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Bangalore Today In this Section we would be bringing the latest news that is happening in Bangalore. We are not attempting to become another newspaper, but would be reproducing only important news from other daily newspapers, magazines, websites - News that makes Bangalore Special and Important.While every effort would be made to update the latest news, some of them may remain for few days till it is replaced by another Special news. For other important news of Bangalore in the past read our Archives here Airport buses to ply in March Source
: Deccan Herald The BMTC has released the fares of the soon to be introduced ‘Airport Bus Service’ to BIAL, connecting the airport from eight locations of the city. “Forty Volvo buses with frequency of 10-15 minutes each will ply to Devanahalli. It would offer the commuter value for money, comfort and safety and reduce travel time” said Dastagir Sherieff, Chief Traffic Manager (Operations) BMTC. The first batch of the ‘Airport Bus’ is expected to be delivered to BMTC by Volvo during the first or second week of March. These buses will be numbered as BIAL 1 to 7 for the first seven routes that are expected to hit the roads in the last week of March. ROUTE TO BIAL * Electronic City: Seven buses via Bommanahalli, Silk Board, Agara, Maratahali, K R Puram Railway Station, Hebbl, Yelahanka (Outer Ring Road) * J P Nagar 6th Phase: Five buses via Jayanagar 4th Block, Lalbagh, Corporation, Cauvery Bhavan, Vidhana Soudha, High Grounds (Le Meridian, Windsor Manor Sheraton, Hotel Grand Ashoka), Guttahalli, Mekhri Circle, Hebbal and Yelahanka * MCTC on Mysore Road: Five buses via Vijayanagar, Rajajinagar 1st Block, Yeshwantpur Bus Station, Malleshwaram Bus Station, Sadashivanagar Circle, Hebbal and Yelahanka * Whitefield: Five buses via ITPL, Mahadevapura, K R Pura Railway Station, B Channasandra, Kalyan Nagar, Hebbal and Yelahanka * Jeevan Bima Nagar: Five buses via Indiranagar, Halasoor, M G Road (Taj Residency, Hotel Oberoi), Indian Express, J C Nagar, Mekhri Circle, Hebbal and Yelahanka * Koramangala: Five buses via Diary Circle, Shanthi Nagar Bus Station, Richmond Circle (Hotel Chancery Pavillion, Ramanashree, Woodlands, Bowring Club, Bangalore Club), J C Nagar, R T Nagar, CBI Office, Hebbal and Yelahanka * HAL Airport: Five buses via HAL, Suranjandas Road, Indiranagar, Old Madras Road, MEG Centre, Coles Park, St John’s Road, J C Nagar, Mekhri Circle, Hebbal and Yelahanka MG Road to have a new Look Adding
a new dimension to mass transport to Bangalore, the multi-thousand crore,
mega Metro project will add a ‘wow’ factor to the city! The
changing cityscape is all set to have aesthetically designed stations
which will be a benchmark for public buildings. Bangalore gears up for "Smart Growth" Source
: The Times of India Stop
the slumber, let’s get smart. That seems to be the dictum guiding
urban planners and bureaucrats vested with preparing Bangalore’s
Vision Document. Mahatma Gandhi Road set to change Forever Source
: The Hindu Take out cameras and shoot the pictures of Bangalore's most talked-about road. The ever-so-vibrant Mahatma Gandhi Road will never be the same again. The road that presents one of the great contrasts — a catwalk like space occupied by those dressed to kill on the one side, and a peaceful and picturesque boulevard on the other — is set to change forever. People using this most arterial road of the Cantonment area will have to endure the construction of the elevated structure for the Metro rail whose pillars will rest on the boulevard. Citizens can expect traffic diversions within a fortnight for the construction of Metro rail on a seven-km stretch of the 33-km Metro rail network. When ready, the imposing elevated structure will partly loom over the heads of those walking on the boulevard and partly on the road. The contractor, Navayuga Engineering Company (India) (NEC), is all set to move in the equipment. The Hyderabad-based company has bagged the Rs. 138-crore award for construction of the elevated structure from Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium to Byappanahalli. Draft plan Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) V. Madhu told The Hindu that the contractor has already come with a draft plan for traffic diversion. The BMRCL officials were considering the