Bangalore Discussions

[JhonJ]

RBI cap on online payment

BANGALORE: The Reserve Bank of India is suggesting banks to limit online payments towards mobile phone bills. The move comes after the RBI detected an increase in online fraud.
Stating that the RBI had asked banks to voluntarily limit and also monitor constantly such payments, Karnataka Banking Ombudsman M Palanisami reasoned that such frauds could be contained.
He said that they would take out card details and recharge sim cards multiple times.
He said that placing a cap on the number of times a card could be used for payments, would ensure detection of any fraudulent activities if done in a month’s time.

[JhonJ]

Storm water drain: BBMP sanctions Rs 1.80 crore


BANGALORE: While innumerable programmes have been initiated to create awareness to save every drop of water, more than eight pipes in N C Colony under S K Garden Ward of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is leaking and still there has been no action taken by the concerned officials.
When the City Express visited the ward, it was found that, the main complain from the residents was the water leakage. Along with water leakage, the sanitary chambers were oozing out sewage water. “Every now and then the sanitary lines get blocked, thus over flows. This is not all, a huge amount of water goes down the drain. If this issue is addressed at the earliest possible, a large amount of water can be saved, which can be utilized by the citizens,” said Ravi P, a resident.
When we took up the issue with the ward corporator Devikarani Sridhar, she said “Even we too received the same complaints from the residents. I took up the issue with the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) engineers. They assured that the leaks will be plugged and those worn out pipes will be replaced with new ones. The engineers have informed me that they can take up the works only after the BWSSB chairman approves and grants funds for the pipes and related works.”
Also the residents of Papanna Garden alleged that they do not have enough water supply. “Despite having genuine water connections we are denied water. However, we are paying the bill. All our complaints to the area corporator, constituency MLA have fallen on deaf ears and they have never cared to act upon the complaints. The home-makers and children are forced to waste their time waiting to fill the pots from the public tap,” said R M Krishna Murthy, an SBI employee.
The residents also demanded a library and a free computer training centre to the ward from the Palike. “We have identified an empty site opposite to the Government School to set up a library and a computer centre for the students. We are awaiting emergency grants from the Palike to carry out the desired works. Most of the money allotted to us in the Palike budget goes in for civil works,” added the corporator.
During our visit we also observed that the storm water drain being dumped with garbage which needed attention. “For the development of storm water drain we have pooled in funds to a tune of Rs 1.80 crore from both the Palike and MLA fund. The works will commence at the earliest,” added the corporator.

source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/bangal...re/367866.html

[JhonJ]

BBMP gifts a library


BANGALORE: A newly constructed library, yoga building, and Vajpayee Arogyashree card distribution function was inaugurated by MLA Narendra Babu along with Deputy Mayor S Harish at BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) ward number 75, Shankarmutt Satyanarayana Kirloskar Layout.
MLA Narendra Babu said, “To obtain the land for the library as well as the Yoga Building, we have strived hard along with the local BBMP representatives and we will continue to provide more facilities which will be helpful to the general public.” Deputy Mayor S Harish said, “One can increase their general knowledge by reading the books available in the public library.”

source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/bangal...ry/367971.html

[JhonJ]

