The Observer, Volume 22, Issue 1

Central law yet to be enforced, tenants pay massive deposits

Many people find it beyond their means

By Ayas Chandra

Tenants in Bengaluru have to pay more than three months of rent as a security deposit as the Karnataka government has not implemented the Union government’s Model Tenancy Act, 2021

According to the Model Tenancy Act, a landlord can charge rent for only two months in advance as a security deposit for residential places The law has not yet been implemented in Karnataka, where the Rent Control Act of 1999 is still in force

Ranaditya Sengupta, an employee of an advertising agency who moved to Bengaluru in June 2022, informed The Observer: “I am looking for an apartment

Tenents find it difficult to pay 5 months of massive rent as security depositiess

Credit: Ayas Chandra

Most landlords are asking for a minimum of three months of rent as a security deposit, which is around Rs 45,000, and the rent for the first month is approximately Rs 15,000, which is beyond my budget.” Temporarily he is staying in a PG accommodation

at Marathahalli Swarthak S, an employee of BPO company, rented an apartment near Koramangala along with two of his colleagues in April 2022 When they were looking for flats, he shared, every landlord asked for at least three to six

months of rent as a security deposit in addition to the first month’s rent, which was way beyond their means

Biju N, a landlord who is trying to rent out his 2BHK house in Indiranagar, said: “A tenant must pay Rs 50,000 in advance as the security deposit and one month’s rent of Rs 15,000 It is common among landlords to charge at least three months of rent as a deposit along with the first month’s rent in advance ”

Madhu Kumar, who is trying to rent out his 2BHK home in Eshwar Layout, Indiranagar, said: “A tenant needs to pay at least four months’ rent, that is Rs 1,08,000, as a deposit and one month’s rent of Rs 27,000 in advance ”

Keshav Sidappa, a house broker, said that, to get a house in Bengaluru, a tenant usually has to pay five or six months of rent, which is around Rs 50,000, as a security deposit and a minimum of one month’s rent.

Continued on page 3

Market vendors await zones, licences Cannot shift as vending is their livelihood

By Hamsaveni N

Moststreet vendors in KR Market don’t have a street vending license, making it difficult for them to do business

Easu, a street vendor, informed

The Observer: “We are often asked to move away , but as this is our only livelihood, we cannot move away from the market We have been doing vending business for many years We face roll calls every day No official has visited us Most street vendors are unaware of the licence and the PM Swanidhi scheme ”

Laxmi S, a vendor, said: “I depend on the money I get from this vending business Very often, we are asked to remove our business

On Sundays, there is a huge crowd here, and the place gets filled with garbage It will be helpful if there are proper vend-

ing zones We should be allowed to do our business freely ” “I heard about the street vending licence, but none of the offi-

cers has approached us It will be helpful if we receive the licence and we can avail loan from the government,” said Rathnamma, a vegetable vendor

Vending zones have not been allotted Very few vendors have the vending licence issued in 2019 when the Town Vending Committee (TVC) was formed under the municipal corporation

The vendors have been sitting in a haphazard manner in the market, blocking roads and causing huge traffic congestions

The vendors are often asked to move away from the place Most of them are from poor or lowermiddle class families, and vending is their only source of income

According to The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, a Town Vending Committee (TVC) that is supposed to look after street vendors should be formed in every district under the Municipal Corporation

Continued on page 3

Minor girl raped by two youths in Hyderabad

A minor girl was allegedly kidnapped and raped by two youths in the old city of Hyderabad The accused sexually assaulted the 13-year-old victim for two days in a hotel after kidnapping and drugging her. She was kidnapped on Tuesday when she had gone out to buy medicines.

Post-mortem confirms rape, strangulation

The post-mortem report of the two minor sisters who were found hanging from a tree has confirmed that rape and then strangulation caused the death The report said the bodies were hanged on the tree after the girls died, Lakhimpur Kheri SP Sanjeev Suman said

ED summons DKS in money laundering case

Congress leader DK Shivakumar has been summoned by the ED in a money laundering case “In the midst of the #BharatJodoYatra and the assembly session, they have again issued me an ED summon to appear I am ready to cooperate but the timing of this summon and the harassment I am put through, is coming in the way of discharging my constitutional and political duties," Shivakumar tweeted