plan. The draft plan will be placed before the committee constituted by the Chief Secretary consisting of representatives of BMRCL, the police and the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation. It would be announced much ahead of the commencement of actual work, Mr. Madhu said. Mobilising equipment The NEC has a month's time (from January 20) to mobilise equipment and start work. The firm has time till February 19 to start the work. The contractor would first begin work on developing the casting yard on the open site (which the Defence has given to BMRCL on a temporary basis) on Old Madras Road near Indiranagar BDA complex. The elevated structure will have fewer than 2,000 pre-cast segments — concrete blocks made away from the site and transported and put into shape on the site. Elevated tracks Though the length of the elevated tracks will be seven km, NEC will build a total of 5.5-km of elevated structure. The six stations and the attached elevated tracks will be awarded to another company. BMRCL has called another tender for Byappanahalli station-cum-yard where facility to park 170 coaches will be created. Terminal The terminal, spread across 1.5 lakh square metres, is estimated to cost Rs. 97 crore. The complex above the terminal will measure about 2.25 lakh sq ft. The BMTC plans to create another terminal at Jalahalli for 110 coaches. NEC is building a five-km elevated structure for the Delhi Metro, according to Mr. Madhu. It is the flagship entity of the Rs. 700-crore Navayuga group. It constructed 1,800-square metre RCC Diaphragm Wall for the Embassy Heights on Magarath Road in 1997-98 using a special type of foundation. NEC has 27 months — till April 19, 2009 — to complete the work. The BMRC will put up signals and rails and take up electrification thereafter. The trains are expected to move on from the Stadium to Byappanahalli from March 2010 Yahoo Releases Bangalore Site Source : EventsBangalore.net
Bangalore is the only city other than New Delhi that has an exclusive site of Yahoo. It has the modules like News,Events,Bookmarks,Travel,Blogs,Photos,Podcasts,Videos, Kannada and weather. It looks like the big mashup of upcoming, delicious,technorati, videos. Read G N Thejesh's review at TechMag - http://www.techmag.biz/yahoo_ourcity_bangalore_delhi Dial BMTC Sarathis for Complaints Source
: New Indian Express Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) commuters can now lodge a complaint on its services by just calling Sarathi, road Patrol squad. A BMTC release said that commuters can lodge complaints if they come across any of the following irregularities by the bus running crews: *If buses failed to
stop at the authorised bus stops. BMTC Chief Traffic Manager Dastagir Sheriff said that they are planning to operate three more Sarathis very soon. Call these Sarathi phone numbers Kanakapura road - Hosur road 9845670251, Hosur road - Old Madras road 9945670252, Old Madras road - Tannary road 9945670253, Tannery road - Tumkur road 9945670254, Tumkur road - Magadi road 9945670255, Magadi road - Mysore road 9945670256, Mysore road - Kanakapura road 9945670257. Bangalore Infrastructure gets a boost for the Centre Source : Times of
India Bangaloreans fed up
with that much-delayed flyover, or a civic project just not taking off
for years, can smile. With Rs 10,000 crore on the anvil, the picture looks
rosy. Bangalore becomes BIGGER Source : Deccan Herald The final sum-up is here: Bangalore Mahanagara Palike + 7 City Municipal Councils + 1 Town Municipal Council + 111 villages = Greater Bangalore Municipal Body or Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike. A day after the grand kick-start to the year-long Suvarna Karnataka celebrations, the State government on Thursday issued the draft notification on Greater Bangalore giving a concrete shape to the past year’s deliberations on the merger of the capital city’s local administrative unit and some of its surrounding local bodies. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), as the combined unit is termed, is expected to be the solution to the infrastructure, civic and administrative constraints of the expanding city. For that matter, meeting the infrastructure deficit (i.e. funds for projects) and regulation of development in the areas concerned were the key issues that spurred the idea of Greater Bangalore.
