The Observer, Volume 22 Issue 23

Ban on outside food OK, but cut canteen prices, say moviegoers

messy amd smelly

New Zealand PM Ardern to resign next month

By Yukta Mudgal

Moviegoers

feel the ban on outside food in the cinemas is a right step, but the prices of food items in theatre canteens should be brought down

Venkata Prasad, who came to watch the Telugu movie Veera Simha Reddy at Director’s Cut PVR, a multiplexon Brigade Road, informed The Observer: “When I was in Chennai four years ago, they allowed food inside the cinema hall I agree that the food should not be allowed inside,but the food price in PVR should be lowered ”

Ranjana Sukruth, a movie buff who visits cinemasfour or five times a month, said: “I don’t want another mela in the cinema hall with all the dirt and people passing jalebis from one corner of the PVR to the other I come for entertainment and to have fun ”

But she agrees with those who think food at the canteens should

be affordable “I don’t want to buy a 2-litre Pepsi for Rs 450 It has too much sugar But if they provide a smoothie with fruits and vegetables, I’ll buy it.”

The Supreme Court of India on January 3 ruled: “The cinema hall is not a gym that you need healthy food It is a place of entertainment A cinema hall is private property It is for the owner to decide subject to statutory

rules How can the High Court say that they can bring any food inside cinema halls?”

The matter pertained to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court allowing people to carry outside food inside cinemas

Basavaraj H ,manager of Gopalan Cinema,Rajarajeshwari Nagar, said all multiplexes do not allow outside food as people throw items on the floor and it gets

Asked if food items sold inside litter the cinema, he said: “We only sell burgers, sandwiches, popcorn and Pepsi. These items do not create a mess We allow baby food and tea for sugar patients considering their health ” Canteen staff at Gopalan Cinema refused to answer The Observer ’ s queries when asked Employees of cinema halls say outside food affects business V Ramesh, who manages the ticket counter of Swagath Shankarnag Cinema,M G Road, said canteens functioning inside theatrespay a rent to the theatre owner When people bring food from outside, business is affected “Some people even fight with the staff to bring food inside ” Usha Rai, duty manager at the Director’s Cut PVR, said: “We only allow water bottles and baby food inside the hall because people bring food from outside and when they suffer food poisoning, they blame us Most people also put chewing gum under the seat ” Pointing to the theatre canteen, she added: “We’re also here to sell something How else do you expect us to earn our salary ?”

Continued on page 2

What ban? Acid can be easily purchased

Sellers don’t care to maintain logs made must by SC

By Siddhi Chauhan

Despite a ban on over-thecounter sale of acid, it is easily available at retail shops and on e-commerce platforms for the people to buy Action Aid, an international organisation that works for social justice, describes acid attacks as “ a form of violence in which acid or another corrosive substance is thrown at a person with the intention of maiming, harming, torturing or killing them” The Observer interviewed Ritu

Saini, 27, an acid attack survivor who has been working with Chaav Foundation since 2014 She was attacked when she was 17 years old Since then, she said, she has grown a lot Now she doesn’t want to spend her life within the four walls of her room

At the mention of the easy

availability of acid, she sighed: “Even after the Supreme Court issued an order to regulate the sale of acid, and ID was made mandatory to buy acid, nothing has changed Even today, acids are sold in the market and attacks continue to happen The compensation, free-of-cost treat-

ment that they (government) talk about is on paper Neither are the fast courts fast enough All of this is nothing but a complete failure of the government ”

Explaining about the insecurities of an acid attack survivor, Saini shared: “We feel insecure Recently two of my colleagues were devastated when their attackers were released on 15 August. One of them even received a threatening call The minute this happens, a question pops in our minds: What if something happens to us? The attacker is let out within 10 years ”

The Supreme Court in December 2013 imposed a ban on overthe-counter sale of acid in retail markets throughout the country after the acid attack cases

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Thursday she would be stepping down from her role by February 7 after five and a half years in office ,New Zealand media reported . “For me, it’s time,” she told the members of her Labour Party, making clear that there was no secret scandal behind her resignation “I just don't have enough in the tank for another four years ” DW News