Bangalore to get India’s fastest supercomputer


BANGALORE: India’s fastest supercomputer will soon be housed in Bangalore.
Sources with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and CSIR Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Computer Simulation (CSIR C-MMACS) told Express, on the eve of National Science Day, that the yet-to-be-named high-performance computing system will be used for genome informatics, geo-science informatics (earth, ocean and atmosphere) and engineering sciences (aerodynamics of planes, development of smart materials and computer-aided drug design).
The supercomputer is expected to deliver a sustained performance in excess of 250 teraflops (T-Flops).
“The system would be capable of performing 250 x 10 12 Floating Point Operations (FLOPS) per second — more than 10,000 times faster than a normal computer with a dual core processor. The problems generally associated with advanced scientific research would now get a boost with the arrival of the supercomputer,” said Prof P Seshu, Head, C-MMACS.
Supercomputers in scientific research can be utilised for modelling earthquakes, ocean currents, quantum chemistry and Astrophysics. In the 12th five-year plan (2012-’17), the Central Government has decided to allot `6,000 crore to propel India into the elite supercomputing club.
“CSIR-C-MMACS presently has 24 T-Flops system, which is listed among the top in the country. Over the next few years, CSIR plans to upgrade their supercomputing capacity to 10 petaflops (10 x 1015 ),” said R P Thangavelu, coordinator, HPC Group, C-MMACS. A data centre is being planned at the CMMACS facility in Belur, near the old Bangalore airport.
A visualisation hyperwall is also being established to facilitate data intensive scientific research.
“Present high-fidelity computer simulations as well as the vast array of sensors spew out huge data (terabytes to petabytes). Thus, efficient data analytics and visualisation tools immensely aid the researcher to infer knowledge from data,” says Prof Seshu.
Prof Samir K Brahmachari, director general of CSIR, explained to Express that such a facility would play a crucial role in empowering data intensive scientific discovery in the fourth paradigm of science.
“Today, all 40 CSIR labs in India are interconnected using the National Knowledge Network, which enables all scientists to access the supercomputing facility remotely. The new system would enhance the capabilities in areas such as genome analysis, weather modelling, computational fluid dynamics and the like,” Prof Bramachari said.

source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/bangal...er/367771.html

[JhonJ]

‘Methanol - Panacea to fuel woes’


BANGALORE: On the occasion of National Science Day, Prof G K Surya Prakash of the Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, USA, delivered a talk on ‘Methanol as a Possible Alternative to Oil and Gas-Based Economies’ at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in the city on Tuesday.
He held the audience comprising schoolchildren, IISc students and industry experts captive for over one hour with his explanations on how methanol could be the answer to the power and fuel woes of developing countries like India.
“The Chinese have adopted the methanol economy lock, stock and barrel,” said Surya Prakash.
“India is not far behind, but policies have to be altered to accommodate such a change,” he felt.
“Ethanol involves the fermentation of starch which essentially means turning food into fuel. But methanol has no such issues as it is a single carbon solution. The production cost of one gallon methanol is only $1,” added Surya Prakash.
Highlighting the advantages of methanol in internal combustion engines in his presentation, he said that methanol could be dispensed from regular gas stations with limited modifications and that it is safer than gasoline in case of a fire. “With an octane number of 100 and higher flame speed, the efficiency of the engine can be increased,” he observed.
‘SIR M V JEEVANA SADHANE’ RELEASED
As part of National Science Day celebrations, the Institution of Engineering released a book on Sir M Visvesvaraya in the presence of Padma Shri awardee Dr Y S Rajan.
The book titled “Sir M Visvesvaraya Jeevana Sadhane” was released by Dr H Srinivasaiah, Federation of Indian Engineers (FIE) and president of Gandhi Bahavan, and Dr K Goplalakrishnan, chairman, the Institution of Engineers (India).
Dr Wooday P Krishna, author of the book, said, “The book was written to encourage engineers and students in the state.
The book will help the students in understanding difficult engineering jargon and in delivering world-class projects.” Dr Y S Rajan, Padma Shri awardee for Science & Technology, appreciated Dr Woday P Krishna’s efforts in bringing Sir M V’s work in Kannada.

source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/bangal...99/368181.html

[gentem]

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...&ViewMode=HTML

[JhonJ]

DVS plans a people-friendly budget

A people-friendly and realistic budget taking into account the financial constraints is what Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda has in mind for Karnataka this year. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here, the CM who will be presenting his maiden budget, said he has no plans to come up with a grandiose Rs 1 lakh crore budget as envisaged by his predecessor, B.S. Yeddyurappa “I would prefer a budget which would provide far-reaching results and not temporary relief”, he said in reply to a question.

