Public assets or perpetual burdens?

murali772 - 20-NOV-2013

Babus and public sector executives may have to surrender phones and broadband connections from private operators such as Airtel and Vodafone and shift to the networks of state-owned MTNL and BSNL as part of the government's plan to improve the finances of the two PSUs.

Water is elixir of life - Those handling water are only trustees

Vasanthkumar Mysoremath - 22-MAY-2013

Dear All,

Have a look at the following cut and paste from Deccan Herald dated 22-5-2013. 

Real Estate Regulator

sanjayv - 17-AUG-2012

There was an article in the Economic Times today by V Raghunathan titled "Why india needs a Real Estate Regulator". He very succintly covers how the real estate sector is a mess and how everything is one sided in the whole deal.  Most of the article is self explanatory and well known.

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

murali772 - 31-JUL-2010

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.

Killing the golden goose?

murali772 - 21-MAY-2010

India is the world's most competitive telecommunications market. But, the 3G spectrum auction is going to land things as a fiasco for the common man, even while it is a bonanza for the exchequer.

The outcome of the 3G spectrum auction in the UK was disastrous. The 3G network did not diffuse for a decade thereafter, because firms were broke. They had no money left to invest in infrastructure after paying for the spectrum licence and interest. The telecom firms could not generate positive cash flow from 3G activities for a decade. In fact, the principal UK telecom company, BT, sold its wireless business to pay off debts incurred to acquire 3G spectrum licences!

What happened in the UK can happen in India. The firms that have bid Rs 67,719 crore for 3G licences may not have finances left to fund infrastructure. If they borrow substantially, the combination of licence and interest costs, to be factored into pricing decisions, will make 3G services expensive or completely unaffordable. And, as everybody knows, it is low price that enables high offtake of any product or service.

Rainwater Harvesting Mela on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at Cubbon Park

murali772 - 16-MAR-2010

To mark World Water Day this year, a "Rainwater Harvesting Mela" is being organized at Jawahar Bal Bhavan, Cubbon Park on Saturday, March 20, 2010, from 10:00 am to 5 p.m. There will be stalls set up by BWSSB and several rainwater harvesting service providers. You can use this opportunity to clarify the procedures of the new Amendment, and meet the rainwater harvesting service providers, consultants and plumbers. They would be in a position to explain how you could implement rainwater harvesting for your house or building and give you an idea of the cost. We are also expecting some more organisations involved with water management like Central Groundwater Board to have their stalls at the event.

BWSSB is also organising an 'open house' at the nearby Cubbon Park Wastewater treatment plant as part of the event. Citizens can get a tour of the plant to see how the wastewater in the city is made available for reuse, by using advanced treatment technologies.

Schedule:

10:00am - 11:00 am : Inaguration of event by Chairman, BWSSB

Private Universities

murali772 - 13-MAR-2010

Amid protests and dharna from the opposition Congress and the JD(S), the Legislative Assembly on Friday adopted the Azim Premji University Bill, 2010, thus paving the way for the state’s first private university aimed at improving the quality of primary and higher education by providing training to teachers. The Alliance University Bill, 2010, another private university Bill, was also passed in the Assembly.

Both the Bills were adopted through the voice vote as the opposition parties staged a dharna in the well of the House, insisting on a joint select committee (JSC) of the house for a thorough deliberation on the Bill before getting it passed by the legislature. Opposition leader in the Assembly expressed fears that the passage of the Bill would open the floodgate for private universities in the absence of any set of regulations to govern them. Instead of placing a Bill for an individual university, the government should bring in a comprehensive private university Bill while listing out elaborate guidelines, they demanded.

Carlton Fire - What can we learn?

Ravi_D - 24-FEB-2010

Earthquake in Haiti showed us results of bad construction practices. A 5.1 Richter scale quake is a distinct possibility in Bangalore per this study.

Exploitation of mineral wealth

murali772 - 18-JAN-2010

Jeffrey Lee in Australia is sitting on Uranium deosits which can provide 'clean' energy to the entire country for decades together and beyond. But, he is not interested in selling out even if it will make him amongst the richest men in the world (check this report in Daily Good).

Power supply - will Bangalore have choice, like Mumbai

silkboard - 29-OCT-2009

How interesting is this news report Mumbai!? Is this an example of consumer benefitting from having choice? Worth wondering if Bengaluru will ever have choices like these?