K'taka CM Yediyurappa orders probe on Bengaluru’s white-topping, Tender Sure works

Controversy

These works were taken up by the BBMP using state government grants worth close to Rs 2,000 crore in total.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has ordered a probe on the use of public money for two phases of white-topping and Tender Sure works on Bengaluru roads, under the Siddaramaiah government. The CM has also stopped the implementation of the third phase of white-topping for the time being.  These works were taken up by the BBMP using state government grants worth close to Rs 2,000 crore in total. The CM’s order for a probe has triggered a swift response from KJ George, the former Bengaluru Development Minister in Siidarmaiah’s cabinet, who has denied any wrongdoing. In a statement, George said, “White topping project was ideated and implemented by BBMP with a vision to find a long term solution to potholes / bad roads considering the vehicular density in Bangalore city. Initially the Detailed Project report for the white topping was made by authorised competent agencies adhering to the standard procedure. Following the report the DPR tender was called accordingly. The tender formalities were vetted by the Technical Committee and Empowerment Committee comprising of Additional Chief Secretary: Urban Development, Secretary: Public Works Department, Additional Chief Secretary: Finance & Commissioner: BBMP. “ “The pricing of the project was done as per by Public Works Department Schedule of Rates and the pricing finalized / roads selected for White Topping was approved by the cabinet. The entire process of white topping is in compliance with KTPP Act.  I do agree that there is inconvenience for the commuters and citizens at large due to the white topping project. This inconvenience is temporary. There are many completed white-topped roads in Bangalore city which are done in the best quality and commuters are appreciative about the ease of travel,” he added. However, he said that he welcomed the move by the CM to order a probe by the Chief Secretary. What is white topping and Tender Sure? White-topping is a process where normal bitumen asphalted roads are given a concrete topping in the hope of giving them a longer lifespan and to prevent formation of potholes. BBMP claims that white-topping is the ultimate cure for the pothole menace, since concrete roads have a lifespan of around 30 years, unlike asphalt roads, which need to be tarred every three to four years. While the durability of white-topped roads is a contentious topic, experts and a section of citizens had questioned the BBMP haphazard planning and the delay in executing the projects without any public consultation.  Some residents of  South End Road had even gone to the Karnataka High Court objecting to white-topping of the road from Madhavan Park to Nettakallappa Circle alleging the BBMP had adopted “unscientific” methods. They claimed that white-topping will make the road uneven and it will lack drainage facilities for both rainwater and sewage as no culverts have been built. There were allegations of corruption as well from the opposition and a section of activists. TenderSure roads are roads designed by Jana Urban Space.a non-profit, and has designated spaces for utilities such as power, water, sewage, drainage, telecom and gas lines. While cheered for its prioritisation of pedestrians, and integrated road design approach, TenderSure roads have its fair share of critics for its high financial and environmental cost. The project has also faced opposition as government had relaxed tender conditions for TenderSure roads.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2PdgMPg
via IFTTT

Steeper fines for littering to burning garbage: BBMP’s draft proposal for Bengaluru

Civic Issues

Besides proposing steeper fines, the BBMP also plans to utilise CSR funds under ‘Adopt a street’ programme.