The CM is busy holding discussions with various departments heads including financial experts. To a question on whether he would continue the legacy of his predecessor by presenting an agricultural budget, Mr Gowda said: “I don’t want any applause for presenting such a budget. My priority would be to give a good budget after assessing the financial constraints”.

On the drinking water problem, the Chief Minister admitted that it is likely to get worse in the summer months. “I have directed all deputy commissioners to take up relief work on a war footing”, he said. He also said that hockey players from Karnataka who will participate in the London Olympics, will be provided assistance by the government.

source:http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chann...dly-budget-731

[shree711]

Slovenia chooses Bangalore for its fourth consulate in the country

Coinciding with the 20th year of the formation of the Republic of Slovenia, the young Central European country opened its consulate in Bangalore on Monday. This consulate is its fourth in India after Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

BANGALORE HAS IT

When asked why Karnataka, and Bangalore in particular, was chosen as the location for the fourth consulate, Janez Premoze, Slovenian Ambassador to India, said: “India is evolving and Karnataka showcases the trend of changing standards of living.” Besides, Bangalore's IT fame also tipped the scales in its favour. A large number of academicians were visiting the city, and the health sector here was also booming, he added.

Apart from looking to provide better services to Slovenians visiting India, the consulate will promote the exchange of arts, culture and literature. “We want to make meaningful contacts between the scientific, economic and academic faculties of the two countries,” said Mr. Premoze. Slovenia already has collaborations with over 15 educational institutions in India, including the Indian Institute of Science. Bangalore. Exchanges with regard to the IT sector, mainly in training, are also on the anvil.

BIG ON TOURISM

Another major area of expansion is tourism. V. Ravichandar, Honorary Consul, Republic of Slovenia, said that though Slovenia is a “well kept secret”, the number of Indians visiting the country every year is between 5,000 and 10,000. “Slovenia would be a good destination for Indians because of the head space there. Its population density is 100 per square kilometre, which is a change for us who are used to crowded spaces here. The forest cover there is 66 per cent and the people are eco-conscious.”

THEY ARE COMING TOO

Tourist flow from Slovenia to India is also picking up, added the Ambassador. “A lot of Slovenians visit the Himalayas for trekking. They also go to Puttaparthi as there is a lot of interest associated with Indian mysticism. Pondicherry is also a popular destination,” he said. Apart from yoga, ayurveda clinics were mushrooming in Slovenia, Mr. Premoze added.

The Slovenian Consulate is at Oxford Towers, 5th Floor, 139 HAL Airport Road, Bangalore 560 008

Source: The Hindu
Link: http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/...cle2943161.ece

[JhonJ]

Karnataka, Kerala sweep ComedK

BANGALORE: Karnataka bagged four ranks among the top 10 in the ComedK medical PGET (Post-graduate Entrance Test), but it was candidates from Kerala who swept the top ranks, including 1, 2, 6 and 7. Andhra Pradesh and Chandigarh took one rank each. This year, except for three boys, it was girls who stole the show.

While Karnataka accounted for only 25% of students who appeared for the Comed-K (Consortium of Medical Dental and Engineering Colleges of Karnataka) test, around 30% of the total eligible candidates were from here.

For many, ComedK is only a backup. Padma Menon from Kerala, a rank 1 in Manipal and rank 22 in Jipmer (Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research), who topped the exam, is waiting for the results of the all-India entrance exam. "I would like to take up radio diagnosis. It is a good stream for women and needs no superspecialization," she told TOI from Ernakulam.

Among the top students from Karnataka, two were from Bangalore and one each from Mysore and Mangalore.

For medical PG, 12,909 candidates applied for the test. Of this, 25% (3,246 candidates) were from Karnataka. The total ranks announced in the medical stream is 9,702 with 2,758 candidates from the state.

A total of 5,509 candidates applied for dental PG entrance test; 85% (4,683 candidates) were from outside the state. As many as 4,112 candidates were eligible to participate in the seat selection process. Of them, 16% (661 candidates) are from Karnataka.

