Have a solution for Bengaluru’s terrible traffic? Cops seek advice from residents

Civic Issues

The police now want to revive the defunct traffic advisory committees to rope in residents in managing area-related traffic issues.

TNM Staff

Representation Photo

Bengaluru residents always have one thing to complain about – traffic. While most casual conversations among city residents circle around traffic jams and the horrendous Electronic City flyover, it's also not new for Bengalureans to lament about a lack of proper traffic management. The Bengaluru City Traffic Police is now asking residents to help assess the city's miserable traffic situation and come up with solutions. For over 25 years, the traffic advisory committee in Bengaluru has been active only on paper. The Bengaluru Traffic Police are now planning to introduce traffic advisory committees across 44 traffic police stations in the city and residents will be included in these committee. These residents will also be engaged in enforcement of traffic rules and regulations. Bengaluru is consistently found to have among the lower traffic speeds among major urban cities in India. To help address traffic-related issues, the traffic advisory committee will consist of permanent residents, who will be able to offer solutions to concerns in their area. Although these committees were supposed to be established over two decades ago, the police have finally decided to make them a reality.  Bengaluru Traffic Police Commissioner P Harishekaran said, “From an auto driver to a cab driver to software engineer to an activist. Whoever has the ability to identify traffic-related problems and offer suggestions to solve these issues will be part of this committee. These committees will also work with officials. One journalist from each locality will be a part of the committee.” Police officials say that public grievance meetings -- currently being held on the third Saturday of every month -- barely have any footfall. “If more people become aware of these meetings, with more participation, we will be able to pick members of the committee by narrowing down on regulars. Whatever problems are brought to the committee’s notice will be passed on to necessary authorities like the BBMP, BWSSB etc,” the police official added. An effective move? But traffic management expert MN Sreehari believes that the proposal is just an eyewash to make residents believe that traffic management is an inclusive space where their issues are heard. Speaking to TNM, he said, “This committee has no powers. BBMP builds roads, BDA plans various layouts. BWSSB dig up roads at it own will. However, the traffic police permission is required for carrying out road works. This permission is given by the Traffic Commissioner. What is the point of these committees? It is an eyewash. People will come and lament and no action will be taken. What were they doing for 25 years?” However, Ashish Verma, a professor at IISc, says that the effectiveness of the traffic advisory committees, although limited, can only be determined once they become operational. Verma argues that these committees can help identify area-specific traffic congestion problems, which can be brought to the notice of concerned authorities.

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Hoax security alarm strands over 150 Singapore-bound passengers in Bengaluru for 14 hrs

Aviation

The Scoot flight which was set to depart at 1.20 am will now leave at 4.30 pm.

TNM Staff

A false security alarm raised by one of the passengers left more than 150 people, scheduled to travel to Singapore, stranded at Bengaluru airport for around 14 hours on Tuesday. Flight TR573, run by budget airline Scoot, was scheduled to depart for Singapore from Bengaluru at 1.20 am on Tuesday. The flight was delayed slightly and at 1.48 am, when the flight was just about to take off, a passenger reportedly raised an alarm, claiming he has spotted a gun in one cabin luggage. Officials at the Kempegowda International Airport confirmed the incident. In a statement, the airport said, “A hoax security threat was made at 0148 hrs on April 23, 2019, relating to Scoot Airlines Flight TR573 (BLR – SIN). Standard security protocols and procedures were followed and no suspicious items found. A passenger was de-boarded from the flight by the CISF. The remaining passengers and baggage were also de-boarded and rescreened for security and immigration clearance.” The flight will now depart at 4.20 pm because the airline had to arrange for a fresh crew for the flight, as the existing crew had already exceeded their flight time limits, due to the extended security checks. The statement added, “A replacement aircraft and crew are being flown into Bangalore. The flight is now scheduled to depart Bengaluru to Singapore at 1620 hrs on April 23, 2019. Meanwhile, food and refreshments have been organised. During this time, there was no impact on operations at the Airport. At Bengaluru Airport, we treat all security threats very seriously and work in coordination with security agencies to ensure the safety of our passengers.”   An airline spokesperson said, "Due to a verbal security threat, a passenger had to be removed from the flight by airport security. All passengers were required to undergo security screening and immigration clearance again, and no suspicious items were found. As a result of the additional security procedures, flight time limits of the operating crew were exceeded.” Many passengers took to social media to complain against the airline for lack of adequate communication. In one such tweet, one passenger said, “@flyscoot about 170 passengers are stuck in Bengaluru airport for TR573 since 1 am today. Response from your ground staff is extremely pathetic. The manager has no moral responsibility to even come and meet the passengers and hear the grievances. Today you've lost a loyal customer.” The flight is scheduled to depart from Bengaluru airport at 4.30 pm.

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Will announce my decision soon: MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi on quitting Congress

Politics

Speaking to the media in Belagavi after casting his vote, Ramesh Jarkiholi said, “I am technically with the Congress.”

