Road closed in Bengaluru’s Banashankari for white-topping: Alternate routes here

Civic

The affected stretch is from Teacher’s Training College circle up to South-end circle signal.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Image for representation

In continuation of the white topping project across Bengaluru, BBMP engineers have closed RV Road. The affected stretch is from Teacher’s Training College circle up to South-end circle signal. The work is scheduled to begin from February 1. RV road is in Banashankari adjoining Lalbagh, and entry to the park from RV road is likely to be affected by laying of cement on the road. The BBMP has released a map of alternative roads that people are suggested to use, to avoid the road undergoing white-topping. The notification does not give a specific timeframe for the completion of white-topping on that particular stretch. White topping in the city has been plagued by constant delays. Touted as the one stop solution for potholes in the city, the delays in white-topping have become the new bane for the city’s motorists. In fact, TNM had previously reported on how proposals for future white-topping of roads were stopped and a probe initiated into previous projects, due to alleged irregularities in the works carried out on roads that underwent white-topping. Read: Explainer: White-topping of Bengaluru roads and why there’s a probe into the project Experts have criticised the white-topping project in the city, calling it unscientific, as it does not take away the existing grit on the road, thus raising the level of the road which results in various unforeseen problems. There are also allegations of non-coordination between units, as traffic was affected near the Jayadeva Flyover demolition. Buses and cars were stuck in pile-ups that went on for hours, due to the delay in completing the white-topping work on Hosur road, which is the alternate route to avoid the region surrounding Jayadeva Flyover. Read: Bengaluru’s Jayadeva flyover demolition causes traffic nightmare, commuters vent out  

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Bidar school kids quizzed third time by cops over their play against NRC-CAA

CAA

While a parent and a head-teacher are in jail, police questioned over 60 minor students.

Theja Ram

The Bidar police on Saturday questioned around 60 students of the Shaheen Primary and High School in connection with the sedition case filed against the school and two others for staging an anti-CAA play. The police booked five members of the school’s management. The head mistress Fareeda Begum and the mother of a child who had taken part in the play, were arrested on January 30 under several sections of the IPC including sedition. Speaking to TNM, Touseef Madikeri, who heads the school, said that the police questioned children aged between 9 and 12 years. “DySP Basaveshwara Hira and two other police officers came and questioned the children. They started at 12 pm and finished the interrogation at 4 pm,” he said. Touseef says that the children were asked whether they watched the play and whether the school was “spreading false information” about CAA and NRC. “They asked the children whether the school had taught them or coerced them into making statements against Prime Minister Modi. They answered whatever questions they knew,” Touseef added. Read: Bidar school sedition case: Youngest student cops questioned over play is 9 years old The FIR was registered against the school on January 26 following a complaint registered by an ABVP member Nilesh Rakshala. However, the two women were arrested on January 30 and the remand application was filed on January 31. In the remand application, the Bidar new Town Police have said that the parent Nazbunnisa and Fareeda Begum were being charged under section 124A (sedition) along with sections 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 505(2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes), 153A (promoting, attempting to promote disharmony) and 34 (common intent) of the Indian Penal Code.  The police have accused the school and the two women of “trying to spread false information about CAA and NRC” and also “making minor children state that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must be hit with a chappal”. A video of the play had gone viral on social media after on January 26. According to the remand application, a copy of which is with TNM, the Bidar New Town Police questioned the girl, who took part in the play. “The girl told the police during questioning that her mother Nazbunnisa told her to make the statement against Prime Minister Narendra Modi while she was practicing the lines for the play at home,” the remand application states. However, the school has denied this and said that the line was misinterpreted and was not targeted at the PM. They have also said the child added a line as extempore. On Saturday, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi met the women in the jail. He told TNM that they were scared and were hoping that the court would give them bail. Nazbunnisa is a widow and there was no one to look after her child, added Owaisi.  Read: 'They are scared': Owaisi after visiting Bidar women arrested for kids' play on CAA-NRC  

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'They are scared': Owaisi after visiting Bidar women arrested for kids' play on CAA-NRC

The parent arrested is a widow and she told Owaisi that her child, who was a part of the play, was now being taken care of by her landlord.