Prerna Jain, a Delhiite, topped the dental exam. A graduate from Manipal University, Prerna plans to take up orthodontics. "It is not taught extensively during UG classes. I want to explore it further," she said.

Four candidates from Maharashtra feature among the top 10. Apart from Noor Saira Wajid Najma Hajira (rank 9 in RGUHS PGET), it was Aman Sachdev from Mangalore who figured in the top 10 from the state. Rank five was from Maharashtra and rank 6 from Gujarat.

ComedK PGET 2012 was conducted on February 12, 2012.The seat selection process will be held in April 2012.

source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/12092135.cms

[JhonJ]

KSRTC revises ticket cancellation rates


BANGALORE: KSRTC has revised its ticket cancellation refund slab, effective from March 1. The changes are:

Till 72 hours before departure time: 10% of basic fare Between 72 hours and up to 24 hours before departure time: 25% of basic fare. Between 24 hours and up to 30 minutes from departure time: 50% of basic fare. Less than 30 minutes before departure time and after: No refund. Advance ticket reservation will be available 30 days before travel. Commuters can check for e-booking and mobile booking. Call the enquiry call centre number: 080-44554422.

source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/12092160.cms

[JhonJ]

Bangalore to host International Conference on sparrows


Fast losing its garden city tag, Bangalore will host a one-day international conference on sparrows on March 20 aimed at creating awareness about the depleting green cover and bringing back the little birds.



"Sparrows are a key indicator of natural eco system of any region. In fact the quality of air that we breathe is determined by the sparrows that inhabit that particular region", Chandrashekar Hariharan, Executive Chairman of Biodiversity Conservation India Ltd also called ZED habitat, oragnisers, told reporters here today.

He said main purpose of the conference was to converge research from across the globe to provide better perspective and dynamism in decoding the ecology and life of sparrows.
The conference, which coincides with the International Sparrow Day, will see a gathering of global scientists, bird watchers, ornithologists, academicians, key government and forest officials, environmentalists, wildlife enthusiasts, policy makers and administrators.

"Our aim is not just to invite the experts but citizens who are leading public welfare initiatives like representatives of local residents' associations and ward councillors and give them special steps that they can take engender biodiversity in their urban pockets", Hariharan said.

The other purpose is to recommend specific measures to the state government to check environment degradation.

Dr A K Chakravarthy, Head of Entymology Gandhi Krishi Vignan Kendra (GKVK), co-organiser of the conference, lamented that Bangalore, which was once a haven for sparrows, with its typical nesting spaces like the shrubs and bushes, was increasingly being stripped off its green cover.

Some of the key speakers at the event would be Carol Inskip, Ornithologist and author of "Pocket Guide to Birds of the Indian Subcontinent" and Andrew Pettit, researcher and ornithologist from Switzerland.

The conference will see a particpation of around 1,200 delegates, including 250 from overseas.

source:http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...-sparrows.html

[JhonJ]

Right to services named ‘Sakala’

The State government has named its ambitious programme to provide various services to citizens within stipulated time ‘Sakala’ (right time), which is scheduled to be launched on a pilot basis in five districts in the State, including Bangalore, on Thursday.





Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar told reporters on Wednesday that Sakala would go with the slogan “Indu nale innila, helida samaya (dina) tappolla.” The logo with the hammer of justice and a clock, depicting that justice will be provided in time, was also unveiled.

The pilot programme is set to be launched at Jayanagar in Bangalore, Bidar, Chitradurga, Dharwad and Mangalore. Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda is scheduled to launch the programme in Jayanagar at 4 pm.



Statewide on April 2
The respective district in-charge Ministers will launch the programme in other parts of the State, Kumar said. The government plans a Statewide launch of Sakala on April 2.

Kumar said people in these places can get almost all listed services of 11 departments within stipulated time. As many as 151 services have been listed by the government under ‘Sakala’. It has fixed time limits for providing each of these services.

