclaimed it was a “waveless” election and it was hard to predict who would win. Exit polls predicted both ways, though the majority predicted a small lead for the BJP. Bettings favoured the BJP, while stock market rallied predicting a BJP victory. But what did this election mean to the citizens of Bengaluru? On one hand you had Siddaramaiah who had launched a number of welfare schemes targeting the poor and on the other side, a prime minister seen as a decisive ruler with bold…

Amid a busy day meant for campaigning, Sureshkumar took time to meet us during a break. He is one of the MLAs in Bengaluru who are in touch with people and socially active. Being a senior member of the Opposition, he has been actively raising issues related to Bengaluru and the State in the Assembly, seeking solutions from the Government. He spoke about his work, party's policies and more in the interview. Edited excerpts: What have you been able to achieve as an MLA in the last five years? As a true representative of the people from Rajajinagar, I have…

Every year, an MLA is given Rs 2 crores every year, to spend on developmental works in his constituency. There are around 180 expense items sanctioned under Aravind Limabavali’s MLA Local Area Development Funds, out of 10 crores in five years. ☛ Click here to see what an MLA is allowed to spend Local Area Funds on. It appears from the data that Limbavali spent more than half of the funds in building bus shelters.  107 bus shelters costing a total of Rs 5.02 crores have been spent.  There are also curious facts in the way the money was spent. For example, when…

Nalapada Ahamad Haris, Member of Legislative Assembly from Shantinagar, has been in news for all wrong reasons recently, due to the controversy related to his son. Going by media reports, he is in the danger of losing the Indian National Congress (INC) ticket this time, to contest from Shantinagar. Haris has represented the constituency for last 10 years. Citizen Matters had interviewed him during his campaign in 2013 to understand his vision for the constituency. Since the term has ended, we went back to him, to understand how he spent last five years, what he could do and could not…

On March 27, 2018, the Election Commission (EC) announced the dates of the Karnataka Assembly elections and Code of Conduct came into force. Since then, the police have seized cash, gold, vehicles and myriad freebies meant for distribution to the public by various party members. Be it the money offered by a party to the family of a dead worker, or the tradition of giving money to women who do Arathi, it is covered in the scope of the EC’s Code of Conduct, once the election is announced. Is seizing materials meant for influencing the voter a new thing? No.…

Aravind Limbavali is the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Mahadevapura constituency. Summary 2nd time MLA in Mahadevapura, reserved constituency for SC/ST General Secy of BJP Karnataka Engineer by training, started as RSS/ABVP member Minister of Higher Education and later Health and Family Welfare in 2008-13 BJP government. Active in the 2013-18 assembly with many questions on lakes, roads and other urban development topics Bulk of his LAD funds have been spent on Bus Shelters - more than 5 crores. Constituency continues to struggle with issues of water, polluted lakes and traffic nightmares   Profile of MLA Arvind Limbavali is…

We hadn't expected to receive 68 entries for this topic, in a city where half the people don't know what a mayor can do. Our contest, 'If I were the Bengaluru Mayor' became an all-time hit, with submissions overflowing with ideas! There were 54 English entries, and 14 Kannada entries. We read them again and again, and shortlisted 10 English entries and 5 Kannada entries for the judges to decide. The judges included Manjula Sridhar, an entrepreneur, Harish Narsappa from Daksh, Yatish Kumar from Prajavani, Rasheed Kappan from Deccan Herald and Prakash Belawadi of Suchitra Film Society. The winners were:…