Governance | Citizen Matters, Bengaluru

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.

“COVID response: Bengaluru is overlooking every management lesson from history”

August 3, 2020 Manasi Paresh Kumar

History shows that Bengaluru has reined in pandemics before. But now, with turf wars and bureaucrat transfers, even basic principles of management are missing from the city’s COVID response.

Bengaluru Buzz: Lockdown from July 14 | BMTC services trimmed | Unrest among frontline workers…and more

July 12, 2020 News Desk

Bengaluru will go into a complete lockdown again from July 14 to 22, in an attempt to contain COVID. Read more in our roundup of last week’s news.

Banning domestic workers, forcing quarantine: Can your apartment RWA make these ‘special’ COVID rules?

June 19, 2020 Siddhant Kalra

From banning domestic workers to forcing additional quarantine on residents, many RWAs have made their own rules. The legality of these rules is highly questionable, but BBMP Commissioner says he won’t interfere.

“Why do Shramik trains seem like planned nightmares?”

June 5, 2020 Anita Cheria

Government’s COVID response has failed to recognise the migrant worker as human. While the workers are treated like criminals, the real culprits behind their plight go scot-free.

“Better ward-level governance could have saved Bengaluru’s migrant workers during lockdown”

June 2, 2020 Kathyayini Chamaraj

As per law, Disaster Management Cells in each ward would have been responsible for providing services to migrant workers during lockdown. But thanks to the apathy of authorities, these Cells weren’t even set up initially and still remain ineffective.

Can amended Zonal Regulations protect heritage in Bengaluru?

May 28, 2020 Harsha Raj Gatty

Bengaluru has lost many of its heritage sites to rapid urbanisation. Last month, state government amended Zonal Regulations so as to identify and preserve a wide range of heritage sites.

Migrant Workers of Bangalore queuing up to travel home from Malur Station on Shramik Trains

Explained: How can Bengaluru’s migrant workers travel back home

May 21, 2020 Siddhant Kalra

With lakhs of workers wanting to go back to their homes, and limited trains operated by the government, will they stay back in Bengaluru or try other options?

“Karnataka should strengthen labour laws, not weaken them”: AICCTU

May 19, 2020 Clifton D'rozario

The trade union AICCTU has written to the state government, asking not to proceed with its plans to dilute labour laws. Rather, these laws should be strengthened so that workers affected by the lockdown are protected, the union said.

Bengaluru Buzz: Trains restart for migrants | Rs 1160 cr relief package | Hotels, bars may sell liquor..and more

May 10, 2020 News Desk

Trains for migrants stopped and then resumed, state government’s relief package of Rs 1,160 cr amidst financial crunch – read more on news over the past week, in our roundup.