Wrestlers continue protest against harassment

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and other wrestlers sat on a silent protest at Jantar Mantar for the second day against the Wrestling Federation of India and its chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a BJP MP, against whom sexual harassment allegations “We are going to meet officials of the Union sports ministry and will apprise the media about it once the meeting concludes,” Punia said Economic Times

Cong attacks amendment to draft IT Rules

The Congress on Thursday termed as a “surreptitious assault on free speech” an amendment to the draft IT Rules asking social media companies to take down news articles that have been deemed “fake” by the Press Information Bureau, and demanded its withdrawal The party also said the rules will be discussed threadbare in the forthcoming Parliament session PTI

Gilgit-Baltistan protesters target Pak govt, army

Amid protests in Gilgit-Baltistan, a video went viral showing the protesters shouting slogans against the Pakistan government and the army Dissatisfied with government policies, the protesters demanded reopening of the Kargil road so they can reunite with fellow Baltis in the Kargil ANI

Prachanda meets kin of plane crash victims

Nepal Prime Minister Pushp Kamal Dahal on Thursday promised the families of the Yeti Airlines plane crash victims his government will “expedite” the process ANI

are

‘Reduce popcorn price, cinemas will be houseful’

Movie halls in Bengaluru have put up such notices to create awareness among the people | Credit: Yukta Mudgal

Savanur’s government schools are badly in need of attention

Have inadequate toilets, rooms and teachers

By Hamsaveni N

Schoolchildren wait in long lines to use washrooms during the lunch break Toilets smell bad, have leaky roofs and broken windows Students sit on the floor in dark rooms with no fans or tubelights This is the condition of primary government schools in Savanur taluk

The schools have poor infrastructure, insufficient classrooms, inadequate teaching staff and shortage of sports equipment A few schools lack playgrounds for students. Computer education is rare in schools

C.N. Hadpada, headmaster of the Government Higher Primary School, Allipura, said: “Although the school has 285 students enrolled, there are only enough benches for classes 6 to 8 We don’t have a proper compound wall for our school which results in outsiders spoiling our school premises The condition of the washrooms is really bad Some-

‘Outside food affects business’

Continued from page 1

times, we face a water scarcity ”

I S Heremath, an English teacher working in the same school, added: “Since most villagers here work in agriculture, they take their children to work on the farms Bringing children to school can sometimes be a chal-

lenge for teachers A few of our classrooms are in need of dire attention The government should focus on schools situated in rural areas as well ”

The Observer noticed that a single teacher was teaching two different classes together in a single

classroom. The English teacher teaches social science as the school doesn’t have a teacher trained in the subject

Sujatha, a teacher at the Upgraded Government School, Hosaneralagi, said a few damaged rooms are under construction This has forced the management to hold two classes in a single room “Our students never get to play as we don’t have our own playground The PT hours are removed Every year, we hold an annual sports day on a private playground A few villagers have decided to donate their land for a school playground ”

Ashok Banikal, a mathematics teacher at the Government Higher Primary School, Karadage, informed The Observer: “We don’t have enough school and playground equipment for our students to play outdoor games. Our appeal for two hi-tech washrooms got sanctioned, but we don’t see any work happening as of now Our classroom roofs leak… "

The Karnataka government had allocated about Rs 32000 crores to education in its budget for 2022-2023

Read the complete story on www.theweeklyobserver.in

Netas should not have any place in sports bodies

On January 18, 2023, wrestler Vinesh Phogat and other sportspersons staged a dharna at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a BJP MP Politicians love the limelight at the cost of a sportsperson’s achievements A politician should not be the president of a sports body; a retired sportsperson should hold that position

Yukta Mudgal

Too much importance to IPL not good for game

Frequent injuries to Indian cricketers, and the absence of star players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, have adversely affected the fan following and craze for the game Also, the Indian Premier League is given more importance than international games This is not a good sign for the future of cricket.