Soumya Chatterjee

Representational Image

In a bid to mitigate Bengaluru’s perennial garbage problem, the civic body in the city, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has proposed increased financial penalties for defaulters in its Solid Waste Management (SWM) draft Byelaws 2019. The draft laws will be finalised within a period of one month once it’s published in the state Gazette.  Randeep D, Additional Commissioner BBMP, said, “There is a 30-day period to make changes once it is notified in the Gazette. This will be put on the Gazette in this week. We have posted it on the BBMP website already. In this 30-day period, people can give their objections and opinions.” He added, “The changes can be incorporated if the objections are reasonable in nature. And if some clauses need a relook in the larger interest of SWM, then the Commissioner will asses them on a case-by-case basis.”  On the other hand, the SWM cell has introduced an ‘Adopt a Street’ Programme to use corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds for the purpose of additional cleaning, greenery and increasing walkability on the streets.  This initiative has been launched based on a success story in Indiranagar where Trivium eSolutions, a company located on Double Road, adopted the street and showed instant results.   Speaking on this, Randeep, said, “These will be supplementary efforts, over and above what we are doing. These can be additional beautification, minor maintenance works adding to visual cleanliness. We will not take any cash from them but if they contribute directly to the system, it will help.” Steeper fines People will be fined Rs 500 for littering, spitting, urinating, defecating in the open for their first offence and Rs 1,000 for subsequent offences.  In the proposed structure, people will be fined Rs 5,000 for burning or burying garbage and if bulk waste generators do the same, they will be charged Rs 25,000.  For households, failure to segregate waste (separate dry and wet) will attract a fine of Rs 500 for the first offence and Rs 1,000 for subsequent offences. And the same for waste collectors will be Rs 1,000 for the first offence and Rs 2,000 for further such violations. For construction units, failure to store construction and demolition waste in a segregated manner will attract a fine of Rs 5,000 per tonne and Rs 10,000 per tonne for subsequent violations.   The hike will also mean that existing fines for violations pertaining to solid wastes, plastic and waste generated in events, will be hiked. Consumers using plastic will be fined Rs 5,000 for the first offence and Rs 1,000 for subsequent offences.  These steep fines have been proposed by the BBMP as per a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order in March.  Other than this, traders selling /reselling banned forms of plastic will be fined Rs 50,000 for the first offence and Rs 1 lakh for repeat violations.  Dr Sandhya Narayan, Member of the BBMP’s Solid Waste Management Round Table, said, “This is not a way to scare the people but enforce the rules. What happens now is there are multiple instances of repeat violations. Now if one person burns his hands, he will tell other hundred persons about the enforcement. This should be thoroughly implemented.”   ‘Adopt a street’ As part of this, NGOs and corporates can augment BBMP’s street cleaning efforts by any or all of the following three methods:  Street cleaning programme— conduct clean-up drives (at least once a month), remove or report illegal flexes, banners, posters and cables, transform existing dumpsites, support an additional daily shift of street cleaning through own staff. Street greening— Protect and maintain all trees and plants on the footpath and median, plant new trees and shrubs as per approval, report dead trees and branches that need trimming.  Improving walkability— Identify and execute minor repairs to damaged footpaths, assistance in removing minor obstructions from the footpath, repairs to prevent waterlogging and facilitate water flow into SWD (storm water drain) augmenting BBMP Electrical Dept efforts by reporting non-functional streetlights and supporting their repairs.  Additionally, corporates can also add facilities like waste bins and benches with the approval of the BBMP department concerned.  

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2Z43A3F
via IFTTT

Arrest of pro-Kannada activists for tearing Hindi hoarding by Jains turns political

Language

The incident took place near the Jain temple along Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Road in Bengaluru on Friday evening.

