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Police, BBMP join hands to make pedestrian 'king'

Thursday, 28 November 2013 06:57 administrator
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Deccan Herald             28.11.2013 

Police, BBMP join hands to make pedestrian 'king'

Police, BBMP join hands to make pedestrian 'king'. DHNS Photo

Police on Wednesday launched yet another campaign, ‘Sugama safewalk’, to make the City’s roads safer for pedestrians. Police Commissioner, Raghavendra Auradkar, has promised his force would coordinate with the BBMP and other agencies to ensure pedestrians’ safety.

‘Sugama safewalk’ is part of a larger initiative to increase coordination among various civic agencies to improve the lives of citizens, especially women, children, elderly and the differently abled, on roads.

As part of the campaign, the zonal panel will — based on pedestrians’ problems, public opinion on traffic obtained through social media, and traffic situations — give its feedback and accordingly the interventions to improve the situation will be made. The interventions would be to regulate traffic or improve the engineering or designs of roads, footpaths, etc.

To raise awareness about pedestrians’ safety, the traffic police will improve signages and display boards, besides uploading information on their website. After three months, the interventions will be improved and implemented across the City, at every junction or road which endanger pedestrian safety. This may be due to narrow, damaged footpaths or non-existing footpaths, encroachments, one-ways, etc.

The programme has been launched at Trinity Circle, Siddapura junction up to 10th Cross, Madiwala police station junction up to Aiyyappa temple junction, Lalbagh West Gate junction, Havanur junction, Yeshwantpur junction and Esteem Mall junction (near Yelahanka). The places were chosen as studies showed pedestrians are more vulnerable at these points.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic and Safety), B Dayananda, said that the campaign had been designed after consultations and studying the trends in traffic accidents in the City over past three years.

One location for each traffic zone has been selected to implement the project in a pilot phase. Each location will have a panel to implement the project with the zonal ACP sharing it with members of BBMP technical support staff and this mechanism will execute the civil work at the location to facilitate the improvements.

‘Flawed design’

Auradkar blamed the BBMP for flawed road designs and poor quality. He said the BBMP should be sensitive as far as the safety of pedestrians was concerned. The speed breakers or road humps should be on narrows roads, crossings and not on main roads, he added.

Managing traffic is a big problem in the City and the BBMP and traffic police should share the responsibility. Despite many road safety campaigns, both the traffic police and the BBMP have not been able to reach out to public, he regretted, urging the BBMP to sensitise its staff about the issue, and promised cooperation from the police force.
On his part, BBMP Engineer-in-Chief D Rangaraju said, “Speed breakers on roads are installed after research and considering the opinions of different departments including police. But we are open to discussions,” he added.

He said the programme should be taken seriously and footpaths dedicated to pedestrians. “There are very few footpaths where people can walk as most of them are encroached upon while many are used by two-wheeler riders.”

 

Clear encroachments, DC tells officials

Thursday, 28 November 2013 06:22 administrator
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Deccan Herald             28.11.2013 

Clear encroachments, DC tells officials

 Deputy Commissioner B S Shekarappa has directed officials to initiate measures to clear all encroachments including that of Amruth Mahal Kaval land in Chikmagalur district.

He said it is difficult to clear encroachments of the land whose case is pending in the court. It is the responsibility of the district administration to clear encroached land belonging to burial ground, water bodies, forest and revenue lands. A meeting has already been convened on November 23 in this regard, the DC said.

He said that the government has released Rs 24 crore to take up relief work under rain damage, in the district. Funds have already been released to Koppa, Sringeri and Mudigere taluks. Compensation of Rs 12,000 has been released to areca growers who have incurred loss. There was no shortage of funds to take up relief work. Additional works should be taken up at rain-hit areas.

The DC said that a meeting was convened at the Koppa taluk panchayat office to provide basic facilities in Maoist-infested areas on November 24. An integrated report has been sought on the development programmes. Forest Rights Committee will be constituted within 15 days and the district administration will provide all the facilities within the framework of the law. A district, taluk and gram panchayat level officers meeting has been convened on November 29.

The district has registered 64 per cent progress in Aadhaar enrollment. This includes Chikmagalur—67 pc, Kadur—64 pc, Koppa—37.5 pc, Mudigere—65.8 pc, Narasimharajapura—61 pc, Tarikere—50 pc and Sringeri—35 pc. The enrollment has been completed in 91 gram panchayats and is in progress in 14 gram panchayats. The enrollment process is yet to commence in 121 gram panchayats.

The DC said “there is problem related to availability of sand in the district.”

The district administration has taken all precautionary measures for the Datta Jayanthi scheduled to be held from December 14 to 16. An official meeting will be convened to discuss on basic facilities including road and drinking water on December 2. 

 

BBMP to Confiscate Wipro's Assets

Thursday, 28 November 2013 06:16 administrator
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The New Indian Express             28.11.2013 

BBMP to Confiscate Wipro's Assets

If the BBMP’s Standing Committee on Taxation and Finance has its way, the Wipro office at Whitefield may soon be devoid of its movable property, including computers and furniture.

Committee Chairman Dr M S Shivaprasad, who visited the office on Wednesday, told Express that its built-up area is around 16 lakh sqft. “The company has to pay Rs 16.47 crore in tax. Our officials have served three notices, but in vain. Last year, it had to pay `18 crore, but it paid only Rs 5 crore after we went with drum beaters. Later, they went to the court which directed them to pay tax,” he said. The BBMP has the power to confiscate movable properties if tax defaulters do not pay even after being served three notices.

Shivaprasad said the firm prevents tax inspectors and revenue officers from entering its premises, citing security reasons. Last year, as per their condition, a survey was conducted by a third party and it revealed that the company has to pay `16.47 crore in tax, he said.

‘Wipro Officials  Refuse to Pay Up’           

Shivaprasad said senior Wipro officials refused to pay the dues. “We spent more than seven hours explaining about their dues, but they did not pay heed. Only when we left the premises, did one of the officials call us to tell they will pay Rs 5 crore.  We are not vegetable vendors to bargain,” he said.  

They also visited Vrindavan Tech Park which has 13 companies. This tech park has to pay Rs 28 crore in tax. “Mumbai-based Embassy Group is taking over Vrindavan Tech Park,” he said.

 
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