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Next mayor will be from general category

Thursday, 22 August 2013 09:17 administrator
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Deccan Herald               22.08.2013

Next mayor will be from general category

The State government on Tuesday finally issued notification reserving the post of mayor for general category and the deputy mayor for scheduled tribes (woman).

The notification has ended the four-month-long dilemma over the next mayor and the deputy mayor of Bangalore.

The elections to the seats of mayor and deputy mayor were supposed to be held on April 27 this year. But due to the litigation and the code of conduct for the Assembly elections, the elections did not happen.

Caretaker Mayor

As a result, the current incumbent D Venkatesh Murthy continued to function as caretaker Mayor for the last four months.

Due to the extended tenure, Murthy became the longest serving Mayor of Bangalore, who created a history of sorts by tabling the budget for second consecutive time.

Hectic lobbying

Corporators vying for the coveted post have started lobbying following the notification. Basavanagudi corporator Katte Satyanarayana, Pattabhiramanagar corporator C K Ramamurthy, JP Nagar corporator B R Nanjundappa and Vijayanagar corporator H Ravindra are the frontrunners for the mayor’s post.
 

BMC again lists private clubs as open spaces in latest report

Wednesday, 21 August 2013 09:51 administrator
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Hindustan Times            21.08.2013 

BMC again lists private clubs as open spaces in latest report

Despite strident protests by citizen groups across the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to continue denoting private clubs and gymkhanas across the city as ‘open spaces’.

This categorisation in the existing land use (ELU) maps, citizens fear, may jeopardise the demand for more open spaces in the city.

The BMC had earlier assured citizen groups that it would add a category to the ELU maps ensuring that private and public open spaces are distinguished.

However, in the report brought out by the civic body on Saturday, it has stuck to its earlier stand.

Experts said the BMC should have categorised these spaces as private as they restrict entry to members.

By classifying public parks and playgrounds along with private spaces as open spaces, citizens said the BMC might be trying to inflate the area under open spaces.

This way, it doesn’t have to provide as many open spaces in the proposed development plan for the next 20 years.

Currently, the city has a dismal per capita open space ratio of 0.99 square metre whereas the 1991 DP had envisaged at least 2.48 sqm per person.

This was a principal demand made by citizen groups when the BMC had invited public objections to the maps.

For instance, the A-ward federation of citizen groups had objected to private clubs being marked as open spaces.

A federation member, Nayana Kathpalia, said the civic body had gone back on its own promises.

“The BMC had said it would add layers in the map to make the distinction clear. They cannot reject our objections like this.”

Others said the BMC would set a wrong precedent by not categorising private clubs separately.

“Many such clubs don’t have any open space left.The BMC needs to commit on paper that it would distinguish between public and private spaces,” said Pankaj Joshi, executive director of the Urban Design Research Insitute.

A senior civic official from the development plan department, said: “We will add a layer to distinguish between open spaces as private and public and accordingly, make a report on it soon.”

 

Cured, they now ‘live’ & ‘work’ at BMC’s only leprosy hospital

Wednesday, 21 August 2013 09:36 administrator
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The Indian Express            21.08.2013

Cured, they now ‘live’ & ‘work’ at BMC’s only leprosy hospital

At Wadala's Acworth Leprosy hospital, the city's only civic hospital for leprosy patients, Ganesh Chaturthi preparations are on in full swing. While some try and paint with their deformed hands, others are busy setting up the stage for Lord Ganesh.

Leading the charge are some of the 45 leprosy patients who have been cured, but continue to live and work in the hospital in various capacities. From a centre to treat leprosy patients, the hospital has now become a home for the cured.

The 240-bed hospital has 94 patients at present.

According to the medical superintendent, Dr Amita Pednekar, the cured patients continue to live in the hospital after their families refused to accept them back. "The myth, in rural areas especially, that cured leprosy patients are also contagious, has resulted in the families shunning their own members. Now these cured patients not only live here, but also do menial work like sweeping, serving food, taking calls as operators and administering medicines to other patients in the hospital," said Pednekar.

A 52-year-old patient, who was an electrician before he contracted the disease, has been living in the hospital for the past three years. He now fixes electrical problems in the hospital.

Another 60-year-old patient, who has been living in the hospital since 1985, considers the hospital his only home. "I administer medicines to other patients, and every year, I monitor the decorations for Ganesh Chaturthi," he said, his crooked hands busy decorating an idol.

The hospital's only nurse, Meghna Sawant, has been looking after the patients single-handedly for the past six years. "My job is easy. There are no active leprosy patients. From 8.30 am to 3.30 pm, I take rounds in wards, keep a check on old patients and monitor everything. Despite being old, the patients do their work on their own," she said.

According to Sawant, 45 patients who are working here get paid a few hundred rupees each as "pocket money" by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

There are six wards in the hospital of which two are reserved for women.

Leprosy, caused by Mycobacterium leprae, is a contagious disease characterised by long incubation period (six months to 5 years or more) followed by skin sores, nerve damage and muscle weakness.

"However, with multi-drug therapy, the patients are cured within a year. Although they remain deformed, they are no more contagious. But even those who are cured face so much social stigma that they prefer to spend the rest of their lives in the hospital," said Pednekar.

A 68-year-old patient engaged in all kinds of activities at the hospital, from taking phone calls at the reception to sweeping, has been living here for 35 years. Recently, when his family asked him to return, he declined, saying the hospital was now his home.

 
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