Train services on Metro’s Purple Line resume

Metro train services between Kengeri and Baiyappanahalli were partially hit on Thursday due to a technical problem, forcing authorities to operate trains on a single line Train services on the Purple Line, especially between Kengeri and Mysore Road have now been restored, BMRCL said Trains are now running as per the schedule

India’s human space-flight mission in 2024

India's maiden human spaceflight mission 'Gaganyaan' is expected to be launched in 2024, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh said

Earlier, the mission was scheduled to be launched in 2022, but that could not be achieved due to Covid The first test-flight will be followed by sending a femalelooking spacefaring humanoid robot, VyomMitra, in outer space likely next year

As couples in Bengaluru spend more time together,violence against women rages | P 3

Vending zones have not been allotted Very few vendors have the vending licence issued in 2019 by TVC, at KR Market Credit: Hamsaveni N

Manjunath Nagar suf fers as BBMP ignores pothole plaints

Palike has only dumped mud on damaged road

By Janani Srinivas

Residents of Manjunath Nagar, along Magadi Road

area, are unhappy with the BBMP because it has not acted on their complaints over potholes

People living in the area or running their businesses there are afraid they will trip over the potholes and fall

Shivaprakash Narasingsa, who runs a tailoring shop, informed The Observer: “From the time that I have been in this area, there has been no improvement of the roads After the BBMP installed a water pipe in the middle of the road, no person from the civic body has bothered to cover the pit Most of the time, it is the Bengaluru Traffic Police that helps the locals ”

Shiva Prasad, a shopkeeper, said: “Several people have complained to the BBMP over the damage People find it difficult to drive their vehicles through A BBMP official visited the area to cover the damaged area with mud, but the situation has not improved Because of the potholes, accidents are common ” , he added

Rains have created a more problematic situation for people

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of the area Gangadhar Merwade, a tailor, said: “The level of water was up to 2 feet There is no outlet for the water Even though the issue is grave, and accidents keep happening in the area due to potholes, the civic body has taken no notice of the problem ”

Shivakumar, a bag seller, said: “After the rains, the BBMP has only visited once, not to fill up the potholes, but to clear water from the roads ”

People residing in the area compare the works of the previ-

ous and the present MLAs

K Bharath, a mobile shop owner, explained: “When V Somanna was the MLA of the area, there were no signs of damage on the roads Ever since M Krishnappa came in, he observed the area only once and has not taken any step to resolve the problem We need the BBMP and other authorities to help us get rid of this menace ”

Asked about the problem, traffic constable Srinivasa G said: “I have personally complained on

behalf of the citizens to the BBMP, but the issue has not been resolved ”

B S Prahallad, BBMP Chief Engineer, Road Infrastructure, said: “The BBMP has hired batch mix plants that would work simultaneously to resolve the pothole situation Owing to unprecedented rain, we are unable to fill every pothole because the weather is not conducive So we are trying to implement the idea of wet mix and cement so that it stays across all weather

“Even if the installation of pipes and cable wires cannot be avoided, we will try to reach out to people who have complained We get complaints even from local MLAs over potholes , but there are certain protocols due to which depressions over the roads cannot be avoided We admit that the civic body needs to work towards improving the situation, but we need to strike a balance between procuring utilities and maintaining good roads ”

During an inspection, BBMP commissioner Tushar Giri Nath found that of the 4,500 potholes identified for filling up, 1,500 potholes are yet to be filled Even though the Karnataka High Court ordered the BBMP to repair roads, potholes continue to create a dangerous situation for people This has further resulted in 5,626 deaths, thus involving the liablity of the civic body, with issues like potholes janani s@iijnm org

Police reluctant to file FIRs when women in live-in complain of rape Say

most willing to compromise with accused

By Ahona Roy

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) rankings for 2021 show Bengaluru has the fifth highest number of rape cases registered But local police station reports belie these data

According to the NCRB report, the number of rape cases registered in Bengaluru in 2021 was 117.

