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Rs 8,830 mn - bribe paid by just BPL households last year

The level of corruption is "alarming" in the states of Assam, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, says a new survey based on experience of BPL households in availing various public services last year.

The "India Corruption Study 2007", brought out by NGOs Transparency International India (TII) and Centre for Media Studies (CMS), found that about one-third of Below Poverty Line (BPL) households in the country bribed officials to avail a total of 11 services - from police to PDS.

What BDA spent on Abide

Mr A pulled out BDA's expense report on Abide (remember this event?). He found that BDA spent Rs.21,86,487 for that full day session at IISc. See a similar news reported about BBMP (Biscuits worth Rs 50000). That small event has allegedly been over-accounted. The same can't be said about Abide event, this is pure information for public consumption.

Hope for green belt? - breaking news

CAF's counsel in their "Master Plan PIL" has informed as below:

After hearing the arguments at length, the Division Bench of the Hon'ble Chief Justice and Justice V Gopalagowda was today pleased to pass an interim order that any approvals in the Green Belt of 714 km under the '95 CDP shall be subject to further orders of the Court.

Water supply PPP

Nagpur Municipal Corporation has invited for 'Expression of Interest' for pre-qualification for bidding for its 24x7 City Water Supply Project, on PPP basis. Should Bangalore follow suit?

Through its ad on page 15 Sunday TOI (dt 10/08/08, click on right-side bottom corner at

where's the level playing field?

BSNL has prime real estate, access to the best spectrum, has been guaranteed priority spectrum for 3G, and by virtue of its state-owned status, will always have a line of sight into spectrum.

Apparently, you can never possibly have a level playing field as long as government player is also in the picture. Is that a satisfactory scenario?

Reproducing the text of the article by Shalini Singh, which appeared in the TOI on 9th Aug, under the caption "BSNL unions question IPO valuation"

Parking for profit, and how we can help

Location, Whitefield. First photo may tell you nothing, whats wrong with parking on the edge of the road anyway. Second one tells you why I clicked it. Blatant, isn't it?

We see examples like this everyday. Some of us fools waste time taking pictures. And the rarest of rare, nut cases, take the trouble of sending these to Traffic Police to feel like doing 'their bit'.

2000 acres for IT park, what about other things?

I am terribly sorry. But I have an issue with developments like these - new IT park on 2000 acres around the city (source: DH). No, I am not going to speak the beaten line of farmland acquisition. I am not anti development at all, but I speak for us, the urban dwellers who lead close to miserable lives in this city today.

The government is setting up a sprawling IT park on 2,000 acres around the City to create the much-needed space for IT firms to expand their activities.

Wonderful news, and the plans look good. But lets do some maths now.

 

BMTC and Rs 750 crores

BMTC has postponed its Rs 750 crore IPO for the time being due to volatile market conditions. But its never too late to look at their plans. BMTC had submitted a Rs 3000 crore plan tothe center under JNNURM to "modernize and expand its network to meet the public transport demands of a growing city.". The plan is (source: Livemint) "to raise money from the public to add luxury buses on newer routes".

50 MW to be restored - but, why was it cut?

The power situation in the state may improve with the Centre promising to restore supply of 50 MW power, which was earlier reduced from the state's unallocated share and transferred to Andhra Pradesh. Read more at:
http://timesofindia.india...

Namma Raste - road use efficiency

Marathahalli bridge

Read in an email this morning that on 19th July 2008, a workshop on “Reclaiming Bangalore’s roads: Namma Raste” was jointly organized by Environment Support Group (ESG), CIVIC Bangalore and Alternative Law Forum at Vidyadeep, Ulsoor Road, Bangalore.

The context for this meeting was the PIL against BBMP over widening of 91 roads. Apparently, the claim is that the widening projects will increase average vehicle speeds from 8-10 km/hr to 40 km/hr (ref: material from ESG/HU - these should soon be up on ESG website, so I will save myself copy paste jobs here).

Sandalwood helpline

State Forest Department on Saturday launched the awaited 24/7 ‘Sandalwood Helpline Service’. Launching the service, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Forest Resource Management) M Muni Reddy said, "This helpline service has been launched as a pilot project in Bangalore and will be extended soon to other vulnerable areas in a phased manner".

Coincidentally, sandalwood came up for discussions on PRAJA just last week at
http://praja.in/bangalore...

in place of Race Course, what?

What's coming up in the place supposedly being vacated by the Race Course? According to a TOI piece sometime back, underground parking lots will be constructed. However, no mention has been made about the ground level: public space? shops and malls?

Shastri had brought this up in the passing in this comment where he had stated that:

According to this hindu story, there is no mention of an integrated transport hub. Apparently they want to keep the space as a open green space with an underground parking lot

The matter came up for discussion recently in a Yahoogroup, which I thought fit to migrate here

land auction to raise funds for infrastructure development - the right way to go?

The Revenue department is set to begin auctioning valuable government land in and around Bangalore to fulfil Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappas promises in budget 2008-09.

The department officials have already identified 61 acres of government land of various survey numbers spread across all five taluks of the district, for auction as the first installment. "The date of auction will be finalised shortly, and it is expected to fetch around Rs 90 crore," official sources said.

Accountability on BMIC and Potential Meeting with Mr. Kheny

I am a new member of Praja and am excited to see the possibilities.

The main project that comes to mind is BMIC / NICE. There seems no credible and accountable source of information on progress for this anticipated project except for Hon. Deve Gowda complaining about land allocation. Core issues:

Voter id card - the struggle continues

I thought today will be that day - my voter id card (EPIC) in my hand. After seeing the notices in newspapers, excitedly, I went to the school in the nearby halli, and asked for my card.

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