TNM Staff

As 14 constituencies in North Karnataka went to polls on Tuesday, Congress MLA from Gokak, Ramesh Jarkiholi said that he would soon announce his decision on whether he will quit the party. Speaking to the media in Belagavi after casting his vote, Ramesh Jarkiholi said that he would make his decision at the right moment in the coming days. “I am not someone who will sit in the dark and throw stones. I am technically with the Congress. In the coming days, I will announce my decision when the time is right,” Ramesh Jarkiholi said. Last week, Ramesh Jarkiholi’s brother, the Karnataka Minister of Environment and Forests – Satish Jarkiholi had announced that Ramesh had refused to go back on his decision to quit the Congress. Satish had also stated that the youngest of the Jarkiholi brothers, Lakhan would be fielded from the Gokak segment as the Congress candidate when Ramesh quits the party. “I am happy to support Lakhan if he decides to contest from Gokak. I am a responsible person and I have been in politics for many years. When Umesh Katti was refused the ticket from Chikkodi by the BJP, BS Yeddyurappa had met Umesh Katti and sorted out the issue within a matter of hours. The Congress has not approached me at all,” Ramesh said. He also took a dig at his brother by stating that Satish is an outsider to the Congress as he had defected from the JD(S). “He (Satish) came from another party and is troubling me now. I am a five-time MLA and I speak responsibly when I say this,” he added. Ramesh Jarkiholi’s statement comes just hours after BJP state President BS Yeddyurappa said that the BJP will form a government in Karnataka after the Lok Sabha polls. “I am confident of the BJP winning more than 22 seats this time. We will definitely form the government in Karnataka after the elections,” Yeddyurappa told the media in Shikaripur on Tuesday morning. Speculation is rife in Karnataka’s political circles that the BJP has been in talks with Congress MLAs, who are thinking of defecting to the BJP. The BJP had lured former Congress MLA from Chincholi, Umesh Jadav into its fold by offering him a ticket to contest Lok Sabha polls against Mallikarjun Kharge in Kalaburgi. With Ramesh Jarkiholi’s possible defection, his detractors in Ballari are likely to join him, sources in the Congress say.

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Name deleted from voter list? Sign this form created by Bengaluru duo to petition EC

Lok Sabha 2019

While over 2,000 people have signed the petition, around 10,000 others have enquired about it, say social activists Ramesh Reddy and Krishna Hebbar.

Rohit R.

File photo: PTI

Sai, a first-time voter from Bengaluru, had accompanied his mother to the polling booth to vote. While he was able to cast his vote, his mother was not. In spite of staying at the same address, his mother was asked to go to another voting booth, but there she was informed that her name had been deleted. A lot of citizens in Bengaluru were left cheated when they could not find their names on the voting list. Despite exercising their franchise in the 2018 Assembly elections and the elections preceding that, their names seemed to have been removed. Social media was abuzz with citizens complaining about not being able to vote and enquiring about what can be done. Two local social activists, Ramesh Reddy and Krishna Hebbar, decided to approach the Election Commission about this issue with a petition titled My Vote, My Right, which has gone viral amongst citizens. “I personally know a few friends whose names, and those of their parents, were removed from the list. On learning that this wasn’t an isolated incident and that the deletions were a lot higher than the previous elections, I decided to pursue the matter by creating a Google form to gather information and present the case to the Election Commission. My friend Krishna later joined me to help out as the response was more than I had anticipated,” Ramesh says. While over 2,000 people have signed the petition, around 10,000 others have enquired about it. Ramesh says, “It’s strange that dead people’s names still remain on the rolls. But names of people who voted in the last few elections, at the same polling booths, have been deleted.” Talking about the reach of the petition, he mentions how people from Dharwad (which was yet to go the polls at that time) called them to say they are facing the same problem. Claiming that the deletions may not be random but rather a systematic one, Ramesh thinks that it could be a move to benefit political parties. Blaming the Election Commission and the BBMP for lack of coordination, he contends that the removal of names did play a role in the low voter turnout in the city. Ramesh says a lot of people are still filling up their details in the form, because of which they have decided to postpone handing it over to the Election Commission. He says, “We will wait for a reply from the state Election Commission before deciding the future course of action. If we don’t get an appropriate response, we will approach the courts to find a solution.” A lot of organisations and individuals have also approached the activists to team up and strengthen the cause. However, the duo has decided to wait for the state Election Commission’s reply before committing to anything. Other organisations also have filed a case concerning the omission of names. In 2018, Million Voters Rising, a campaign by Whitefield Rising, had filed a PIL on behalf of those who had been disenfranchised. The case is still under hearing and the organisation has now put up a new form for people whose names were deleted in the final roll revision before this year’s Parliamentary elections.

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Bengaluru man arrested for allegedly harassing two women

Harassment

On Saturday night, the two sisters were walking and searching for an ATM kiosk in Vivek Nagar, when the accused intercepted them.