A notice board will be put up at all government offices, educating people on various aspects of the programme.

For instance, information on the designated officer and the procedure to file complaints will be made available on the notice board. “We are aware that people are very curious about the programme. Some are even doubtful about its success. The government will closely monitor the pilot programme for one month from Thursday. Loopholes, if any, will be addressed before launching it Statewide,” he added.

Prize winners
The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms had organised a competition to select the name, logo and slogan. Of the 1,506 proposals received for the name, three of them (Vinay Kumar, H Suresh, both from Bangalore, N Harish Kumar from Mysore) had proposed the name Sakala, which has been selected. The cash prize of Rs 30,000 will be distributed among all the three winners.

For the logo, 710 proposals were received and the proposal of Balaswamy, a resident of Mysore, has been selected. He will get a cash prize of Rs 50,000.

For the slogan, 1,095 proposals were received. The one by Amogha Varsha of Bangalore has been selected. He will receive a prize of Rs 30,000, the minister said.


source:http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...ed-sakala.html

[JhonJ]

State unveils animation policy

Karnataka on Wednesday became the first State in the country to have a dedicated policy to provide impetus to sectors like digital arts.

The Karnataka Animation, Visual effects, Gaming and Comics (KAVGC) Policy, which was cleared by the Cabinet in January, was officially launched with the objective of making the State a favoured investment destination in the sector.

Speaking to reporters after the launch, Labour Minister B N Bachegowda said the policy was aimed at enhancing the investments and growth in the sector, besides helping aspirants from both the urban and rural areas of the State get jobs.

M N Vidyashankar, Principal Secretary for IT/BT, Science and Technology, pointed out that the industry had a business potential of Rs 10,000 crore by the end of 2012. He said the policy would help the industry gain enough momentum so as to grow at over 40 per cent in the next three years.

He claimed the policy would lead to economic upliftment of the economically-weaker sections of society, especially in rural areas.

“We want to set up a Centre for Excellence here (Bangalore) with state-of-the-art facilities. This will act as a catalyst for the industry,” Vidyashankar said.
The Centre, he said, would be set up on a PPP model with both the Centre and State contributing financially.

While the Centre would contribute 30 per cent of the cost, the industry is expected to contribute 50 per cent. The remaining will be the State government’s share.
He said a venture capital fund with an initial investment of Rs 50 crore –– funded jointly by government and private venture capitalists –– will be set up to meet the needs of entrepreneurs.

Biren Ghose, President of the Association of Bangalore Animation Industry (ABAI), pointing out that the sector had a business potential of reaching $2 billion in the coming years, said the policy would make the city the largest contributor to the sector.

He said that in line with the policy’s objective –– of reaching out to rural talent –– ABAI will set up digital art centres in 10 Government arts colleges in rural areas as a pilot project, at a cost of Rs 10 lakh each.

source:http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...on-policy.html

[JhonJ]

Theme park with a difference

BANGALORE: Nestling in the heart of Udupi city, the Mahatma Gandhi Park is a theme park with a difference. Developed on a patch of public property at Kolambe, in Udupi, it is a promising initiative from the local community that has been attracting lots of children and parents alike.
The park project was designed and conceptualised by Sunil Shetty Kolambe, Secretary of Kolambe-Shanthi Nagara Development Committee. Named after the father of the nation, the Mahatma Gandhi Park stretches across 1.8 acres of land. Making a big difference, the park not only houses a rain water pond but also an auditorium that has been built in memory of Kodancha Hari Ramakrishna Rao.
The Development Committee being in the forefront of taking a lot of new initiatives, the park now has life size concrete statues of wild animals like elephant, tiger, giraffe, crocodile, monkeys, deers etc and this has been attracting lots of children from different parts of Karnataka. For many tourists, the visit to the park is a memorable experience and one finds many of them clicking away enthusiastically, photographs of their friends, in front of the massive statues of the wild animals. Apart from this, like any other this park too houses various play items for tiny tots like see-saw, slides, swings etc, thereby, creating a unique children’s corner. Not forgetting the needs of youngsters and their parents, the park has a volley ball and badminton courts befitting the huge crowds that throng the park especially in the evenings and weekends.
“We developed this Park at a cost of `20 lakhs, with funds raised from Udupi MLA and other local people who generously contributed. We also have plans to build a hanging bridge, an artificial water fall, walking tracks as well as a garden,” said Sunil Shetty Kolambe.

