Crime

BPO employees unpaid for a year

Affila Tech India Private Limited, a BPO firm in Shivajinagar, has allegedly cheated its employees to the tune of crores of rupees by not paying them salaries properly. Employees have not been paid regularly since a year. Owner Amarnath Math promised them to pay soon, but employees filed the complaint when they found the company locked. ( Prajavani , Sunday, July 13 )

Education

Registrar, a student of his own university!

Bangalore University never ceases to amaze. After professors' clashes, it is now the turn of Registrar Sanjay Veer Sing to make news for the wrong reasons. University rules bar employees taking exams in the same university. But the Registrar has enrolled himself as a student of the MBA degree. He even wrote the 3rd semester exams last year and passed in 2nd class. However this result was withheld as he had not appeared for the 2nd semester exams. Sources say that this year he wrote both 2nd and 4th semester exams. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Thursday, July 17 )

Evaluation boycott threatens students' future

The tussle among the professors of Bangalore University poses a problem for its BA students. More than 35,000 answer papers are awaiting evaluation. While commerce and economics professors are fighting over the issue of teaching business economics, results of sixth semester examinations may be delayed because of this infighting. ( Kannada Prabha , Wednesday, July 16 )

M Com graduates teach economics in Bangalore University

Bangalore University is in the news for wrong reasons now. Commerce post graduates have been appointed to teach Economics and English here. They not only teach subjects in which they are not qualified, but also set question papers and evaluate the answer papers too. A few lecturers who are teaching against government rules have been identified. ( Kannada Prabha , Saturday, July 12 )

Environment

No end to elephant menace

People living in the surrounding areas of Bannerghatta have no respite from elephant menace. Five people have died due to the pachyderms attacking the surrounding villages and destroying crop. Elephants seem to invade villages without any opposition, as the government is yet to find a solution to this problem. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Monday, July 14 )

Sandalwood trees vanishing from university campus

Sandalwood trees in the Jnana Bharathi University campus are doing a vanishing act these days. The well grown trees are falling prey to smugglers. Sources at the university say that there are more than 1,000 sandalwood trees in the campus. However absence of guards has made it easy for smugglers to fell these trees and cart them away. The Forest department however, has chosen to be quite terse with university officials in reacting to their complaints. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Saturday, July 12 )

Raja channel charts a new course

The BBMP is embroiled in yet another controversy. It is changing the direction of Raja channel, a channel that collects rainwater from different parts of Bangalore. BBMP had constructed a path for this channel spending crores just a few years ago. This path, intended to channelise excess water from Mallattahalli tank, is now being changed amid speculations. People allege that the new path is charted to safeguard the properties of some politicians, and fear that it may result in natural disasters as well. ( Prajavani , Tuesday, July 15 )

Government

Election commission doubtful of early BBMP elections

The state election commission has expressed its inability to hold BBMP elections as per High Court orders if the government fails to finalise the reservation list soon. The Urban Development department is yet to decide on delimitation of wards. The public needs to be given enough time to raise objections once reservation to wards is announced. Looking at the pace of progress, it may take at least five months to hold the elections. ( Prajavani , Friday, July 11 )

Increase in fake passports cases

The number of people being arrested for holding fake passports is increasing. The incidence is more at BIA at Devanahalli, but there's apparently nobody to check this menace posed by passport agents. Even if one is able to hoodwink officials, a new system called Pass Information System on the net (PISON) can identify culprits. PISON scans the passport and checks it with the original information recorded in its database. More than 80 cases of fake passports have surfaced since 2004, but very few agents have been booked. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Friday, July 11 )

Property insurance yet to be introduced

Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa had promised to introduce property insurance in 2006, when he was the finance minister. He is yet to do so even after two years of this assurance. Property insurance will be the authentic document of ownership of a property. The present system is not effective enough to prevent rampant illegal activities. The central government has made it mandatory under the National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM) scheme, but insurance companies have shown little interest in this segment of insurance. ( Kannada Prabha , Friday, July 11 )

This minister does not own a TV or refrigerator

Have you heard of a minister who does not have either a television set or a refrigerator? That is what Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Goolihatti D Shekhar claims. In an asset declaration submitted to the Lokayukta, Shekhar mentions that he does not have any modern facilities and that he has availed of a loan of Rs.1 lakh from the SC-ST Development Corporation. Interestingly Shekhar owns a granite company. ( Prajavani , Wednesday, July 16 )

Digital meters in autos to be mandatory?