Nagesh H M , Sub-inspector of the Kumaraswamy Layout Police Station, informed The Observer: “Most of the time, women who file complaints are ready to compromise by either getting married to the accused or getting compensation from the accused Once, a girl was prepared to compromise by marrying the accused But the accused refused and was imprisoned for four months based on the CrPC statement of the girl in

front of the magistrate ” Prasheela B S , Sub-inspector of the Banashankari Women’s Station, said: “Most rape complaints are by the women who are in live-in relationships with the accused These kinds of cases are usually false as these complainants are often willing to marry the accused ” She added: “ So far, only three rape cases have been filed under Section 90 and Section 375 In all of these three cases, the victims were a live-in relationship with the accused and claimed participation in sexual inter-

Citizen’s Voice

There’s something wrong with our governance

When India ranks 132 on the Human Development Index, 101 on the Global Hunger Index and 135 on the Inequality Index, there is no meaning to be proud whenever the country becomes the fifth largest economy Clearly, something has gone haywire, which only raises further questions about our policies and governance

Sai Aravindh

BBMP must ensure every e-toilet functions

Bengaluru has 169 electronic toilets, but barely 50 per cent of them are functional When people are away from their homes, they travel long distances to use restrooms Since BBMP uses taxpayers’ money, every e-toilet should function Additionally, pourakarmikas should clean the e-toilets at least once every other day because in some of the functional e-toilets flushes don't work

Ishan Rathi

Who will take up challenge to improve B’luru?

Bengaluru is a unique address with a convergence of excellence in IT, academics, medical, tourism, cosmopolitan settlement, real estate, climate, horticulture, culture, and places of worship But it needs immediate upgradation towards good roads, better traffic management, police support, judicious auto/taxi fares, excellent connectivity and civic sense Who will take up this challenge? The government, corporates or the public? We need immediate transformation

V N Raja

The city needs solutions, not problems

Chief Minister Bommai promises satellite towns in the hopes of a better Bengaluru Claims like these have been far and large in my 18-year lifetime as a citizen It seems the city’s collapsing infrastructure isn't a result of its inability to expand quickly; it stems from the continued reliance on inefficient means of growth The world is finding new and sustainable solutions, maybe the BBMP should too

Anand Raja

Quiz

course, which was initiated on the false promise of marriage ”

Seshadripuram Sub-inspector

Gautam T. Rathod said: “Most rape complaints are by women who enter into live-in relationships by consent He narrated a particular incident where a 15year-old girl filed a rape case against her 19-year-old boyfriend for not marrying her The case was filed under the Pocso Act, which makes sexual intercourse between a minor girl with a minor

See Full Story:www theweeklyobserver in

1 What company was originally called "Cadabra"?

2 Queen guitarist Brian May is also an expert in what scientific field?

3.Who was the last Tsar of Russia? What character has both Robert Downey Jr and Benedict Cumberbatch played?

4 What country drinks the most coffee per capita?

5 Which team won the 1930 football world cup?

Answers on page 3

People living in the area are afraid they will trip over the pot holes and fall | Credit:Janani Srinivas

Violence against women rages as couples spend more time together

‘Almost all have suffered stress during Covid’

By Priya Pathak

AsCovid seems to decline, domestic violence cases show no sign of receding, according to Bengaluru police data

Cases of dowry harassment from January to August 2022 in the Shivaji Nagar police limits alone number 132 “There were 800 Not Criminally Responsible (NCR) cases registered in the first eight months of 2022 alone,” said Shivaji Nagar Inspector Savita. Similarly, out of the 72 cases registered at the Indiranagar Police Station during the same period, 31 pertain to domestic violence

A hybrid work culture has increased the time people spend at home, causing disagreements that lead to violent actions and challenging situations for families and couples living together Most women do not complain, while some muster courage and approach the police

Gayathri, a victim’s friend, said: “Preeti, 26, a freelance designer, got married to Gaurav, a 33-year-old supply chain distrib-

utor, in December 2021 He had promised to support her , but due to extra expenditure in the marriage, he backed out As she was looking for a job change, disagreements started between them He started consuming alcohol post-marriage which led to abuse physically and mentally As her in-laws got involved, the fights led to frustration, and she was hospitalised As both felt sui-

‘Smart Card will help the street vendors’

Continued from Page 1

The committee should include the Municipal Commissioner or the Chief Executive Officer, members representing the local authority, the medical officer of the local authority, the planning authority, traffic police, police, association of street vendors, market associations, traders associations, NGOs, community organisations, resident welfare associations and banks

As per the Act, the TVC should conduct regular surveys and issue vending licences to eligible vendors The vending zones should be marked and spaces should be allotted to street vendors to carry out their business The street vending licence also helps the vendors to avail loan under PM Swanidhi to develop and support their business.