Theja Ram

A school in Karnataka’s Bidar had its children stage a play against Citizenship Amendment Act and NRC. The fallout: A case of sedition slapped against the Shaheen Primary and High School in Bidar district, the headmistress and the mother of a child who had said, “hit those people with a chappal” in the play. The two women were arrested after a bunch of students were questioned twice by police officials. On Saturday, AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi met the two women, who are currently lodged in a prison in Bidar. “Nazbunnisa (the mother of the child) is a widow. She told me that her daughter is alone in the house and the landlord was looking after her. She was clearly in pain and wanted to come out of jail quickly.  The head mistress of the school- Fareeda Begum- told me that her BP shot up and she was unwell and was administered glucose in the jail,” Owaisi said. Owaisis said that the women pleaded with him to get them out of jail. “They are still in shock. They asked me how long they had to stay in jail. I met Fareeda Begum’s husband. He had tears in his eyes,” Owaisi said. The play about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was staged on January 21. Nilesh Rakshala, an activist of the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), filed a case stating that the dialogues in the play "insulted the Prime Minister".  Owaisi also met the Bidar Superintendent of Police Nagesh DL and questioned him about whether sedition charges were slapped against the two women. “I asked the SP why sedition was used and he said it was because the Prime Minister was criticised. I asked him if a citizen is not allowed to criticise a Prime Minister in a democracy. Also, how does this become sedition?” Owaisi said.  Owaisi said that he questioned the police as to why they had not conducted a preliminary investigation before including the sedition charges in the FIR. He alleged that this was a tactic to punish those who criticized the government. “SP said that sedition charges were added because a complaint was given. He said that the remand report in court would include only section 504 intentional use of abusive or provocative language),” Owaisi said. However, in the remand report, the police have mentioned sedition and alleged that the mother taught the child the dialogues on the Prime Minister.  “The woman will now have to go to sessions court to get bail and this will be difficult. Using sedition is a way of punishing people who criticize the government,” Owaisi told TNM. Owaisi also said that the police questioning the children was uncalled for. Till Saturday, students of the school have been questioned thrice.  “The chappal line which was found objectionable was not something which was taught to them. The children said it extempore. It was not part of the play. The sky is not going to fall for it,” Owaisi said, while adding, “What is it that the children did? What crime have they done that this sort of reaction has been there from the department that the officers had to interrogate children? Do you know what psychological impact it can have on the children?” He said that police officials must be doubly cautious and unbiased when political elements or parties file complaints.   “When sedition charge is filed, one suffers in jail for a long time. It becomes almost impossible to prove in the court as the burden of proof is so high. Not everyone has the financial capability to approach high court, afford a good lawyer, and fight the case. He or she would be languishing in jail unless the HC hears the matter. It is to teach them a lesson. They are using sedition to silence people,” he added.   

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Road closed in Bengaluru’s Banashankari for white-topping: Alternate routes here

Civic Issues

The affected stretch is from Teacher’s Training College circle up to South-end circle signal.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Representation Photo

In continuation of the white topping project across Bengaluru, BBMP engineers have closed RV Road. The affected stretch is from Teacher’s Training College circle up to South-end circle signal. The work is scheduled to begin from February 1. RV road is in Banashankari adjoining Lalbagh, and entry to the park from RV road is likely to be affected by laying of cement on the road. The BBMP has released a map of alternative roads that people are suggested to use, to avoid the road undergoing white-topping. The notification does not give a specific timeframe for the completion of white-topping on that particular stretch. White topping in the city has been plagued by constant delays. Touted as the one stop solution for potholes in the city, the delays in white-topping have become the new bane for the city’s motorists. In fact, TNM had previously reported on how proposals for future white-topping of roads were stopped and a probe initiated into previous projects, due to alleged irregularities in the works carried out on roads that underwent white-topping. READ: Explainer: White-topping of Bengaluru roads and why there’s a probe into the project Experts have criticised the white-topping project in the city, calling it unscientific, as it does not take away the existing grit on the road, thus raising the level of the road which results in various unforeseen problems. There are also allegations of non-coordination between units, as traffic was affected near the Jayadeva Flyover demolition. Buses and cars were stuck in pile-ups that went on for hours, due to the delay in completing the white-topping work on Hosur road, which is the alternate route to avoid the region surrounding Jayadeva Flyover. READ: Bengaluru’s Jayadeva flyover demolition causes traffic nightmare, commuters vent out    