TNM Staff

In a video that has gone viral on social media, a group of pro-Kannada activists can be seen shouting slogans against the exclusion of Kannada in a hoarding that was in Hindi. As the sloganeering continues, several activists can be seen climbing a ladder and slashing the hoarding with knives. The incident took place near the Jain temple along Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Road in Bengaluru on Friday evening. According to the Commercial Street Police, the members of the Jain Community had erected a hoarding outside Ganesh Bagh prayer hall regarding Chaturmas, a holy period for the Jain community reserved for fasting and penance. The incident came to light on Saturday when the pro-Kannada activists uploaded the video of the vandalism on Facebook and shared it on WhatsApp. The pro-Kannada activists blamed the organisers of the event for not putting including Kannada in the hoarding. When the vandalism took place, only two security guards were present at Ganesh Bagh. In the video, the activists are seen shouting at the security personnel and speaking with them in Kannada, even as they could not understand the language. Soon after the video went viral, a member of the federation, Trilok Chand, filed a complaint with the Commercial Street Police station alleging that the pro-Kannada activists were trying to provoke enmity on religious and linguistic grounds. The Commercial Street police registered an FIR against six persons under sections 153A (promoting enmity on the basis of religion and language), 427 (property damage), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.  On Sunday, the Commercial Street Police arrested Ramesh Gowda T, Daapi Anjanappa, Harish Kumar B, Manjunath M, Chandrasekhar and Madesh Gowda S. The six accused were remanded to 14-day judicial custody. #ReleaseKannadaActivists began trending on Twitter as news of the arrest spread with several pro-Kannada activists demanding that the activists must be released from jail.  The issue became political with former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy demanding that CM Yediyurappa withdraw the case against the pro-Kannada activists. “Respected Chief Minister, please withdraw the case registered against pro-Kannada activists. You can show your masculinity by convincing the Centre to allocate funds (flood-related) required for the state,” Kumaraswamy said in a tweet. ಮಾನ್ಯ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳೇ ಕನ್ನಡ ಪರ ಹೋರಾಟಗಾರರ ‌ಮೇಲೆ ದಾಖಲಿಸಿರುವ ಮೊಕದ್ದಮೆಯನ್ನು ಹಿಂಪಡೆಯಿರಿ. ನಿಮ್ಮ ಪೌರುಷವನ್ನು ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸರ್ಕಾರದಿಂದ ನಮ್ಮ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಪಾಲಿನ ನೆರವಿನ ಹಣವನ್ನು ಪಡೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಬರುವುದರಲ್ಲಿ ತೋರಿಸಿ.#ReleaseKannadaActivists — H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) August 19, 2019 Karnataka President of the All India Jain Minority Federation, Prasanna Sancheti on Sunday met Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa in connection with the issue. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Sancheti said that Yediyurappa had assured members of the Jain community that action will be taken against the six accused. “CM Yediyurappa has assured us that he will direct DG and IGP Neelamani Raju and city Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao to take stringent action against the miscreants who ransacked the place and tore the banners put up at the entrance of Ganesh Bagh,” he added.  Prior to this BJP MP Tejasvi Surya had tweeted condemning the attack and said that he was , “Deeply hurt over attack on our Jain brothers in B'luru over हिन्दी on a banner of a temple by few rowdy elements”. Deeply hurt over attack on our Jain brothers in B'luru over हिन्दी on a banner of a temple by few rowdy elements. They however never question use of عربى in Bengaluru. Assaulting peaceful Jains who contribute to Karnataka brings infamy to genuine Kannada lovers & activists. — Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) August 18, 2019 However, he was called out for communalising the issue by adding in his tweet that such protests were never over the use of Urdu in Bengaluru. The events that transpired Speaking to TNM, Parmesh Jain, a member of the All India Jain Minority Federation, alleges that this was the fourth incident in a span of one month. Paramesh alleges that pro-Kannada activists have vandalized hoardings outside several Jain temples and prayer halls since the beginning of August in Bengaluru. “This is the fourth incident in one month. First, it happened in Vijayanagar, then in Mysuru Road and on Friday they vandalized the hoardings near Infantry Road. Yesterday (Sunday) pro-Kannada activists did the same thing at Kumbalgod area. We have our shrine at the place and devotees from across the country, mostly from north India, come here during Chaturmas for prayers. We had used a larger font for Hindi so that people can identify the prayer halls easily. The Kannada mandatory on boards rule applies to commercial establishments only. How can these people not understand that?” Parmesh questioned. “No one should show muscle power and hurt the sentiments of each other. Bengaluru city is inclusive and everyone’s sentiments must be respected. We urge everyone to avoid conflict and spreading of fake messages on social media,” Bhaskar Rao added. Speaking to TNM, President of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), T Narayana Gowda said that the protests were carried out by various pro-Kannada groups and not only KRV. He added that they had spoken to the community about including Kannada, but they did not. “There was only one member from KRV, Anjanappa. Harish Kumar is from Kannada Ranadheera Pade. There are so many small pro-Kannada groups whose members were part of protest. We had spoken to the members of the community several times in the past and asked them to include Kannada in the hoarding. We did not say they must not use Hindi or any other language. On Friday and Sunday, the hoardings were torn because when our activists were shouting slogans, the members of the Jain community said that they would not use Kannada at any cost. That’s why the hoardings were brought down,” Narayana Gowda said.     

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2YYKwUs
via IFTTT

CCTV visuals show drunk driver ramming car into pedestrians on Bengaluru footpath

Accident

Of the seven persons injured, two of them are in a critical condition, police officials said.

TNM Staff

In a horrific incident, a driver drove over the footpath and hit multiple pedestrians in Bengaluru's HSR Layout on Sunday. Police say that the driver was inebriated and lost control of the wheel.   The incident took place at around 3 pm and left seven persons injured in front of Reddy's Restaurant and Irani Chai on 14th Cross Road, 7th phase of HSR Layout. The car drove onto the pavement without warning and injured pedestrians walking on the road. The force of the impact flung people in the air and mowed down two-wheelers parked on the pavement.  Visuals: Trigger Warning CCTV footage of the incident has since been shared widely and shows pedestrians caught unaware by the speeding car before being struck by it. Two of the injured - Goutham and Shankar - are in a serious condition while five others sustained minor injuries and were discharged from the hospital. Passersby rushed to the rescue of those hit by the car and transported them to a hospital. Few witnesses pulled out the car driver — identified as Rajendra, 43 — and handed him over to the police. Rajendra, who works for a travel agency and was returning home, was arrested by HSR Traffic Police. He was driving the car in an inebriated condition while returning from a function to his residence in JP Nagar. He was charged under 185 (drunken driving), 279 (rash driving).  

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2KReU9j
via IFTTT

Bengaluru businessman found dead in fire at his home, police suspect murder

Death

Police officials investigating the incident suspect that it is a case of murder made to look like death due to an accidental fire.