Ajay Rag A

Govt should ensure that autos run by meter

Ola is expensive, charging Rs 130 for 4 km We can’t take a bus every time because travel time Is long Autorickshaw drivers charge Rs 250 for 3 km The government should make it mandatory that they turn on meters Sandhya

Mining dust damages quality of tamarind in Narayanapura village of Sandur taluk

Nayak, another staff member at PVR, said: “We serve home food like rice as well… It’s expensive because we have experienced chefs and a multiplex is luxury We provide premium service to our customers here in PVR ”

Abhilash

Kamal Gianchandani, CEO of PVR Pictures Limited, celebrated the Supreme Court’s verdict on Twitter with thumbs-up emojis Criticizing Gianchandani, netizen Alma Mengde wrote on Twitter: “I agree outside food should not be allowed u need to sustain ur buisness but With the bad quality of movies that is being make in the major hindi film industry and with the enormous charges for the food and beverage in the cinema would u sustain it?”(sic)

The Observer went to the Cinema section of the Karnataka Home Department in Vidhana Soudha, but an official refused to share any information regarding the matter

The Karnataka government has defined a multiplex complex as a building accommodating an entertainment and cultural centre including cinemas theatres, restaurant, shops, sales, lodge/rooms, bars, museum, etc Read the complete story on www theweeklyobserver in

Mining cos have stopped giving compensation

By Yashaswini Sri

Thequality of the tamarind harvest in Narayanapura village, Sandur taluk, has been affected by dust produced by mining companies

Usually tamarind is sold at Rs 10 per kg in Sandur taluk Farmers of Narayanapura are, however, forced to sell at Rs 1 per kg because their yield has declined significantly Over the past ten years, mining has damaged the taluk's agriculture and environment The mining industry has been blamed for the decline in agricultural production and losses in the area.

In Sandur and Hospet taluks, agriculture was the only means of livelihood before the mining boom Paddy, finger millet, maize, tamarind and chillies were grown by the farmers

About the situation of farmers in the taluk, Manjunath Reddy, assistant director, agriculture department, Sandur, informed The Observer: “We do provide certain schemes to the farmers for pesticides, fertilizers and crop seeds,

but we do not compensate for their losses This issue is between farmers and mining companies, and all we can do is assist the farmers to write complaints ”

Mukabasappa, a first-generation farmer who grows multiple crops in Sandur, said: “Earlier, there was a private mining company called Narayan Mining Limited This company compensated our losses for three years,

i.e., 2017-19. Later, in 2019, the JSW Group started mining around the village Since then, we have not received compensation for the losses we incurred due to mining dust ”

In the same way, Bairappa, a farmer who cultivates both tamarind and maize, explained: “Tamarind is not a profitable crop, but a sustainable option After harvesting tamarind, we

need to manually clean it with water Mining dust is very difficult to clean. No matter how many times you wash it, the dust persistently stays on the fruit The market rejects or sells our yield because of poor quality One of the main disadvantages of cultivating tamarind is that it is collected from the tree itself If the whole tree stops producing or the quality declines, we must wait for at least eight years after sowing to make profits ”

Sixty per cent of Narayanapura ’ s farmers cultivate tamarind On an acre, a farmer can expect to have 400 plants per acre A plant can yield up to 263 kg of fruit per year with an average of 10 tonnes per acre This averages to Rs 8 42 lakh per acre a year in the village

Badapati Chinna Babu, an environmental engineer, explained mining dust disrupts the health profile of the soil “Every soil has certain nutrients that enhance the quality of the crop that is produced Mining dust, when accumulated in large numbers, destroys both yields and soil’s quality Farmers should be made aware While compensation is necessary, the farmers’ focus should be on how to not let the mining dust affect their crop ” Read the complete story on www theweeklyobserver in

The schools don’t have proper compund walls resulting outsiders tresspassing | Credit: Ajay Rag A

Farmers are hoping for good yield and profits |

Credit:Yashaswini S

No footpaths in Whitefield: ‘What are pedestrians supposed to do?’

Hundreds of kids walk on these roads every day

By Arsha BS

have gone to the BBMP many times but nothing has changed ”

Footpaths

are non-existent on most roads in IT hub Whitefield, forcing pedestrians to walk on the roads

The Observer noticed that MIMS Gulmohar Road, Athashri Road and Swami Vivekananda Road in the area lack footpaths

Shri Narayan Singh, a resident of the area, said footpath is an alien concept in Whitefield “We have gone to the BBMP multiple times to complain about the issue If they want pedestrians to be safe, they have to construct footpaths in the first place The few footpaths that are there are encroached (on) by vendors It has become so common that they feel entitled to it,” he informed The Observer