The draft notification has come just three weeks before the expiry of the term of office of BMP council and is likely to impact on the elections that are due. The State Election Commission is understood to have been pressuring the government to initiate the delimitation process for the BMP wards. SEC Commissioner M R Hedge on Friday confirmed that he received a copy of the draft notification and is exploring legal options before him. Besides BMP, six of the urban local bodies in question are due for elections this December while two others are due for elections two and a half years hence. The political implication is that besides the 100 BMP corporators, 248 elected representatives across the ULBs will lose their seats. As many as 111 villages which are included in Greater Bangalore among them fall under 65 gram panchayats. The parameters for the creation of Greater Bangalore include: area, population and its density and the population per elected representative. Local bodies and the villages that make up Greater Bangalore Muncipal Body lCity Corporation: Bangalore Mahanagara Palike; lCity Municipal Councils: KR Puram, Mahadevpura, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Byatarayanapura, Bommanahalli, Yelahanka, Dasarahalli; lTown Municipal Council: Kengeri; lA total of 111 villages (under some 60-odd gram panchayats) adjoining the 9 local bodies. 111 Villages in Greater Bangalore Kudlu, Varanasi, Ambalipura, Bellandur, Bellanduramanikere (B) (P), Devara Beesana Halli, Haralur, Kariyammana Agrahara, Chansandra, Kadugodi Plantation, Kumbena Agrahara, Dasarahalli, Rachenahalli, Bilishivale, Byrathi, Doddakannalli, Junnasandra, Kaikondahalli, Kasavanahalli, Gunjur, Hagadur, Nagondahalli, K. Channasandra, Kalkere, Amani Byrathikhane (B), Chalakere, Horamavu Agara, Geddalahalli, Kothnur Narayanapura, Kottanuru, Kyalasanahalli, Mittaganahalli, Chikkabellandur, Balagere, Panathur, Siddapura, Varthur, Kadabeesanahalli, Thanisandra, Horamavu, Bhoganahalli, Ramagondanahalli, Thubarahalli, Belathur, Sorahunise, Nagareshwara - Nagenahalli, Khanekandaya (B), Pillaganahahalli, Begur, Alahalli, Doddakallasandra, Basapura, Chikkathoguru, Doddathoguru (P), Gottikere, Ganakal, Gabbalalu, Vasanthapura, Uzttarahalli, Anjanapura, Gollahalli, Kembathahalli, Thippasandra, Basavanapura, Kalena Agrahara, Yelenahalli, Lingadheeranahalli, Beratena Agrahara, Naganathapura, Parappana Agrahara, Subramanyapur, Sonnenahalli, Hosahalli, Raghuvanahalli, Uttarahalli - Manavarthekaval (P), Vajarahalli, Arehalli, Chandrasekarapura, Hemmigepura, Somapura, Varahasandra, Vaddara Palya, Herohalli, Ullalu, Abbigere, Chikkasandra, Shettihalli, Sidedahalli, Chikka Bettahalli, Handrahalli, Myadarahalli, Dodd Bettahalli, Doddabidarakallu, Harohalli, Vasudevapura, Lingadeeranahalli (B), Bellahalli, Kattigenahalli, Srinivasapura, Thirumenahalli, Hosahalligollarapalya, Ananthapura, Govindapura, Kenchenahalli, Manchenahalli, Chokkanahalli, Vaderapura. SOME COMPARISONS: BMP & ULB Feature BMP ULBs Infrastructure Water supply: % of houses covered 90 13.10 Road length (in kms) 3158.5 4,300 % of tar + cc road 84.28 27.07 Street lights/ km of road 58.38 18.89 % of sewerage connection 90 16.89 Staff 18070 1,759 Permanent employees 11900 508 Non-permanent employees 6170 1,251 Employees per ‘000 population 4 1 Wards under SWM Solid waste generation (in TPD) 2100 458 % of wards maintained by ULB 44.88 17.5 % of wards maintained by contract 55.12 82.5 Per Capita Income 1710 585 of which per capita property tax (2005-06) 384 138 Average Property tax 2845 825 Per capita expenditure 1722 509 Per capita SWM expenditure (in Rs) (2003-04) 118.77 49.28 Property tax Physical compliance (%) (2004-05) 75.00 41.21 Collection as % of demand 73 43 Bangalore - The Best Place to Live in India Source : Times of
India When it comes to choosing the city you would like to work and live in, it seems you cannot have it all. If a city is great for earning and investing in, it is not necessarily the best for living, as in the case of Surat. On the other hand, there is Kolkata that ranks quite high as a city to live in but is the worst when it comes to making money or investing it. Your best bet for a city that ranks fairly high on all three counts — living, working and investing — is Bangalore. It ranks as the top city to reside in and second best to earn. As an investment destination, however, it's mediocre, ranking sixth. Delhi, by contrast, ranks high — fourth — only for earning. Analysis of the top 10 cities of the country for earning, investing and residing is given in a study, The City Skyline of India 2006, published by Indicus Analytics. The study is based on official statistics and online surveys conducted by Indicus in these cities. It yields interesting information on how often a citizen would have to haggle with an autowallah, what percentage of people own invertors, the city’s water and power supply, public transportation etc. Surat with its low unemployment