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A very disappointing budget: Karnataka Congress says BJP govt is lying to the people

Budget 2020

The Congress also slammed the BJP for selling equity stake in the state-run Life Insurance Corporation

TNM Staff

The Karnataka unit of the opposition Congress on Saturday slammed the NDA government for the proposed selling of its equity stake in the state-run Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). "Another blunder of the (NDA) government is the announcement of selling stake in LIC. This is again a bid to privatise LIC and open it to private parties, putting people's deposits in danger," tweeted the party's state unit here. Presenting the Union Budget for fiscal 2020-21 in the Lok Sabha, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government proposed to sell a part of its holding in LIC through the initial public offer (IPO)." "The government is hell bent on selling the country to their capitalist friends from railways to LIC India," alleged the party in the tweet. The minister, however, did not disclose the details of the LIC going public. The central government owns the entire 100 per cent equity in LIC, which was established in the year 1956 by an Act of Parliament. The Karnataka Congress slammed the BJP government and accused it of lying to the people about the suburban rail project in Bengaluru. Reacting to announcement, Congress spokesperson Srivatsa said in a tweet, “Stop lying Minister. Rs 18,300 crore is the total project cost and we have known that for years now. What's the exact amount allocated for Bengaluru Suburban Rail in this year? Also, Centre is paying just 20% of total cost. Rest? BJP's Suburban Rail Jumla going on for years now,” he said. The party also accused the BJP-led Narendra Modi government of lying to the people about creating employment and reducing the poverty rate. “The country has problems of hunger, poverty, unemployment, industry downturns, more than 1 crore job losses. There is a need to create 1 crore jobs in this country. Narendra Modi and his government hid the truth and lied about this. The current budget is a malicious attempt to keep the country in the dark,” the Karnataka Congress said in a tweet. Congress spokesperson and former Ballari MP VS Ugrappa in a press conference said that the budget is very disappointing. “The country's GGDP fell to 4.5%. India’s ranking in terms of addressing hunger stands at 103 in the global index. In terms of administration and policy, India’s ranking on a global scale fell from 41 to 51. This is a very disappointing budget,” Ugrappa said. With IANS inputs  

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Budget 2020: Bengaluru suburban rail finds mention yet again, but will it kick-off soon?

Budget 2020

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the Bengaluru suburban transport project would cost Rs 18,600 crore, with the Centre providing 20% equity.