TNM Staff

A 41-year-old businessman was found dead at his residence near Bashyam Circle in Rajajinagar on Sunday. Police officials investigating the incident suspect that it is a case of murder made to look like death due to an accidental fire. They also suspect the involvement of his 15-year-old daughter and her friend, a college student, after she changed her version of events while informing the police about the incident. The businessman Jai Kumar Jain, hails from Rajasthan and managed an apparel shop near his residence. His wife and son were attending a function in Tamil Nadu when the incident occurred.  Following  a preliminary investigation, police said killers stabbed the businessman to death before setting the body ablaze in the bathroom, reported Times of India (ToI). The body of the victim was discovered at 10:30 am on Sunday when neighbours noticed that smoke was coming from the house and called the fire control room. Police said that traces of blood were found on the floor of the bedroom and that the daughter's friend sustained burn injuries, as per Deccan Herald. Police further added that attempts were made to destroy evidence of the crime in the house. The daughter of the businessman claimed that she left for her relative's house on Sunday morning and noticed the fire when she returned. She later stated that she returned home after a morning walk.  “We are also questioning Kumar’s daughter to know more details about the incident. We will share the information on Monday,” said N Shashikumar, deputy commissioner of police (north), speaking to ToI. 

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2KFkA7f
via IFTTT

Ahead of Ganesh Chaturti, Bengaluru civic body seizes 179 idols made of plaster of Paris

Environment

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board will deploy 10 special vehicles across Bengaluru to spread awareness on eco-friendly options to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi.

Soumya Chatterjee

With the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi fast approaching, authorities in Bengaluru have tightened their noose on the use of Plaster of Paris (PoP) to make idols. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has been on a war footing in seizing such idols that enter the city and those made in traditional hubs like Pottery Town. As of Sunday afternoon, a total of 179 idols have been seized by the BBMP’s Health Department. “We are increasing our vigil as we are approaching the festival date (September 2). If we spot repeat offenders, we will impose heavy fines and file a case against the makers. Otherwise, we will warn them and let them off,” Dr BK Vijayendra, Chief Health Officer, BBMP, told TNM. Every year, the festival results in massive environmental damage as idols made from non-biodegradable material, like Plaster of Paris, end up in the city’s already ailing lakes. The ban on PoP to make idols has been in place since 2017 when the Karnataka High Court upheld a notice issued by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). The Pollution Control Board has said that a first-of-its-kind 10 special vehicles will run across the city to spread awareness on the importance of celebrating Ganesha Chaturthi using eco-friendly measures, such as using clay to make the idols. Dr K Sudhakar, Chairman of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, said,  “Using PoP idols has an adverse effect on the oxygen levels under water. Water bodies get severely affected by the non-biodegradable materials as they do not dissolve easily and decrease the depth of water. As they have proven to be toxic to not only to the environment but to human beings also. The amount of lead used in colouring the idol also affects the heart and kidney.” The KSPCB has asked Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd (BESCOM), BBMP, police department, fire and emergency services to give permission to groups or individuals to organise the rituals in public spaces provided they are using an eco-friendly Ganesha idol. For the implementation of the rule outside the city limits, KSPCB has issued similar letters to the chief executive officers of gram panchayats, town panchayats and Commissioners of city corporations to strictly adhere to the rules of banning PoP idols.  The BBMP officials also claimed that over recent years the number of idols made of PoP has been reducing due to rising awareness in the city.  What happens to seized idols? All the idols seized by various authorities will be transferred to the BBMP. This will then be handed over to Rock Crystals, a company that won the bid to run BBMP’s construction waste recycling unit.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2HcZj2J
via IFTTT

5 students electrocuted to death in Karnataka's Koppal, CM orders probe

Accident

Rs 5 lakh compensation will be given to each victim's bereaved family members.

IANS

Five students aged 14-16 years were electrocuted to death in a freak mishap on the terrace of a residential school building in Karnataka's Koppal town, police said on Sunday. "The tragic incident occurred when the boys were removing a 15-feet iron pole mounted on a mud-filled drum used to hoist the national flag on the Independence Day (August 15) on the terrace. As the pole they were holding came into contact with an 11 kilovolt (kv) live electric wire over the hostel building, they got electrocuted and died of shock," Koppal Superintendent of Police Renuka Sukumar told IANS on phone. Koppal is 350km northwest of Bengaluru in the southern state's backward region. The ill-fated students were identified as Mallikarjun, Basavaraj, Devaraj, Ganesh and Kumar. "A case of negligence has been registered against the state-run BCM Deveraj Urs King's residential school hostel warden, the one-floor building owner and an official of the state-run electricity utility provider (Gescom) under section 304A of the IPC (Indian Penal Code)," Sukumar said. Expressing shock over the death of the teenage students, state Chief Minister B. Yediyurappa in Bengaluru ordered an inquiry into the mishap and directed the district deputy commissioner to give Rs 5 lakh compensation to each victim's bereaved family members.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2Z6NEsw
via IFTTT