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Shrines on public spaces to go

3 August 2010 - 2:01pm — murali772

In a courageous move, the Karnataka government has decided to crack down on unauthorized religious shrines, including temples, churches, mosques and gurdwaras, which encroach upon roads, parks, storm water drains and other public places.

Incompetent BBMP?

2 August 2010 - 8:55am — kbsyed61

It is time to ask some tough questions on BBMPs competencies to maintain the Bengaluru City's civic infrastructure. Looking at various mishaps and neglect by BBMP becomes very apparent that BBMP does not have the technical and administrative competencies to create and maintain the civic infrastructure.

BDA and M/s Simplex Infra - Just Curious

2 August 2010 - 12:38am — silkboard

Disclaimer first. Not pointing any fingers here, things are very likely to be squeky clean, and I only have the rights to ask as a citizen. Just curious, and want to know if anyone else noted that Simplex Infrastructure has been awarded almost all Outer Ring Road flyover projects coming up on South/East side of city.

The cable tangle - free ride?

2 August 2010 - 12:22am — silkboard

It might sound like a trivial crib to many of you, but the freedom with which Cable TV operators ride on City's infrastructure conveys something to us. It might be a ignorable case of lax enforcement, and umpteen such small small things add up to promote the feeling that anyone can do anything with city's walls, pavements, poles, roads etc etc.

Do Water & Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Acts cover housing complexes?

31 July 2010 - 3:37pm — murali772

When the KSPCB sent us a notice for the first time in May, '07, I, as the then President of the association, raised a query with them as under:

Ours is a high-rise apartment complex comprising 126 dwelling units, situated at the above address. The only waste we generate is the sewage from toilets which is discharged into the BWSSB sewage line running below the main road adjoining our complex, for which BWSSB is levying us a 'sanitory charge', as a part of the monthly water bill. As such, please advise on what basis your organisation should be levying any annual 'consent fee' on our complex.

Pollution Control Board - the government's cash cow

30 July 2010 - 2:01pm — murali772

Even as BWSSB, KPCL, KPTCL, BESCOM, etc are desperately strapped for cash, there is another government agency that's just rolling in money, viz the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). A cursory glance at the financial statements, provided on its web-site ( http://www.kspcb.gov.in/ - though not quite in a reader friendly way as one would have liked it, which but is quite the norm with most government agency web-sites), shows the revenues at Rs 190 cr for total expenses of just Rs 23.54 cr, a mere 12% of the revenues, with the direct costs being just 5%. And, it's not as if they are being very frugal in their practices or anything like that.

BWSSB - story of unclaimed dues

30 July 2010 - 11:31am — murali772

Though fund-starved, BWSSB is doing little to claim dues running into crores of rupees from Govt agencies. Says Board chairman P B Ramamurthy: "Since bill collection is the main source of revenue for BWSSB, we have been continuously pressing both the government and semi-government bodies to pay their bills.''

Isn't it true of our situation too ?

27 July 2010 - 12:02pm — E.R. Ramachandran

Isn't this true of us too? Probably few thosands vs. One Billion++.....

BDA - Multi - Story Housing

24 July 2010 - 10:06am — Ravi_D

Just came back from another week long Singapore trip. Every time you look at those high rise apartments, can't help wonder how Bangalore would benefit if it had its share. It would have been impossible for Singapore to be that green without them.

AIMA conference on PPPs - a report

22 July 2010 - 2:10pm — murali772

The following is my report on the "All India Management Association (AIMA) Conference on Public Private Partnerships: Issues of Governance", held at Hotel Lalit Ashok, Bangalore, on Friday, the 16th July.

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