According to the latest NCRB data on road accident deaths, in 2021, Bengaluru saw 654 road accident deaths Of these, 160 (24 4 per cent) were pedestrian deaths

‘Shopkeepers never ask for documents’

Thecourt also issued directives for the seller: A log or register should be maintained recording the details of the buyer; the quantity of acid sold; and the address of the buyer Girija, who runs a beauty parlour, buys acid as she needs it to clean her floor She said the shopkeeper never asked about documents or any other details

If a person is found selling acid or in possession of it, they will be charged under the Poisons Act, 1919 But anybody can buy a three-litre can of acid on e-commerce sites like Amazon and Flipkart for Rs 440

The Observer asked shopkeepers about the availability of acid Lakshmi, who owns a general store in Nalakhamba, Kumbalgodu, said: “We sell acid which is basically a bathroom cleaner The people who buy acid from us usually use it for cleaning their bathroom tiles and toilets. We know it so we do not ask for the details of the person because the acid is diluted.”

A shopkeeper in K Golahalli said instead of acid, we can try Harpic Rahul K, another shopkeeper, insisted that the acid is not harmful “Once I even spilled it on my hand, but nothing happened to me ”

According to an article in The Times of India, “ even the usual yellow acid that is available in general stores and supermarkets is harmful” siddhi c@iijnm org

Multiple discussions have been held on making Bengaluru safe for pedestrians

Gopi J, a resident and regular commuter, shared:“It has been

two months since the road was dug up to put in the pipes They haven’t closed it yet We already do not have footpaths What are pedestrians supposed to do? We

Whitefield’s roads have heavy traffic from the morning to the evening There are hundreds of schoolchildren who walk on the roads during these hours Sandeep Aniruddhan, an urban planner, said: “We have guidelines for pedestrian facilities saying that footpaths must be 3-4 metres wide to make sure that the pedestrians can safely walk at any point in time But we don’t see any footpaths here If you want to reduce pedestrian deaths, make footpaths for us first There is no point in having guidelines if they are only on paper ”

Sayed Wasim, a civil engineer at BBMP, said: “It is the road infrastructure wing which deals with these kinds of issues We are trying our best to fix it, but the construction work that keeps happening makes the job hard.”

A survey by the Urban Development Department, Karnataka concluded that 53 3 per cent of Bengaluru’s roads do not have footpaths The law mandates that space for footpaths must be allotted before constructing a road arsha s@iijnm org

The 3,211 feet tall Angel Falls is the tallest uninterrupted waterfall in the world The waterfall, a part of the Rio Kerepacupai Meru river, plunges down from the edge of the Auyán-tepui mountain Every year, thousands of tourists from all corners of the globe visit Venezuela to catch a glimpse of the fall It is thus a very important natural attraction in the country

Courtesy: World Atlas

Quiz

1 Who was the author of 'India of our Dreams' ?

2 The celebrated Novel 'The Godfather' was authored by

3 What is the largest railway station in the world?

4 Hitler party which came into power in 1933 is known as?

5 First Afghan War took place in which year?

Answers on page 4

Midday meal workers demand a salary raise

By Vindhya Pabolu

Womenworkers working in schools under the midday meal scheme in Siruguppa taluk are demanding an increase in salary,paid maternity leave and medical benefits

Explaining their problems, the workers informed The Observer that for 10 years they have been asking the government officials to increase their salaries They work for a paltry salary from 6 am to 7 pm They are paid Rs 2,100 a month, which is not enough to feed their families or take care of their family Most of the women are widows and sole breadwinners in the family

They are demanding their salary be increased to Rs 3,600

Cook Veeramma M said: “I have worked here for seven years All these years we were not given araise How can we run households and pay our children’s school fees with Rs 2,100? That’s the primary reason why we are demanding a hike ”

Durgamma G, taluk president for the workers’ association and cook at a school kitchen, said: “Our previous president discussed it with the MLA of that time, but nothing has changed in 20 years In the early stages of the implementation of the

scheme, we were paid between Rs 450 and Rs 1,000 But the situation has changed here. The number of students enrolled in schools has increased over the years At present, we have 11 members cooking for 600 students Sowe have more work compared to the past If we are working this hard, why should we be paid only Rs 2,100? We want our salaries to increase We will again complain to the MLA about our demands ” Asked about the workers,

When The Observer asked government officials about the issue, they said that they will look into it and find a sustainable solution

Gurappah H, Block Education Officer, argued: “The hike in salaries does not solely depend on

us The government has not responded to the school’s request for a compound wall in 2002 The school hasn’t received full funding for a long time We took this issue to higher officials long ago and waited for their response. We cannot do more than waiting Even if we raise salaries for now, they will request it again after five or six years later What should we do then in future?"