source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/bangal...ce/368259.html

[JhonJ]

‘It's difficult to repeat our promotional plan'

BANGALORE: Starting as re-distributors and stockists for IT companies in 2006, SAN Technologies diversified into the field of real estate with SAN Properties & Developers. A pure example of strategic marketing diversification, Vishwa Cariappa B.S, Chairman & Managing Director, VSAN Infrastructure Private Limited tells Vyas Sivanand about how he succeeded in packaging two different businesses and offer it customers.
You started as a technology channel partner for big personal computer companies. How did you get into property development?
When we started with PC distribution of big brands, we found competition to be tough. We tried almost about 70-plus offers to get the attention of customers, but the competition was also offering similar schemes. So we devised a unique plan which was difficult for the competition to replicate.
We came up with an offer of a PC at Rs 49,000 packaged with four buffet coupons, a holiday package and the icing on the cake - a 30x40 sq. ft. site with no advance and hidden costs. The response was huge and competition was stunned.
But getting agricultural land has certain norms according to the land use act. How did you overcome the restrictions?
The module was to buy agricultural land from the owner and convert it into non-agricultural land for residential purpose; all done following the book of law.
How many projects have you initiated so far?
The initial project was ‘San City’ spread over 34 acres near Periyapatna taluk in Mysore district. Over the years we have come up with six more projects in a total of about 156 acres.
How have you been able to ensure proper margins with such offers?
When we were selling PCs we used to get a margin of Rs 1000 to Rs 1500 per PC. We used to sell a maximum of 150 PCs. With these offers we sell more than 600 PCs and laptops.
What is the latest offer?
Currently we have tied up with ACER for laptops and Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation for membership cards.
The current packaging is at Rs 99,999 wherein the customer will get a 20x30 sq. ft. site along with a laptop, a membership card, discount coupons and assured gifts.
How flexible are the payment terms?
The customer has to initially pay Rs 29,999 for the laptop and to become a part of the offer. Then he has to pay Rs 20,000 for the club membership. For the sale agreement and site number, he pays Rs 30,000 and finally Rs 20,000 for registration. So every time he pays, he gets something in return and the time-frame depends on the customer’s ability to pay.
Are you coming up with new projects?
We are coming up with a school, a hospital, a resort and a charitable trust within five years. We are also looking at about 100-200 acres near Bangalore to develop it as a township with all
amenities.
Are you looking at any other venture?
We have entered into the movie business as a production house under the banner, VSAN Visions. We are producing the movie, ‘Auto Raja’ directed by Uday Prakash. The budget is about
Rs 4.5 crores.

source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/bangal...an/368255.html

[JhonJ]

