Town Planning - Ribbon and Ring development

psaram42 - 28-MAR-2010

 Towns existed many centuries before the Industrial revolution. The pre industrial towns were glorified villages in short for obvious reasons.  The degree of urbanization increases sharply as industrialization increases. Even with an inherent flaw in the urban mechanism as opposed to nature, the urban way of life has definite irresistible advantages. 

1.      Man is a social animal

2.      Economic drivers

3.      Easy access to goods and services

4.      Education and seat of learning

5.      Safety 

Sakrama scheme

bikram satpathi - 27-MAR-2010

SAKRAMA SCHEME WILL COME IN NEXT 10 DAYS OR 4 YRS.  Ten days since govt needs money. Four yrs since their will be objections (Carlton Fire Bangalore / Park Street fire Kolkata). But you cant just wish it away. Unauthorised Bldgs are there for ages. Penalising BBMP is not a possibility. More practical sol would be to read  Bldg Bye laws , chapter on Fire Safety. Let the users of the bldg be aware of the issue.  Any better suggestions .. Courts maybe...

jaago re

bikram satpathi - 27-MAR-2010

During run up to BBMP elections we saw some down to earth pictures of  condition of our pot holed roads in some parts of Bangalore. We have seen excellent roads (plastic green Roads ) in Bangalore which bt virtue of  Tech involvement does not allow potholes  see All major roads - Cubbon road -Trinity circle area, Tv Tower rd...Ring Road. It is called Modified Bitumen ( Poly mer added correct percentage to Bitumen at right temp). Why then aren't smaller rds in Bangalore given the same treatment ? Now that you will get new corporators pl ask them about pot holed roads in your area. Technology has been passed by Cen Rd Research Inst , Min Env Forests.. Bangalore has 1000 km ,TN about 1500km... such rds.

Contractors hold the key. Annual work order has to survive on pot holes appearing at regular intervals. Think you can tackle this. Get more gen from Print media on Plastic Roads in Bangalore.

bogus voter list

bikram satpathi - 27-MAR-2010

We received voters slip (chits) from several parties before BBMP elections. Voting slip is the small chit with your particulars & may be candidates pic. Some of the chits apply to you fully. Others from the same flat do not make any sense though the entry Bldg or colony  is at the bottom and flat / dwelling no to the right lower end.

What you have is called a bogus voters case. If you have any such Voters chits that you don’t use (doesn’t match your profile) just give details.  Praja could handle the Master Voters list which records   apartment bldgs / colonies  as a location in specific  ward. You all have got your names corrected earlier yet new names have appeared against your dwelling.

Solution to disparity

idontspam - 27-MAR-2010

Do we need new states?

The more long-lasting solution to regional and intra-state disparities is to create viable proposals for reducing them within the existing framework of governance rather than create new political entities. Unless there is substantially better governance, there is no guarantee that a new political entity will lead to better economic performance.

Interesting to find this analysis today. I dont see more states as the solution. So, that throws up the larger question I was discussing with some praje on a dry, soda filled, friday night. Is the unitary state outlived its utility? Will a federation structure work for a diverse country like India?

New Rajdhani train to Delhi

Sanjeev - 27-MAR-2010

Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/60377/special-trains-clear-extra-rush.html

A new tri-weekly Rajdhani Express commenced its maiden run between Bangalore City and Hazrat Nizammudin on Friday (March 26). ... from Bangalore City at 8.20 p.m. will reach Hazrat Nizammudin at 5.50 a.m ... run on Fridays, Saturdays and Tuesdays and reach Hazrat Nizammudin on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays ... run via Shri Satya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam, Gooty, Dhone, Kurnool Town, Mahbubnagar, Secunderabad, Kazipet, Nagpur, Bhopal and Jhansi to reach Hazrat Nizammuddin ... leave at 8.50 p.m. and arrive at Bangalore City at 6.40 a.m. on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays

Its good for Bangalore, as Summer vacation has started &  now citizens can travell comfortably to Delhi. It was long pending demand of Karnataka.

Whats really ahead after BBMP election

vmenon - 26-MAR-2010

dear all,

Its time to start redefining in our own minds, on who is responsible for what after the BBMP elections.

In the vacuum these last few years, MLAs’ filed the space for citizen grieviences.The BBMP engineers started to come directly under them. Task forces were set up to almost run the city. The parstatals (BDA, BWSSB etc) became more a law unto themselves. (The elections themselves will not change the parastals; a governance bill is required for that) .And citizen direct invovelement, even thro a badly run and set up ward committee disappeared (Again a governance reform issue).

First thing, is to realize that a MLA’s job is to provide and monitor the laws and rules of the State. He should have nothing to do with how or where a road is built in a ward.

The councilor is responsible for ward priorities and resource allocations, through direct interaction with citizens or ward committees. He has nothing to do with the engineering aspects or the actual commercial tendering decisions.

Some of them have moral and positional oversight over others, but not direct interference in the others jurisdiction.

The Bangalore Water Index

Neha_Dar - 26-MAR-2010

What is the Bangalore Water Index?

The Bangalore Water Index project aims to develop a means of quantifying the 'water health' of the city. This published index will track a judiciously selected set of parameters relevant to the water domain, using data released by government bodies like the BWSSB, technical information provided by NGOs and research institutions, information extracted through RTIs, as well as crowdsourced feedback from citizens.

Over a period of time, the index will draw a comparative picture of the quality, quantity, accessibility and reliability of water supply across various demographics and parts of the city, as well the responsiveness and effectiveness of government bodies in charge.


Why do we need a Water Index?

Adaptation to Climate Change: Policy, Economics and Governance

Ravi_D - 26-MAR-2010

Received this via another email subscription. Venue: IISc.

IISC-RCUK Lecture Series

The British Deputy High Commission and the Indian Institute of Science,
           Bangalore Invites you to the Centenary Lecture

                                 On
     Adaptation to Climate Change: Policy, Economics and Governance

By

                            Prof. Judith Rees
                        London School of Economics

                           Prof.P.P.Mujumdar
                           Will be the Chair

Time : 4.00pm
Date : 26th March, 2010
Venue: Faculty Hall, Main Building
Tea  : 5.00pm, Reception Hall

ALL ARE CORDIALLY INVITED

 http://www.serc.iisc.ernet.in/broadcast_messages/msg16102.html

The BBMP Elections 2010

psaram42 - 26-MAR-2010

 "Electioneering for the BBMP polls virtually concluded on Thursday late night with the 66.19 lakh Bangalore electorate getting set to vote on Sunday. Technically the candidates had time till Friday 7 am to end their campaign, but with the ban on using the public address system after 10 pm, the candidates had to close shop on Thursday night."  See the TOI article here.  

The campaign has been very vigorous. The door to door campaign has been very good with distribution of election ID of each voter in a house hold. I have got this info from both BJP and the congress.