Governance

Bengaluru Buzz: Deadline for 100% waste segregation | Sankey Tank overflows | Trial run of e-bus…and more

October 25, 2020 News Desk

Catch up on news from the city over the past week, in our roundup.

Bangalore Teachers’ Constituency election: Info on MLC, candidates and more

October 24, 2020 Pragathi R

Bangalore Teachers’ Constituency election, on October 28, will see incumbent MLC Puttanna contesting JD(S)’s A P Ranganathan and Congress’s Praveen Kumar.

Urban local bodies in Karnataka still awaiting crores due from Centre and State

October 23, 2020 Himanshu Upadhyaya and Abhishek Punetha

A major part of the revenue of urban local bodies in Karnataka come from Centre and State grants. But recent reports by the CAG show that ULBs are yet to get crores of rupees due to them.

How shopping streets can be COVID-safe during Dasara: Here’s a template from Malleswaram

October 22, 2020 Ankit Bhargava and Suchitra Deep

With crowds in commercial areas during Dasara, Bengaluru’s COVID count is expected to increase. In Malleswaram, a local group has created a street plan to make 8th Cross COVID-safe, and has sought BBMP’s support for implementation.

Governance

Opinion: Can BBMP Bill be an opportunity to usher in ‘swaraj’ in Bengaluru?

October 14, 2020 Sandeep Anirudhan

The disconnect between nature, citizens and governance has made Bengaluru uninhabitable. The BBMP Bill could correct this, but in its current form the Bill seems like a missed opportunity.

BBMP Council election: “As history repeats itself, citizens are paying the price”

September 19, 2020 Manasi Paresh Kumar

As the state government appoints an administrator to BBMP and indefinitely delays Council elections, how are citizens affected? History shows that the absence of a Council makes BBMP more unaccountable and inaccessible.

Opinion: Bankrupt BBMP should be replaced by an efficient, powerful Metropolitan Council

September 11, 2020 V Balasubramanian

Solving Bengaluru’s problems of water, traffic, pollution, etc., requires a powerful, efficient body. A Bengaluru Metropolitan Council headed by the Chief Minister could be a solution.

Opinion: BBMP Bill offers nothing new, can’t solve Bengaluru’s problems

September 10, 2020 V Balasubramanian

State government is planning to soon enact the BBMP Bill for Bengaluru’s governance. But the city’s growing problems cannot be solved with the current governance structure or by merely increasing the number of wards, as envisioned in the Bill.

Helpline to report rabid dogs: BBMP launches rabies prevention programme

August 21, 2020 News Desk

BBMP has launched a programme to eradicate rabies in the city and to reduce human-dog conflict. The programme includes a helpline that citizens can call if they see a dog with rabies symptoms.

Booth-level COVID response in Bengaluru: Volunteer groups to monitor 500 families each

August 15, 2020 Manasi Paresh Kumar

Given BBMP’s centralised COVID response hasn’t been quite effective, it has joined hands with civil society organisations for a booth-level system that will be driven by citizen volunteers. Citizens can register at the BLCARES website to volunteer.

Rs 111 cr budget for Kempe Gowda project alone; and barely any for Archeology Dept

August 6, 2020 Manasi Paresh Kumar

Karnataka’s Archeology Department, the oldest in India, struggles to manage 844 monuments, 14 museums and more with a meagre 25 crores and a staff of 97. Plus 25000 other monuments are not notified due to the lack of funding! Yet one project to erect a statue and beautify a tomb gets 111 crores.