[Sudarshan42]

Trouble with honking, even if it's just a blip, usually sets the wrong tone for any sort of interaction between two parties. In traffic of course we have no other option, the horn is indeed the lingua franca of all motorists. But in closer and quieter environments, I've often found that a gentle "sir solpa side kodi" to anyone regardless of social strata works almost unanimously well.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by Sudarshan42

But in closer and quieter environments, I've often found that a gentle "sir solpa side kodi" to anyone regardless of social strata works almost unanimously well.

The reverse also does wonders. Instead of arguing back to someone who feels you were at fault, a 'sorry' works wonders and calms down any rising emotions.


But there are scenarios where a light honk is best suited (when the individual in front isn't paying attention, etc.). I try to avoid the honk to 90% of my scenarios; and for the remaining 10%, I end up with a single mild honk.

[Neil Roy]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

...
His Exalted Lordship subsided, nay, he literally wilted and kept shut and sheepishly moved forward to let me park and fill. I think he did realise somewhere deep down that he was in the wrong here. ....

There is more to the story that a sudden crisis of conscience by the biker brought upon by your verbal communication. I read somewhere that you are 6 feet 2 or something. Perhaps the non verbal communication of your size played a part in his contrite behaviour?

[that_sedate_guy]

Originally Posted by Neil Roy

Perhaps the non verbal communication of your size played a part in his contrite behaviour?

Me after reading this post: "Honey, get me a few packs of Complan, will ya?"
Wife: Yeah right, shorty pants

Seriously, a lot of these people are only intimidated by either local language or physical stature, preferably both. I'm short and don't know the language and I ride around with a TN number plate. Go figure
Of course very Tom, Dick and Harry wants to pick a fight with me every time I enter the state, usually after they do something wrong and end up in front of me. Most days I really feel like wiping the floor with their teeth but no one knows how many morons might come to their support and outnumber/outmuscle/out-weapon me so best to stay away.

[MonkOnWheels]

Originally Posted by nova.19_exe

OT - does anyone know which place this is? i know this is somewhere on NICE Road, but need the name of the place!

TIA

Penukonda Fort, AP.
Search for Penukonda Sunrise View point in google maps for directions.

[megazoid]

Originally Posted by Neil Roy

There is more to the story that a sudden crisis of conscience by the biker brought upon by your verbal communication. I read somewhere that you are 6 feet 2 or something. Perhaps the non verbal communication of your size played a part in his contrite behaviour?

He must have been alarmed seeing a tall guy stepping out of little Jimny. Not on expected lines.

[suhaas307]

https://youtu.be/f1wuWEGXhik?si=hxUp8DqgOIoB6fms

Karnataka passes Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, and it is pending the Governer’s assent, which is only a matter of time.

The Bill proposes to split up municipal duties (assigned to one corporation presently) and assign them to 7 different corporations constituted by the Government.

This Bill will be the death knell for the city’s planning committee. It’s unconstitutional and violates the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s mandate and the 74th Amendment of the Constitution.

Although it deserves to be challenged, and it will be challenged, when it gets stayed by the Hon’ble High Court, it’s going to play right into the hands of the Government since it will buy them more time to postpone the municipal elections that have been pending for more than 5 years now!

Looks like the babus are hell bent on sucking the city completely dry and turning it into a wasteland.

Traffic woes, water logging, tenders for public works and water crisis be damned!

[binand]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

The Bill proposes to split up municipal duties (assigned to one corporation presently) and assign it to 7 different corporations constituted by the Government.

Personally, I think this is a good idea. BBMP is too large to be wieldy now. Remember that it was formed by merging the erstwhile BMP with several outlying municipalities and villages. This move, in my opinion, is the tacit acknowledgement that the merger has not worked as intended (which is obvious to all of us who live here).

Now each of these smaller municipal corporations can focus on the problems specific to their areas. Decentralisation is usually good.

Another part of this proposal is the setting up of a GBA (Greater Bangalore Authority) with membership consisting of BDA, BWSSB, BESCOM, BMTC, BMRCL, BCP and all MLAs and MPs of the city. I really hope such an overarching body will make agencies treading on each others' toes or simply making work for each other, a thing of the past.

The devil is of course, in the details - implementation plan and follow through.

[ShreyG]

Originally Posted by binand

Decentralisation is usually good.

Another part of this proposal is the setting up of a GBA (Greater Bangalore Authority) with membership consisting of BDA, BWSSB, BESCOM, BMTC, BMRCL, BCP and all MLAs and MPs of the city. I really hope such an overarching body will make agencies treading on each others' toes or simply making work for each other, a thing of the past.

Completely agree to your point. Decentralization is mostly a good way to encourage localized development.

However, given the evidence and the way the machinery operates, it is highly unlikely that all the government bodies would work even 50% more seamlessly (even with an overarching body like GBA) for public convenience.

Given that the primary, rather, only motives are making money and massaging their egos while sucking the life blood of the city, these bodies have orchestrated a beautiful nexus of building, tearing apart and re-building the same piece of infrastructure across the city with the benefits being doled out equally to all stakeholders involved (other than the citizens of course). Why would they want to break that chain for something as silly as public service. That is not what they have been elected / appointed to do.

