murali772's blog

And now, an award for (hold your breath!) TTMCs

5 May 2012 - 2:39pm — murali772

State held Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has bagged a national award constituted by the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd (HUDCO). The award recognizes BMTC's initiative of constructing ten Traffic and Transit Management Centres (TTMCs') in and around Bangalore.

Finland's schooling success story

2 May 2012 - 4:28pm — murali772

Excerpts from the article by Anu Partanen in the Atlantic:

Foreign funding of NGO's

1 May 2012 - 12:29pm — murali772

With reference to a certain context, a debate got started on the Hasiru Usiru Yahoo-group on the above subject, which I thought called for a larger debate, and hence this blog. The exchanges on the Y-group are reproduced below:

Boycott vehicles with defective number plates

28 April 2012 - 11:20am — murali772

While Dr Saleem, the Addl Commissioner, Traffic, has stated (check this) that he will be taking up an intensive drive against 'defective number plates' (the biggest issue here of course pertaining to the Kannada number plates - very few people want to identify it as such, sinc

Is there a fear of Dr Ashwin Mahesh ushering in a Coterie rule?

19 April 2012 - 8:41pm — murali772

I had posted this blog on the Hasiru Usiru Yahoo-group, apart from a few others, which can be construed as campaign material favouring Dr Ashwin Mahesh for the MLC graduate constituency vacancy, election for which is coming up in June.

Why is privatisation still a dirty word?

12 April 2012 - 12:45pm — murali772

Debates & opposition concerning these issues are part of this process & those that oppose cannot be termed 'vested interests' by those that seek 'speedy' privatization with claims that the aam-aadmi is paying a huge price & that privatization has already made things move towards services becoming world-class (whatever that

How to pave the way for scams in Defence contracts

5 April 2012 - 7:39pm — murali772

The Inland Rules was brought in 1986, when the Bofors scam took place, to knock out all honest and straight forward arms dealers. Coincidentally, thereafter, it seems that the scams in defence purchases have become bigger and bigger.

Coalgate: the cost of ideology

2 April 2012 - 6:33pm — murali772

The Left Front has always opposed amendment of the Coal Mines Nationalisation Act, 1973, that banned private coal mining, save for captive purposes. UPA-1 wanted to amend this Act in 2004 to allow private mining-after which truly competitive auctions would have become feasible. But the LF prevented any amendment.

The way out for Indian Railways?

19 March 2012 - 12:27pm — murali772

Its (Indian Railways) size, and the advantages it enjoys as a monopoly, put it in a class of its own. It’s the world’s fourth largest network (in kilometres) after the US, Russia and China. It’s the envy of others, in terms of passengers and freight carried. But it is run, unlike IOC, ONGC etc, as a departmental activity.

Open letter to Akhilesh Yadav

19 March 2012 - 11:51am — murali772

Dear Akhilesh Yadav

There are three key infrastructural areas where Bangalore has failed - power supply, water supply, & public bus transport services. And, the solutions to all of them are simple - they are detailed in the blogs linked below:

Koramangala EWS housing cum commercial complex

17 March 2012 - 5:50pm — murali772

BBMP has given a contract to Maverick Holdings and Investment Private Limited, a private firm, to construct 1,640 houses for economically weaker sections (EWS) at Vannarpet in Ejipura area. - - - A few years ago, 1,512 houses had collapsed in the same area and the victims were provided temporary shelter there. - - - The proposed BBMP’s new multi-storey building will

Guarding press freedom

13 March 2012 - 2:25pm — murali772

The Press Council of India (PCI) has objected to the Karnataka speaker’s decision to initiate proceedings against mediapersons for exposing Porngate, in which two BJP ministers allegedly viewed porn clips on the mobile phone of a colleague inside the assembly.

Culture of jugaad Economics and voodoo politics

4 March 2012 - 5:10pm — murali772

The imperative for growth cannot be overemphasised in a country where over 450 million people can’t afford two square meals and where every year nearly 12 million youngsters line up for jobs. The magnitude of the twin problems of rising expenditure and falling growth obliges the government to act on both fronts and display some sense of urgency.

Kingfisher debate

4 March 2012 - 4:36pm — murali772

Such an airline (Kingfisher) deserves not just to succeed, but to be appreciated. No doubt, the high costs generated by government policies adversely affected all airlines; Naresh Goyal of Jet Airways is said to have lost his billionaire status and become a mere millionaire.

How did the BIAL runway deteriorate so fast?

3 March 2012 - 6:59pm — murali772

A full scale runway closure is a major event, and for a runway to be closed for "maintenance" implies serious repairs. Serious repairs on a spanking new runway, at a new airport which has commenced operations less than four years ago, clearly implies something extra-ordinary.

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