TNM Staff

A 25-year-old man was arrested after behaving inappropriately with two women in Bengaluru’s Vivek Nagar area. The incident took place on Ejipura Main Road on Saturday evening.  According to reports, the accused who has been identified as Johnson, had been stalking and following a 27-year-old woman and her sister. On Saturday night, the two sisters were walking and searching for an ATM kiosk when Johnson intercepted them and began speaking to them in Kannada.  The two women could not understand the language and tried to walk away when Johnson allegedly began touching one of the women inappropriately. The victim raised alarm which drew the attention of those in the vicinity, and this allegedly angered Johnson.  According to reports, Johnson allegedly picked up a stone and assaulted her. He also kicked her in the abdomen. Passersby stopped him and began to help the women. They also contacted police officials who rushed to the spot.   Earlier in February, two women police officials were targeted and attacked verbally by an unknown person via phone call. The accused was later caught and arrested by Bagalagunte police. The accused used different SIM cards to make calls to the police station for a period of three months. He would call the station, and if a woman police officer answered, he would speak to her using extremely abusive and derogatory language. He had also allegedly claimed on the phone that he had committed a murder and that he had raped a woman. He was later arrested after one of the cops managed to track down his number and get his location details. He was booked under IPC Sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty).

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Live blog: Kerala, 14 seats in Karnataka vote in phase 3 of Lok Sabha polls

Lok Sabha 2019

Phase 3 will see elections to 117 seats across the country, and is the largest phase this election.

TNM Staff

20 constituencies in Kerala and 14 seats in north Karnataka will be voting for their Member of Parliament in Phase 3 of the Lok Sabha Elections on Tuesday. Voting in both states began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm. Phase 3 will see elections to 117 seats across the country, and is the largest phase this election.  In Kerala, a little over 2.61 crore people are eligible to cast their votes, with a total of 227 candidates in the fray. Meanwhile, for Karnataka’s 14 seats, 237 candidates will seek a mandate from 2.43 crore eligible voters. It’s a three-cornered fight in Kerala between the incumbent CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The UDF has 17 Congress candidates, two Indian Union Muslim League candidates and one Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) candidate. The LDF has 16 CPI(M) candidates, two CPI candidates and two independent candidates backed by the Front. The NDA has 15 BJP candidates, four Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) candidates and a candidate of the Kerala Congress (Thomas). The battle in Karnataka is a straight fight between the BJP and the alliance candidate of the JD(S) and Congress in all the seats. The seven-phase Lok Sabha elections started on April 11 and would conclude on May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23. Follow live updates here: Note: Please disable your ad blocker if the blog is not loading  

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Lok Sabha 2019: Final phase of polling for 14 seats in north Karnataka begins

Lok Sabha 2019

The second phase of the election in Karnataka, which will be held between 7 am and 6 pm on Tuesday, has 2.43 crore electorates voting for 237 candidates.

TNM Staff

Fourteen constituencies of north Karnataka will go to polls on Tuesday, four days after electorates in 14 seats in the state’s southern part voted in the second phase of Lok Sabha polls in the country. The seats going to polls on Tuesday are Chikkodi, Belagavi, Bagalkote, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Ballari, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davangere and Shivamogga. Out of these constituencies, Vijayapura and Kalaburagi are reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates while Ballari and Raichur are reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates. Elections in the second phase of 14 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka will be held between 7 am and 6 pm with a total of 2.43 crore voters casting their votes for a total of 237 candidates. All the seats will see a straight fight between the BJP and the alliance candidates of the JD(S) and Congress. While the BJP is contesting in all the 14 seats, the Congress and JD(S) are contesting in 11 and three seats respectively. The Congress is contesting in Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Gulbarga (SC), Raichur (ST), Bidar, Koppal, Ballari (ST), Haveri, Dharwad and Davanagere, while the JD(S) will contest from Vijayapura (SC), Shivammoga and Uttara Kannada. Interestingly, the JD(S) candidate in Uttara Kannada is Pramod Madhwaraj, a former Congress minister who has not quit his primary membership in the party. The ruling coalition has fielded women candidates: Veena Kasappanavar of Congress in Bagalkote and Sunita Devanand of JD(S) in Vijayapura (SC). The BJP, on the other hand, has no female candidates. In the 2014 general elections, the BJP had won 11 seats and the Congress the remaining three, with none going to the JD(S). Some of the key contestants are Congress heavyweight Mallikarjun Kharge is contesting from Kalaburagi, hoping for a third-time victory, and party's state unit working President Eshwar Khandre from Bidar. In Shivamogga, sons of two former Chief Ministers are locked in a straight contest. The sitting Member of Parliament BY Raghavendra, son of former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, is facing former Chief Minister S Bangarappa’s son Madhu Bangarappa, who is contesting on a JD(S) ticket. Elaborate security arrangements are in place with more than 49,000 police personnel stationed across the state, in addition to Civil Defence, jail wardens and five companies of Central Armed Police Force. Karnataka's Chief Electoral Officer has identified 5,605 polling stations as critical and has deployed additional cops to ensure free and fair voting. Read: TNM fact check: Can you issue a ‘challenge vote’ as viral WhatsApp fwd claims?    

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