Theja Ram

In a traffic-dense city like Bengaluru, its residents have long demanded the construction of a suburban rail network. For the last 37 years the residents of the city have demanded the construction of the suburban rail and yet, successive governments have ignored the demand. On Saturday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the Bengaluru suburban transport project would cost Rs 18,600 crore and that the Centre would provide 20% equity. “The 148-km long Bengaluru Suburban transport project at a cost of Rs 18,600 crore, would have fares on metro model. Central government would provide 20% of equity and facilitate external assistance up to 60% of the project cost,” Nirmala Sitharaman said. This mention in the Budget speech comes after several activists lobbying for better public transport demanded that the Central government allocate funds for the project. Announcing project cost not a new move This is not the first time the BJP-led Centre has made an announcement on the suburban rail project. Despite mentions in the last two budget speeches, the project has failed to kick off. In his budget speech in the 2018-2019 fiscal, then Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced that the project would cost Rs 17,000 crore. Arun Jaitely had announced the project in the budget but there were no other specifications about how much of the cost the Centre and state would each have to bear. In the 2019-2020 Budget, the project was allocated only Rs 10 crore by FM Niirmala Sitharaman.    In November 2019, the extended Railway Board approved the suburban rail project that was announced for the project in the 2018-19 fiscal. This was sent to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, whose approval is required for the funds to be released. “The Finance Ministry has not yet approved the project. Only when it does will the Cabinet Committee for Economic Affairs okay it. This will take another eight to nine months to come through and we will not be seeing any movement regarding the project this year. There is no point in making announcements when there is no action. With the new announcement, new clearances will have to take place. Let them approve the funds first,” said Sanjeev Dyammannavar, an urban mobility expert, who fought for the movement to bring about the suburban rail in Bengaluru. Political blame game Despite the slow progress, BJP’s Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, tweeted that announcement was a welcome move. “Bengaluru's urban transport system gets a shot in the arm. The 148 KM Bengaluru Suburban Rail Network has been announced in the budget with a massive outlay of Rs. 18,300 Crores!! Kudos to Narendra Modi ji for this move,” Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan said. Reacting to this, the Congress accused Ashwath Narayan of lying. “Stop lying Minister. Rs 18,300 crore is the total project cost and we have known that for years now. What's the exact amount allocated for Bengaluru Suburban Rail in this year?” tweeted Srivatsa of the Congress. The suburban rail project is a dedicated service for Bengaluru and aims to build four corridors: Kengeri-Whitefield, KSR Bengaluru City- Rajanukunte, Nelamangala-Baiyappanahalli and Heelalige-Devenahalli. The revised DPR of the project states that it will include 57 stations and will have a 148 km railway network.      

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Watch: What makes citizen activism work in Bengaluru

Governance and Policy

From infrastructural changes to the Bengaluru’s green cover, the past decade has seen a steady rise of voices that have started influencing government decisions.

Haripriya Suresh

Sanyukta Dharmadhikari

“The steel flyover was not a steel flyover. It was a Godzilla that basically could damage the heart and soul of Bengaluru." - Priya Chetty Rajagopal. On a sunny October morning in 2016, Bengaluru witnessed something it had never seen before. Thousands of citizens formed an unprecedented human chain to protest against a steel flyover that the Karnataka government was planning to build, which would lead to thousands of trees being cut down. This was four years ago. Today, Bengaluru has become synonymous with citizen activism. From infrastructural changes to the green cover of the city, the past decade has seen a steady rise of voices that have started influencing government decisions.  The Steel Flyover Beda movement became one of Bengaluru’s iconic citizen protests. It began when Bengalureans found out that the flyover, which was built to ease Bengaluru’s traffic, would have no real effect on the traffic at all. 8,000 people turned up to form a human chain at the location where the steel flyover was to be built and after four months of similar citizen protests, in 2017, the Karnataka government announced that the steel flyover has been scrapped. This came as a huge victory for citizens. Two years later, citizens scored another win — the Graphite India factory, which Whitefield Rising had been protesting against over the pollution it was causing, was shut down. From civic issues like better roads, footpaths, better transport connectivity and even getting more people to register, today, Bengaluru is home to citizen groups that are involved with as many as 60 causes at the same time.  “Once you have the roti-kapda-makaan, your basic needs are taken care of, and people have the time to think about larger society and other issues and the number of people in Bengaluru that do, is probably higher because the city is a different kind of demographic,” says Srinivas Alavalli, o-founder, Citizens for Bengaluru. What makes the citizen groups more effective in Bengaluru is that they approach authorities with a solution-based approach and not a problem-based approach. “We have been very clear with what the problems are, and it's not always about complaining. Whenever we kind of look at an issue or a challenge, we've always approached it with a solutions-oriented approach. We just don't go to the Commissioner, Corporator, MLA or MP saying that this road is dug up, this tree is cut, you're not stopping it. No, we always think of what is it that we can do constructively,” says Zibi Jamal, member of Whitefield Rising. Watch the video to know what makes citizen activism work in Bengaluru.

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