rates, high job growth rates and one of the highest per capita small business credit is the top destination for seeking jobs and business. However, it is at the bottom in the list of Alpha cities (the top 10) in terms of good living, with nearly half the people expressing the need for more entertainment and better educational facilities. It also has the lowest share of households in the top socio-economic category (SEC A) among the Alpha cities. One third of its households fall in SEC C. Coimbatore strikes a decent balance: it's the best city to invest in but ranks fifth on the earning and good living front. The most pressing problem for residents seems to be water supply — which comes just once in two days. On most other counts, the city offers a decent life though with relatively few avenues for entertainment. With one of the lowest unemployment rates in this group of cities and per capita income comparable to the highest in the group, Pune too does well on all three counts of earn-in, invest-in and reside-in indices. The metros, interestingly, are not the best performers in this list. Chennai is high up as a place to invest in and to live in. The citizens are satisfied with the educational infrastructure, low crime level and efficient management of infrastructure. But with unemployment rate as high as 27%, do not head there if you are looking to earn good money. Prepaid Power supply in City soon Source : Deccan Herald The pre-paid system of power supply is all set to enter the country’s IT capital in a big way. Enthused by the success of a pilot project, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) has decided to provide the option of switching over to pre-paid power supply to all consumers of Bangalore. Bescom Managing Director Gonal Bheemappa told Deccan Herald that the pre-paid system would be implemented from the third or last week of September. Bescom has already given Letter of Acceptance to a private company -- Secure Meters Limited (SML) -- to implement the system. Under the system, which would be similar to the prepaid cell phone services, consumers have to pay the money in advance for the power supply depending upon their requirement. The only difference with respect to the cell phone services is that the pre-paid power supply system would follow the key-pad method of recharging. Instead of recharge coupons, the consumers will be given a 20-digit number which has to be entered in their meters which will have key-pads. According to SML Assistant General Manager V Rajaram, the consumers have different options of recharging the supply. They can visit the re-charge booths and get the recharge code of any denomination by paying the cash. They can even send SMS or call up the recharge booth to get the recharge code and transfer the required money through internet banking, debit/credit cards or through Electronic Clearing System. Of course, consumers have to install a different meter for the pre-paid power supply. These meters will have a display unit which can be installed at any location convenient to consumers. The display system goes beyond providing information on the total electricity consumed so far and number of units (credit) left. It also provides details on the number of units consumed on any particular day, week, month, besides the average daily power consumption for the last six months, Mr Rajaram says. This, Mr Bheemappa says, will help the consumers to know their power consumption pattern. The belief is that the pre-paid system would pave the way for conservation of energy by promoting responsible power consumption among consumers. The officials feel that the prepaid system mitigates financial risks as the power utility gets the payment for the service in advance, unlike the present system where it receives payment only after 30-45 days of service. It also reduces overhead costs as there is no need for meter reading & billing. Besides, there is scope for planning the demand for power in advance. Cost factor But the pre-paid meters are costly. While the post-paid meter costs about Rs 1,000, the pre-paid one costs Rs 4,500. However, Mr Rajaram notes that the final difference in the cost would reduce to about Rs 600 to 1,000 as there is no need to pay security deposit for the pre-paid system. The difference could be made up through energy conservation in about six months to a year, he claims. The company, which has implemented the pre-paid system in Delhi, Simla and West Bengal, is planning to implement it in a bigger way in Bangalore. It is already holding consultations with builders of apartments in this regard and setting up a booth in Koramangala. HIGHLIGHTS *New meters have to be installed *Meters will have keypads and display units *Recharge through entering the code *Display unit shows consumption pattern for last six months *Shows balance amount and units *Pre-paid meter costs Rs 4,600 (post paid - Rs 1,000) *No need for 3-MMD payment for pre-paid system Greater Bangalore Coming Source : Times of
