Moments so Far ...

Thank you Brigade gardenia apartments owners association and officials from BBMP for organizing the Aadhar Card Enrollment drive at brigade gardenia. I think you can also request them to do same at your apartment enclave or layout. Its free unlike the time when the drive to collect property tax is organized by some officials BBMP wherein they collect self-service fees. Day 1 I went there in the afternoon. There were few people in the queue so took the form, asked a few as is this the only requirement and they said yes. Then in the evening, armed with filled forms entered BMS hall (where the drive is currently stationed), the verification official said I needed a token. I stood in the queue from 4:45PM and this was told at 5:10PM. Went inside requesting for token. Another replied in Kannada, I said please explain in Hindi/English. He passed on the enquiry to another. In sincere, broken Hindi he said token cannot be given as it was already 5.  Then he said you ...

A nation which had given up. A nation which had no hope in the system. A nation which believed in nothing. कुछ नहीं हो सकता , क्यों वक़्त बर्बाद करते हो, सौ रुपये दो और आगे बड़ो,  ज़िन्दगी मैं और भी गम है,  यह सौ रुपये बचा के क्या करना,  फालतू की कीच कीचक क्यूं करना.  Senior citizen narrated their times of less corruption. Youth wondered was there ever a time of less corruption.  The common man sweats and burns his blood everyday of his life.  He wants a little money to buy some bread. He wants a little money to buy some education for his kids.  We created a generation of whales who learnt only to gulp big money.  Huge monsters. You dare not raised your voice against them.  They were your representative. They were your killer too.  Murderers. More than the money they made you hopeless.  More than the society they forced you indoors.  You just bothered about your life.  You just cared to meet both ends meet.  What ...

The BDA complex at Jayanagar 4th block, Bangalore is where most government related offices are. It also has RTO offices on 3rd and 4th floor. Another discovery for the day was parking on terrace of BMTC building right opposite BDA complex. The charges are Rs 20 for around 4 hours. You have to travel 4 levels to reach the level. It was afternoon so was easier to go up and down but I am sure during peak hours it will be quite challenging to get the car up and down. I was greeted by a stranger on Ground level. "Do you have work in RTO?" I said Yes. What is it? Show me your RC book? Come to our office at basement. I said I heard the office is on level 3. NO, come down and we will get everything done. I managed to ask him for the charges for hypothecation cancel and he quoted Rs 650 and delivery by evening. When I started moving the rates dropped to 600. I was greeted by similar people on almost all levels till I reached level 3. Another agent inside the RTO office dis...

The home minister of India Mr. P. Chidambaram seems to have landed into the wrong job at the right time. There is upsurge of Maoists, there are series of trials on terrorists and the country is witnessing attacks on saints. Instead of acknowledging the lapses in internal security and how we manage terror he is lost in words. Like for example you take the recent case of attack on Sri Sri Ravishankar. The karnataka police calls it a incident. Mr. Home Minister calls it "an internal brawl". They claim that Sri Sri had left the place of incident 5 mins before it happened. Its like saying saying "The prime minister convey was leaving and somebody fired at the last car in convey. Fortunately the prime minister was in first car but the shooter did not know. So a bodyguard got hurt. Our internal investigation has revealed that there was an conflict between the shooter and the bodyguard. They were not keeping in good terms and as a result of last night brawl between the two t...

He took the nation for a ride. He bludgeoned ordinary folks doing their everyday routine. He played with scores of human life and terminated them mercilessly. You spent crores of rupees for over a year in the name of fair trial, giving him exclusive jail room, manpower to protect, special judges and sessions court. How did you get that money? Through the taxes that the people killed paid to you for better part of your life. Why does TV media walking around in every nook and corner of country and world trying to ask people Does he deserve death or life? What sort of silly question is that? What kind of world are we living? Why do we encourage such media coverage? Why should be proud of home minister who gives kudos to judiciary who took away time from crores of cases pending in its cupboard to attend to this one? And today you have all the media hampering for sound bites and again following a judgement into the case of two filthy rich brothers over distribution of gas? It ...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife Mr. Lalit modi does a simple looking tweet in less than 140 characters and whole bunch of characters fall out of closet. Mr. Shashi Tharoor uses the tweets to garner public sympathy. He has to go away because the so called sensible opposition party BJP of India demands his resignation based on a tweet of an individual. A lady comes into the scenario and complicates the matter for her knight and the knight has to go back to his masses and addresses them in the quiet of his state. The government is forced to order IT Raids because the news media is harping and creating a molehill out of a simple tweet. The final of the IPL match is done. Mr. Modi is standing on the prize distribution dais quoting Bhagavata Geeta and preaching fearlessness. Media breaks news that BCCI has sacked him and given a 22 point chargesheet against him. The poor guy was claiming to head the BCCI governing council meeting and his head rolled. I was worried in mo...

