Good morning, Bengaluru!
⛅ Today’s weather: Light rain showers in store.
🧐 Did you know? Nexus Koramangala, or the Forum Mall, is Bengaluru’s first full-fledged mall. It houses the city’s oldest McDonald’s.
🛤️ Park public meetings elsewhere
The Cubbon Park Walkers Association took a stand against political meetings in the city’s parks.
Story so far: The Cubbon Park Walkers Association (CPWA) formally requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to institute a ban on political meetings in parks like Cubbon Park and Lalbagh. The CPWA wrote to the ECI a day after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and others held a meet-and-greet in Cubbon Park on Monday.
- Large public gatherings disturb the parks’ animals and birds. They’re also sources of perturbation for park-goers who seek solitude.
- With elections approaching, the CPWA fears these meetings will become recurring events in the absence of a ban.
Tell me more? S Umesh, an advocate and CPWA’s president, argued that Cubbon Park and Lalbagh preserve several species of flora and fauna. The parks’ sanctity cannot be maintained with public meetings.
- Political leaders convening in Bengaluru shouldn’t hold this as a precedent for organising future events.
💸 Palike’s revenues soar high
Bengaluru’s municipal corporation reports high earnings from property taxes.
Story so far: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) collected ₹3,332 crore in 2022-2023 against ₹3,088 crore in the previous financial year. The civic body had expected ₹4,000 crore in the 2022-2023 financial year. Specifically, there’s been an uptick in BBMP’s property tax collection.
- From March 27, BBMP introduced a one-time settlement scheme for six months for state and central government agencies and their undertakings to pay their dues. It could help BBMP earn between ₹300 crore and ₹700 crore.
- In the current financial year, the BBMP hopes to increase its property taxes. It claims to have a robust collection system.
The way forward: BBMP officials bemoan owners who avoid paying taxes or submit lesser amounts by falsely reporting their commercial properties as residential. The Palike will inspect Bescom meters and self-assessment tax reports to mitigate this. They will also cover more properties.
🏠 Rents see no ceiling
Rents soar in Bengaluru as the city recovers from the pandemic slowdown.
Story so far: Rents in Bengaluru have almost doubled since the beginning of 2022, making the city’s residential market the hottest across India. Per market research reports, landlords here charge the highest proportion of their property’s value as rent, more than even Mumbai. The issue is severe in central Bangalore, Whitefield, and the Outer Ring Road.
- Apartments were sold at extremely low prices during the COVID-19 pandemic. With people leaving the city for remote work, many apartments remained vacant.
- Bengaluru’s economy is recovering after the pandemic slowdown, causing landlords in the seller’s market to clamour for lost revenue.
Why it matters? Market researchers show that Bengaluru was the hardest hit among metro cities during the pandemic. The recent surge in demand and supply shortage has made house-hunting quite strenuous. Some landowners ask potential renters to furnish LinkedIn profiles and résumés to gain an edge over others.
🏅 National level gymnasts
Four girls from the city secured gold medals in a national-level gymnastics competition.
Story so far: Four girls from Bengaluru won gold medals at a national-level gymnastics event organised in the city. Riyanshi Patnaik, Nishka Bedi and Vigya Gupta won in the Under-11 age category, while Akriti Sarkar won in the 12-14 age group.
- The winners’ parents reveal that good coaches were scarce in the past, but emerging private institutions have filled the gaps.
- Despite the city’s near-exclusive spotlight on cricket, Bengalureans are winning in overlooked sports like gymnastics and skiing.
Hurdles and hoops: The parents believe Karnataka’s sports infrastructure lacks government funding and support. The domination of private institutions has driven up fees. There should be more schemes and scholarships to support careers in these sports.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you prefer raincoats or umbrellas?
- I prefer raincoats.
- I prefer umbrellas.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Do you have a side hustle? If yes, what is it?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- 48.6% of Bengaluru’s youth use the internet excessively for health concerns.
- A Bengaluru-Varanasi Indigo flight made an emergency landing in Hyderabad.
- Flawed ESZ implementation is harming Tiger Reserves in Karnataka.
- 95% of Varthur Lake silt and 52% of Bellandur Lake have been cleared.
- The Karnataka government formed an administrative committee for the newly formed Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML).
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I’ve travelled abroad: 66.7% 🏆
- I haven’t travelled abroad: 33.3%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s that one thing you think can solve most of your problems?
Sriranga: “Me stopping being lazy”
SriKanth: “If you can control your breath, you can win over your mind. And if you can win over your mind, you can win over the whole world. So keep MEDITATING to solve most of your problems 🧘🧘♂️”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!