I have said this many times and I repeat, these guv functionaries and politicians can claim all their love for the city, local culture and language but actions show they don't give two hoots about it. They totally hate Bangalore and are in the process of rotting it slowly. Fortunately, the citizens (all of them ) have some level of affection to the city and working hard to keep it adrift.

[PreludeSH]

They could have given more power to wards instead of creating so many. It will just help in creating more overheads. A ward corporator today has nothing to do with MLAs controlling everything. This will still continue.

What is needed is for people to participate in each and every decision a body would take at ward level. Without voice of the people being heard, everything is by us but for them.

[Sebring]

They could have disbanded the BBMP and privatized it. Whether one body or seven, they wont do any work. BBMP needs to visit Indore once to see what can be achieved. Mysuru is also superb.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by binand

Personally, I think this is a good idea. BBMP is too large to be wieldy now. Remember that it was formed by merging the erstwhile BMP with several outlying municipalities and villages. This move, in my opinion, is the tacit acknowledgement that the merger has not worked as intended (which is obvious to all of us who live here).

Now each of these smaller municipal corporations can focus on the problems specific to their areas. Decentralisation is usually good..

I agree with the idea, and in theory it should work.

But, and this is a big BUT.. the object / intent / motive needs to be examined closely and I don’t mean a mere a surface level examination of the proposed Bill.

Few things to be aware of:

a) There already exists a mandate and provision to constitute a Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) under the Constitution (74th Amendment).

b) There already exists a municipality wherein elections are to be conducted mandatorily and an authorised representative is to be elected in order to oversee the municipal works and undertakings.

Now, this proposed Bill would have been worth exploring, if…

1) The MPC had already already constituted 5-6 years ago, and

2) The BBMP elections (pending for almost a decade) were conducted and an elected representative was appointed…

..and the constitution of the MPC and election of the municipal body’s representative did not meet the desired object during the last 10 years.

However, the remedy already available to the government through the Constitutional mandate was not exhausted, before exploring other avenues, namely the Bill in question.

And this begs the question - why were these remedies not exhausted?

The answer is simple - if the MPC is constituted and the representative is elected, the State Government cannot exert its unbridled control over the MPC, and the elected representative of the municipal body will be held accountable for any municipal related issues that will occur.

Relinquishing control over the municipality and planning committee would mean public works and tenders cannot be dictated by the State Government.

The State Government does not want these scenarios. The object and motive behind the new proposed Bill is to dilute the existing powers of the MPC and the municipality, with the sole intent to exercise complete control over the municipality, and not have the MPC dictating terms to it.

Hence, the reluctance to constitute the MPC and appoint a representative for the existing municipality.

Here is where things get even more murky - by doing this, the State Government’s intent is to hold sessions in the same way the PM holds sessions with his cabinet, and specific MLAs of the CM’s cabinet will be appointed to oversee the 7 proposed municipalities, with the sole intent and purpose of identifying specific wards in the city that generate the highest revenue and accordingly milk these wards for what they’re worth until they are completely dry.

The bottom line is - these babus are not from Bengaluru city. They are from other parts of Karnataka. They hold absolutely no attachment to the city. They do not care about the traffic snarls, water shortages, waste segregation and management, water logging, etc. They only care about making money - evidenced by their proposals to start lofty infra projects like the tunnel road project and steel flyover so that the tenders are awarded to the “right” winning bidder and the project can be commissioned at 60% of the proposed value while the rest of the money is pocketed before they are ousted from their seats. And once the mechanism is in place, the new government will be in the prime position to capitalise on the mechanisms placed by the incumbent government and continue to bleed the city dry.

Before someone flags this discussion as off-topic, let me clarify that this is very much on topic, and in fact goes to the very root of the issue that is traffic woes and water logging issues that could have been addressed if we have the MPC constituted for the purpose prescribed under the Constitution.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

The BBMP elections (pending for almost a decade) were conducted and an elected representative was appointed…
...
The State Government does not want these scenarios. The object and motive behind the new proposed Bill is to dilute the existing powers of the MPC and the municipality, with the sole intent to exercise complete control over the municipality, and not have the MPC dictating terms to it.

Bang on! I met an employee of the BBMP, expressed my hope that the elections would happen finally, he started laughing and said that would never happen because it suited the ministers and MLAs just fine to have absolute control of where to spend (eat) funds.

Doesn't matter which political party is in power, I have lost hope. Much smaller cities/towns in India that contribute not even a fraction of the revenue/tax that Bangalore does, can have pothole-free roads and efficient garbage collection. We can't even get those basics right.

[itwasntme]

Another veritable sword of Damocles hanging over GoKA.

Rs 18,948 crore at stake: Poll delays put Karnataka's central funds in jeopardy
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/.../115548416.cms

Delaying local body polls cost Karnataka Rs 2.8k crore funds
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/.../114203097.cms

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Another veritable sword of Damocles hanging over GoKA.

Rs 18,948 crore at stake: Poll delays put Karnataka's central funds in jeopardy..

They 'earn' a lot more with status quo, and it's all in-house so no accountability to anyone either. Whoever is put in power has the incentive to maintain it, even if they campaign and win on 'ending corruption'. The irony!

The only way to eliminate poll delays is to trigger automatic polls when current terms end, and anyone causing a delay is prosecuted for obstruction.

I love to daydream.