I desired to go online to file returns. Its a very funny process. The government has already deducted the tax at source. Your employer has all your tax inputs. Still you would go through the process of collecting Form-16, file returns, print out form-V acknowledgement, send it back to Income tax. Every year, year on year. Is there a better way to optimize this mess and save some taxpayers money to reduce IT staff and this silly process? I put the request on Brigade Gardenia Yahoo Group and promptly neighbourhood responded and urged to go for taxsmile. I did. I tried to go through their demo, but even with BSNL broadband they were slow. Gave up. Registered and chose Gold. Realised that only additional benefit in GOLD plan would be they sending the ITR-V on your behalf instead of you sending it to IT department directly. In both cases you would need to courier either to Bombay taxsmile address or IT Bangalore address. I thought Bangalore would be a cheaper option. This was on saturday. T...

A neat way to pay property tax online if you have a property in bangalore. As launch offer BBMP is not charging extra on credit card payment. You can go to http://218.248.41.198/ and choose form IV or V depending on whether there has been any change in your property from last year. You will need Application number from assessment year 2008-09. The number on top right corner of pink form. If you are lucky to have saved it to your files. Not the white receipt. You will reach a pre-filled form which either you can print to pay in nearest BBMP center or if you have started to trust online gateways and carry a credit card then choose to pay online. Remember to note down the new application number NOW. You never know when you will need them. Online option will lead you to IDBI gateway and there you need to have your credit card handy, your tax details comes pre-filled. You are done with the payment in your cosy little bed. Time for the receipt. You have still not invested in printer. Okay,...

A good business mind knows that if he has to make money in toll then every instant a vehicle should whip past the toll gate. There should be no interference of whatsoever, neither at the start of toll nor at the end. A government and administrative mind will not care about the money that went into the pipeline to construct this huge infrastructure. Whether you recover the money or not is also beyond question. Also, thoughts should not be spared on little things like "Traffic pile up at start and end of junction". But instead let people wait and lose patience and then you announce a flyover construction to begin simultaneously near the start and end of new sea link highway. It will also go back to dear Mr. Oil , a highly price sensitive commodity to announce a raise just after they have won an election. Remember, before the election there was a drop of Rs. 5 and after election there is raise of Rs. 4. The common man gains Rs. 1 advantage. Along with that will come cess to incr...

The traffic cop me casually and started commenting in kannada. I said I didn't know the language. Then the traffic cop took me to his officer and he offered me Bangalore traffic flag for Rs 100. I said I did nott want to buy it then he said you have to pay because you have jumped the signal. I said the signal was green when I crossed but he said that you will have to go to court if you don't pay. He asked for my license but my brother said don't give otherwise he will keep it. My brother suggested to simply pay the fine and move. I did that and the poor traffic cop struggled to type on his blackberry and gave a printout. So guys, even if you are in car in streets of Bangalore, these days be careful of Karnataka/Bangalore state traffic police black color flag for 100 rupees. BTW the commander name was Mr. Vittala BYSE and did not take the name of his gang of looters. Later I came back home and called up the ACP, Traffic police Bangalore telling him of the issue but I am no...

Government can bring out policy for promoting rural tourism and help it reach all deserving villages. Ensure that villages are not discriminated based on history,geography,demography,religion or natural location. Build a belief that every village has got the potential. Ensure that any village can be converted into a tourist destination without any administrative hassles. A single form/application from any social entrepreneur should take care of recognizing that village as a tourist destination, form necessary trusts for financial transactions. Ensure that most of the funds is managed by village self help group/cooperative/trusts. All revenue generated directly or indirectly through rural tourism should be tax free. Please add to the list. I am not good at policymaking.