Towering over Hubli

BANGALORE: It is on par with the famous Hanging Gardens of Mumbai. From a small hillock with shrubs and wild growth of unwanted weeds all around, it has been carved out into a beautiful garden. Yes, it is the Nrupathunga Hills in Hubli.
A few years ago, it was nothing but a small hillock situated on the outskirts of Hubli, the commercial capital of North Karnataka. It used to be a popular joint for all urchins after the sunset due to absence of watch and ward. The Hublites would visit this hills on weekends and on public holidays to have a panoramic view of the entire city and then leave the place after sunset for the lack of security.
Recently, the district administration in coordination with the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) has totally renovated the hillock by spending crores of rupees. First, they cleaned the whole area, cleared the wild growth of unwanted weeds and then planted fruits and flower saplings. They then installed artistically carved stones, benches and a small dais to hold small music bitaks and dance performance. The local Lok Sabha member released `1 crore from Local MP Area Development Fund for further development works. There are a few spotted deers that are housed in a small enclosure where the kids can feed. It took nearly one year for the district administration to totally change the very face of the hills.
By standing on one side of the hill, one can see the movement of vehicles on National Highway 4 Pune-Bangalore, the picturesque 100-year-old Unkal Tank, cluster of houses and of course the vast green land.
More importantly, the authorities have introduced tickets priced at `10 per adult and `5 per kid. Entry of vehicles to the top of the hills is strictly banned. Private security guards are posted at the ticket counters as well as all around the hills to provide a security cover to visitors. However, there is a nominal fee for regular morning and evening joggers. Fresh air welcomes the visitors on the top of the hills. The whole area has been declared as a ‘plastic-free’ zone. Even smoking and consuming liquor on the hills is banned.
The district administration organises musical programmes during the early hours and dance programmes of local artists during weekend to attract the visitors. The hills have become so famous that the people from neighbouring districts come there to relax sometime amid nature. There is an eatery as well for the visitors to enjoy the local cuisine. For the small kids, there are play items too. People forget that they are in Hubli because of the ambience and fragrance of flowers.
Next time, if you are planning to visit Hubli, don’t miss a visit the Nrupathunga Hills and spend few hours in the midst of nature.

source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/bangal...li/368258.html

[JhonJ]

Land of compositions

BANGALORE: The Cauvery delta region has provided shelter and inspiration to many philosopher and saints down the ages, who have either settled down or attained Samadhi (separation from worldly existence) on its banks. This village, located on the banks of the Kudamurutti, a distributary of the river Cauvery in Thanjavur district, holds a similar tale.
For Carnatic music aficionados worth their salt, knowledge about the Krishna Leela Tharangini, a composition containing hymns about Lord Krishna describing the various stages of his life is perhaps de-rigueur. The village of Varagur — is associated with the composition in that its composer, saint Narayana Theertha, composed the hymns here in the mid-16th century.
According to legend, Narayana Theertha was on a pilgrimage in the region, when, all of a sudden, he experienced acute stomach pain. Other accounts have it that he came here after an unsuccessful attempt to meet another saint Bodhendra Swami at Govindapuram, near Kumbakonam or about 70 km away from here, who had attained Samadhi recently. Tired, Theertha took rest at a temple when the Lord is said to have appeared in his dream and instructed him to follow a Shwetha-Varaha or white boar the following morning. The next morning he found the boar and started following it, which led him to the village and vanished; the villagers extended a warm welcome to him, for they too had received a premonition that a saint would arrive in their village the next day. Lo behold, the saint’s stomach ache disappeared; the incident spurred him to compose the Krishna Leela Tharangini and erect a shrine for Lord Vishnu, which culminated in the construction of the Venkatesha Perumal Temple.
This incident also resulted in the village acquiring its new name, of Varagur, as Varaha in Sanskrit means boar.The temple is well-known for its week-long festival, Uriyadi Utsavam, held usually around August-September; one of its events comprises scaling a pole slathered with oil to get a pot of butter hung above it, in addition to countering the water being splashed by those around. Other festivals such as Ramanavami and Vaikunta Ekadasi are also celebrated here on a grand scale.

source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/bangal...ns/368260.html

[JhonJ]

Bus pooling: IT companies have their way

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) providing buses forcompanies to drop their staff is nothing new. But, in an initiative to encourage bus pooling, it has launched a bus sharing service in IT parks in the city, where employees can design the route the bus should take to reach their destinations.

BMTC will only provide buses and monthly passes while an external agency will manage routes and operations. Encouraged by enthusiastic response, in two months since the initiative has begun, the corporation has provided 65 buses to tech parks such as Global Village, RMZ, AMD and Brigade Metropolis. Talks are on to lure other companies to use the bus pooling, according to Dileep Sathya of Indium Projects, the agency that manages the services.