India In what will be the
Karnataka government’s ‘major expansion’ plan, Bangalore
is set to take its long-neglected cousins on the outskirts — the
seven city municipal councils and one town municipal council — into
its fold. In the coming months, the 225 sqkm of the BMP area will be expanded
to 696 sqkm. To work out the modalities,
the government has constituted a high-level committee headed by CM’s
principal secretary Sudhakar Rao, who has been asked to submit a report
within three days. The recommendations will be discussed by the cabinet
sub-committee and a decision taken within a fortnight. With the developments, the elections to the BMP wards due in November are likely to be postponed. The five-year term of the BMP Council will end in November and in case the election process gets delayed, then the government will have to appoint an administrator till such time the council is elected. The government will also inform the State Election Commission about the developments. Kumaraswamy said the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority has begun a survey for establishing the proposed five satellite towns around Bangalore city. The CM, on Independence Day, had promised to create a Greater Bangalore to upgrade infrastructure facilities in and around Bangalore city. Money order BMTC to launch Medicare routes Source: Deccan Herald Health City’ Bangalore will soon have a public transport system to match. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is going to launch ‘Medicare rounds’ which will link 22 major private and public hospitals in the city. The BMTC has identified three routes for these rounds. It will offer express services, with no stops between hospitals. The BMTC is planning to use its mini buses for this purpose, which will be uniquely designed to differentiate them from the regular ones. The services will be on between 8 am and 7 pm. The first route of 23.8 kms will be circuitous, connecting nine hospitals. The second route of 29.7 kms will link hospitals in South Bangalore, stretching up to Narayana Hrudayalaya on Hosur Road. The third route will cover more government hospitals. All buses will originate at the Kempegowda bus stand, where a platform will be dedicated for this service. The BMTC, on a pilot basis, is introducing one bus on each route, and these services are likely to commence within a fortnight. About six round trips are expected to be made on each route. However, BMTC Managing Director Upendra Tripathi said this is a temporary arrangement, and more buses will be added, depending on the demand. While the fares have not been finalised, it is likely that these would be fixed at concessional rates for the benefit of patients. However, the BMTC is yet to devise a strategy to prevent regular commuters from piling on to these express buses. Chug along to new
airport if govt says yes Trains to the airport. That’s how the Bangalore International Airport in Devanahalli could make travel easier for its users from the city once it’s operational from April 2, 2008. A proposal for a dedicated rail link for the around 30-km stretch to the city will be placed before the cabinet by month-end, Vinay Kumar, principal secretary (infrastructure), said on Friday. “BIAL’s plan has envisaged a rail facility within the airport and it’s up to the state government to decide on the dedicated rail link,’’ a BIAL official said. If approved, the link that will pass through interchanges already planned, can be made operational by 2008, the official added. The redesigned apron, taxiway and terminal areas will be operational from April 2, 2008, to handle up to 11 million passengers, BIAL CEO Albert Brunner said. All operations, including domestic and international at the existing HAL airport, will be shifted subsequently to the airport at Devanahalli. While the redesign includes an apron three times larger and terminal area 30 per cent more, the taxiway will have 40 stands from the initial 13. According to Brunner, the additional cost of Rs 530 crore involved with the redesign will be met by debts from lenders and internal accrual. “The projected 11 million passengers is the most presumable figure envisaged in the plan and there is always scope for expansion of apron and other facilities,’’ Brunner said in a presentation on the ongoing work to infrastructure minister B Sriramulu during his visit to the airport site. The construction that began in 2005, is on and 24 per cent of redesigned structures have so far been completed, Brunner said. The boundary wall, access road, granule sub-layers for the runway and ATC tower are among structures that are coming up quickly, he added. Sriramulu later said BIAL is making good progress and the airport will be completed on schedule. “Trial runs will begin from October 2008 and all procedural requirements have been taken care of,’’ he added. Works in progress
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