murali772's blog

"Sakala" - Wake-Up Call For Babudom?

2 March 2012 - 4:28pm — murali772

Beginning today, there is a deadline for all public services: be it a certificate or redressal of a grievance from any government department. If the deadline is not met, the official will be penalized. - - - - “Enough is enough. We don’t want people running around for services,” the CM pointed out.

Loudspeaker menace

2 March 2012 - 4:10pm — murali772

A high court division bench headed by CJ Vikramajit Sen has given a week’s time to the Bangalore police commissioner to explain what action his department has initiated against illegal use of loudspeakers at religious places in the city. “If the same is not given, we will have to call the commissioner,” the bench said.

Information Denial Facilitation Commission

29 February 2012 - 5:09pm — murali772

Now, it's a celebrated fact that the TTMC's in Bangalore are the biggest case of mis-use of JNNURM funds, as has more or less been established in this blog.

Dr Ashwin Mahesh for MLC

24 February 2012 - 2:26pm — murali772

MLC for the Bangalore Graduates Constituency (election to which is coming up around June) is the only reprsentative - at any level of government - who is elected across the whole city, indeed the entire metropolitan region. This is an office unlike any other, and ideally it should be held by someone who can articulate a vision for the Bangalore city and region, and work to build it.

Draft National Water Policy (2012)

22 February 2012 - 2:30pm — murali772

Here is the link to announcement of the release of the "Draft National Water Policy (2012)" by Ministry of Water Resources on 31-January, 2012 15:11 IST - open for comments till 29th February, 2012.

The draft policy document is attached.

Can we hope the politicians are now serious about tackling the impending water crisis?

2 February 2012 - 5:44pm — murali772

Politicians who participated in the discussion were in support of the proposal and praised CPP and BET's efforts in bringing a serious problem to limelight and planning a strategy to fight it. Politicians appeared to be united at the meeting to resolve the imminent crisis.

18-lane autobahn to BIA - isn't it clearly an overkill?

21 January 2012 - 5:54pm — murali772

The ride towards Bengaluru International Airport and beyond will soon become a minutes-only affair with work under way to upgrade Bellary Road (NH 7) into an 18-lane autobahn with a high speed rail link (HSRL) embedded in it.

Another wide footpath sacrificed

20 January 2012 - 3:40pm — murali772

These pictures are of the 5th cross, Vth block, Koramangala, the one-way road leading up to the Canara Bank junction. The road has over the years become almost totally commercial, with any number of eateries, shops and what have you, setting up there, making it an almost one-stop destination for all kinds of products and services for a large section of the Koramangala population.

Why this colour (non)-vary, BMTC?

18 January 2012 - 7:29pm — murali772

I am reproducing below a letter a friend had mailed to BMTC MD (bmtcmd@gmail.com):

Welcome appreciation of media's role by CM

8 January 2012 - 2:37pm — murali772

The CM is bothered about negative reports in the media. In his August meeting, he had asked officials to appoint a nodal officer to respond and issue clarifications to reports in the media.

Defacing of public spaces

5 January 2012 - 2:37pm — murali772

Vending zones soon in city

4 January 2012 - 6:01pm — murali772

In future, the streets and pavements should be in order, with vendors taking places allotted to them. The Karnataka Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, approved by the cabinet on Tuesday, aims to streamline hawking by having specified vending zones and ensure convenience to pedestrians and motorists.

Strong Lokpal, weak judiciary recipe for failure

27 December 2011 - 11:06am — murali772

This debate misses the main reason why the Lokpal is likely to flop. Even if the Lokpal controls the CBI, it will have no control over the courts. These seem incapable of convicting any resourceful person beyond appeals within his or her lifetime. Little will be achieved if the Lokpal initiates a thousand cases that then drag on for decades, with the accused out on bail. - - -

Delhi Power Distribution privatisation - a model for all cities to follow?

24 December 2011 - 5:29pm — murali772

Linked here is a ppt presentation on the transformation of the Delhi power supply scenario, at least in those parts coming under Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL), over the 8 years since the taking over from the Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB). The information was obtained from TPDDL themselves.

Traffic Advisory Committee

20 December 2011 - 12:58pm — murali772

The new Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Dr Saleem, IPS, has instituted a Traffic Advisory Committee (TAC), comprising traffic 'experts' from across the city, which incidentally includes three PRAJA members - Pranav, Sathya, and myself - to interact with the traffic police at the highest level on a monthly basis, with a view to finding solutions for the city&

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