A total of 1,800 street vending licences were issued in the survey conducted in 2019 The survey is required to be held every three years, but it has not taken place yet after 2019

BBMP Joint Commissioner

West SM Srinivasa informed The Observer that the TVC is planning to survey all the eight zones of Bengaluru together “We are

planning to change the current vending licence ID card to a smart card The smart card will carry the information of the vendor along with GPS mapping, video and audio recording of the card holder (street vendor) ”

“Most vendors refuse to shift their vending places as they are vending at a particular place for a long period We are currently searching for empty places to allocate street vending zones A fresh survey will be conducted soon and licences will be issued to actual street vendors ”

C E Rangaswami, president of the Karnataka Beedhi Badhi Vyapari Sangatanegala Okuta, said: “Street vendors are always neglected, but they are huge contributors to the country’s economy The government and TVC have failed to look after street vendors and give them the required support There is a lot of delay in passing appropriate orders and implementing them We are constantly trying for developments to happen faster to ensure no street vendor suffers The smart card will help the actual street vendors and eliminate those who misuse the licence ” hamsaveni n@iijnm org

against women as they are considered weak ”

People with severe anger and ego issues are the cause of the increase in domestic violence

Sulochana, an employee of the women and child section of the Indiranagar police station, informed The Observer: “In-laws ask women to give all the jewellery they own and threaten to throw them out of the house ”

Women who cannot arrange dowry during or after marriage are pressured by their husbands to get it, and physically and mentally abused Less educated women who are married early are particularly vulnerable to abuse and threats

According to The Shadow Pandemic campaign, started by the United Nations, women must create awareness and help other women suffering domestic violence.

cidal, they live separately, and he is going to a psychiatrist ”

Psychologist Naomi Bhatia said: “Cases are increasing postpandemic because lockdown and Covid-19 have increased the level of stress and anxiety of people Directly or indirectly, almost everyone has suffered during Covid either by losing a loved one or a job, leading to frustration Such frustration leads to violence

The campaign creates awareness and supports women in raising their voice and standing up for their rights

“Women should learn and consult with social workers and NGOs aiming to help women and children for their safety and security,” said Sulochana

The government has launched helplines for women ’ s safety

Women can dial 112 in case of emergency to connect with the police priya p@iijnm org

Migration has created a huge demand for homes

Continued from Page 1 Advocate Vinay Mishra, the founder of the Bangalore Tenants Association, said: “The Model Tenancy Act is a model Act by the union government, and the State Government is not compelled to implement it ” Many owners charge rent of more than two months because if the tenant does significant damage to the property, it may not suffice as compensation If a tenant cannot pay rent for more than two months evicting him is ethically wrong

“Many owners charge more than two months of rent as a deposit, and 60%-70% of the owners do not refund the total deposit amount to the tenant, citing false painting and maintenance charges,” Mishra added.

Mishra, who presently lives in a 1BHK house in Domlur, is looking for a 2BHK home as his children are growing up He is also facing the same trouble House owners asking for a minimum of five months’ rent (which is around Rs 1 lakh) and Rs 20,000 as one month’s rent

Advocate Vatsala Dhananjay from Sri Vatsala Dhananjay & Co , a property law firm, said:

“The Karnataka Government has

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George Orwell “

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There has been demand for homes| Credit

not yet implemented the Model Tenancy Act in Bengaluru, and the Karnataka Rent Control Act of 1999 is still prevalent For this reason, the tenants may have to pay up to 10 months of rent in advance, depending on the landlord ”

Every day thousands of people come to Bengaluru in search of a livelihood This migration has created a huge demand for homes on rent and an increase in rent ayas c@iijnm org

Wonders of the World Quiz answers

Located on the north side of the Kukulkan Pyramid is a platform dedicated to the planet Venus The Mayans were devoted astronomers and the movements of Venus held special meaning to them, with it influencing the architecture of the ancient Mayan city Uxmal

4 dnalniF 5 yaugurU

3 salohciN II

1 nozamA .2 scisyhportsA

As Covid seems to decline, violence against women shows no signs of receeding | Credit : Arsha BS

: Ayas Chandra

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