The government is contemplating on making digital meters mandatory for all autos in Bangalore. If it is executed about 72000 autos will be forced to put digital meters. Transport department has already submitted a proposal to the government in this regard. So far it has been the drivers' prerogative to install any kind of meter. But the government has now announced a subsidy of Rs 1000 for opting for tamper proof digital meters. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Wednesday, July 16 )

Infrastructure

Demand for Bangalore-Chennai trains up

The BIA might have opened the skies to more flights, but interestingly, the demand for Bangalore-Chennai trains has gone up. Commuters find it much more convenient to travel this route by train, given the time it takes to travel to and from the BIA. Railway officials say that Shatabdi trains are packed these days, and are contemplating introducing special trains on weekends. ( Prajavani , Sunday, July 13 )

Airport road turning into road to death

The much talked about express road to BIA is turning into a road to death. 18 accidents and 11 deaths have been reported on Bellary road in just two months. This is 50 per cent more than the usual accidents before the inauguration of BIA. The junctions are turning out to be the main culprits, as due to lack of proper facilities, villagers crossing the road are knocked down by speeding vehicles. ( Kannada Prabha , Sunday, July 13 )

High court business relaxes

With the setting up of two circuit benches in Dharwad and Gulbarga, business in and around Bangalore High Court is dipping. There is a remarkable decrease in advocates coming in and parking too has become easier now. However, the business of petty shops around high court building is going down, and about 50 'typists' around the high court building are also feeling the heat. ( Prajavani , Thursday, July 17 )

Sahitya parishad election goes hi-tech

The presidential election of Kannada Sahitya Parishad, an autonomous Kannada literary body, is going hi-tech. Thanks to election officer K Nagaraj, voters can now cast their votes online by logging on to www.kasapa.kar.nic.in. A private software firm sought Rs.75000 to create website. Nagaraj then approached the National Informatic Centre which created this website. ( Udayavani , Thursday, July 17 )

Prisons of international standard mooted

The Department of Prisons has submitted a proposal for setting up two separate jails of international standard in Central jail in Parappana Agrahara, to the state and centre. The new jails with a capacity of 1000, which could incur a cost of Rs.50 crores, will be earmarked to house dreaded criminals and terrorists. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Tuesday, July 15 )

Nothing Majestic about it

The central bus terminal at Majestic is fast turning into a garbage yard. Absence of cleanliness makes the public move around with noses covered to keep away the stench. Sometime back the BMTC initiated a drive to fine people who spit in the bus stand area. But this drive died an instant death. Though smoking is banned in public places, people continue to smoke with impunity. Labourers at public toilets loot users by charging Rs.4, whereas the usage fee fixed is at Rs.2. ( Udayavani , Tuesday, July 15 )

CM interested in developing Bidadi satellite township

Bidadi satellite township is expected to get new lease of life with chief minister B S Yeddyurappa showing interest in it. Sources say that the government wants to take up development of all pending townships one by one. The Bidadi township is expected to cost Rs.50,000 crores. It is said that the CM has asked DLF, a company entrusted with the project, to make a detailed presentation. DLF may also be asked to purchase land from the farmers directly. ( Prajavani , Wednesday, July 16 )

People

Many adopters for Numra

Numra, who was orphaned as a result of negligence of officials in Bal Bhavan in Cubbon Park, is missing her mother. The child's mother died in a freak accident in a ride called Tora Tora in the amusement park earlier this month. The three year old, who is now in a child care centre run by the government, is slowly adjusting to her new life. A number of people have showed interest in adopting Numra, and the government is yet to decide on her new parents. ( Prajavani , Friday, July 11 )

Technology

Software engineers network to safeguard Kannada

With the threat to the status of Kannada in Karnataka enhanced after the recent high court ruling, a group of software engineers are trying to safeguard Kannada in their own way. This group has started a community in Orkut aiming at developing love for Kannada. The group, which has more than 20,000 members, has became a forum of discussion about Kannada and even teaches the language. Log on to http://www.orkut.com to join in. ( Vijaya Karnataka , Monday, July 14 )

This article is a weekly compilation of select city news from Bangalore's Kannada dailes. It is compiled by a senior journalist and member of the Citizen Matters team.

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