“A number of reasons inspired this idea,” Sathya said. “As Bangalore is an IT hub, there are lots of IT employees in the city. With more IT companies moving to the city, the number of vehicles and people on the road is bound to increase. Besides, employees can save more than 40% of what they usually spend on private vehicles or cabs,” he said. “Companies do not have to pay anything from their pockets for this. Moreover, they can be reasonably assured that their employees get to work and reach home safely.

Each employee only needs to pay `100 to the agency, in addition to buying the monthly pass. Even if someone misses a bus, he/she can take any other BMTC bus to get to work or reach home as monthly passes are valid in all BMTC buses,” Sathya said. Employees can also be assured of reliability of services, which is often cited as a drawback of regular BMTC services, he added. “With these services, the number of employees using private vehicles has come down,” Sathya said.

“As the initiative caters to IT parks with a number of companies under one roof, even smaller firms can benefit, as they usually do not have adequate number of employees to hire a full bus.” BMTC also benefits from this. “We can be sure of a regular number of passengers per month and this will give us an assured income,” said a BMTC official.

However, there are some limitations. BMTC will allow a bus to run only if all the 41 seats are filled. Providing services during night is another issue. “Though we have better connectivity as routes are designed to make the journey comfortable for commuters, we are unable to drop all the employees at their door steps due to infrastructure problems,” said Sathya.

With the response that the initiative has elicited, BMTC plans to provide 20 more buses from a new fleet of buses it will be adding for the service by March end.

source:http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/re...ir-way_1656978

[JhonJ]

Bangaloreans’ charter turns reality today

The Karnataka Guarantee of Services to Citizens Bill, 2011, popularly known as Citizens’ Charter Bill, will come into effect on a pilot basis from Thursday in the city and four taluks.

Law and parliamentary affairs minister S Suresh Kumar told presspersons that after seeing the results at the centre in Jayanagar BBMP office and four taluk centres, it will be implemented all over the state in a span of two months.
The government has already passed the Citizens’ Charter Bill. It seeks to ensure time-bound delivery of 152 services in 11 departments.

Urban development department, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, municipal corporations, revenue, home, education, health and family welfare, rural development, panchayat raj, finance department and women and child welfare departments come under the ambit of the bill.

The bill has specified time-limit for issue of birth and death certificates, sanction of building plan on sites up to 2,400 square feet for single residential dwellings, permission for issue of new or additional water connection, issue of driving licences and many more such services that are necessary for the common man in day-to-day life.

The public servants in various departments who fail to deliver the services within the stipulated time would have to pay fine at the rate of `20 per day to the designated officer in the department. The fine would be paid to the applicant. Workers belonging to ‘D’ group are exempted from paying fine.

source:http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/re...-today_1656966

[JhonJ]

Truly an electrifying judgment

Do not be surprised if you happen to see a woman atop an electric pole trying to fix power cables. Yes, the high court on Wednesday directed the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) to recruit eligible women candidates for the post of assistant linesman.

Quashing the notification barring women from such posts, the HC directed KPTCL to issue a corrigendum to its advertisement on or before eight days inviting applications from both male and female candidates who have passed Industrial Training Centre (ITC) and the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) for the posts.

Justice HN Nagamohan Das, while delivering the order, observed: “Women are doing much more hazardous work in areas like stone crushing, construction work, etc. Therefore, there is no justification for KPTCL to bar women for the post of assistant linesman on the ground that they are not capable of discharging such hazardous work.”

The petitioners—Sakamma HM from Chikamagalur district and other connected petitions—had challenged the 17 August 2010 notification issued by KPTCL which excluded female candidates, who have secured a certificate from the ITC established by KPTCL, from applying for the posts.

Justice Das then ruled that female candidates possessing ITC and ITI pass certificates are also eligible for the posts of assistant linesman as per the notification of 12 December 2011, and quashed the amended regulations dated August 17, 2010. The regulation prior to the date of the amendment was restored.

source:http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/re...dgment_1656954