Prem Charles, commissioner of the City Municipal Council, said currently they do not have enough funds, but will look into the issue soon

Gopal Reddy M, a former taluk panchayat president,said: “It will be good if we increasedsalaries They are working hard managing their household chores and working at school for hours ”

Under the Minimum Wage Act, 1948, there should be one cook for 25 students and nine cooks for schools with 301-500 students Those who work as head cooksare supposed to be paid Rs 2,200; the salary of assistant cooks is to be Rs 2,100, according to the department of public instruction of the state government

Only women are accepted under the Midday-Meal scheme The cooks are recruited by selection committees comprising school headmasters, members of the city municipal council and president of the gram panchayat According to Deccan Herald, MidDay Meal workers across the state protested in Bengaluru demanding salaries on time and increase vindhya p@iijnm org

Lack of footpaths in Whitefield has led to multiple debates and discussions on the safety of pedestrians | Credit: Arsha BS

If we give hike, they will ask for one again: BEO

Mallikarjun Gowda, a PT school teacher at the PU Government High School, shared: “As you can see, most of them are above 40 and the only earners in their families They earn little for the amount of work they do ”

Midday meal workers spent their whole day at the job and still are paid only Rs 2,100 per month | Credit: Dhananjay Gautam

Ryots, APMC at odds over amended Act

2020 change in the law lets farmers sell their produce anywhere, to anybody

By Hamsaveni N

Glen's Bakehouse Comedy Show, Kormangala, 20th Jan- 19 Mar 2023 5 PM onwards

Savanur’s

farmers are happy with the amended APMC Act, 2020, which allows them to sell their produce to private parties, while APMC officials are worried because few farmers are bringing in their produce

The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce Ordinance, promulgated in 2020, provides for barrier-free trade of farmers’ produce outside the markets notified under APMC yards Farmers can sell their produce outside the physical premises of market yards; trade can be conducted anywhere APMCs will have no role to play if a farmer decides to sell his/her produce outside their boundaries of the market

According to Rajashekara Pakirappa Lamaani, a Savanur APMC official, the 2020 amendment doesn’t protect farmers from violence or injustice by private players. “We now have no rights regarding buying and selling outside the yard We take responsibility only for produce that comes inside the APMC yard ”

Another APMC official who did not wish to be named explained that when a farmer sells his/her produce at the APMC yard, it goes through price bidding and gets a competitive price for the produce “An APMC ensures fair prices and security against any fraud or exploitation We ensure security for farmers in every

aspect Slowly (the number of) farmers coming to the APMC yard is declining and we are running into losses ”

But Bankanna Koneyavaru, a farmer, said they don’t want any changes to the Act “We are happy with the current law which gives us more flexibility and independence in selling our produce

The problem with APMC markets is that for every 30 kg of produce, 2 to 3 kg will be counted as waste A farmer also has to pay 3 per cent commission Good price bidding happens only with goodquality produce ”

Another farmer, who refused to be named, explained: “Now private buyers come to our doorsteps

to buy our produce The buyer looks at the quality of the produce and bids a price that is not less than the market price Once we agree on the price, the money is immediately transferred Only after I receive money, my produce is sent out from my house Here, we don’t pay commission; we save on transport charges ” There are no wastage charges

When The Observer asked a few farmers if they had experienced any violence from private buyers outside the APMC yard, they replied in the negative “We release our produce only after we receive payment This Act is really helpful and we don’t want the government to change it ”

However, Sangamesh Yareshimi, a commission agent at the APMC yard, insisted farmers who don’t bring their produce to the APMC yard are incurring losses. There are chances of them being cheated by private buyers

In September 2022, The Hindu reported, co-operation minister S T Somashekar said: “We will not withdraw the given amendments because nobody has come forward to complain to us about the amendments There is no such example of farmers demanding the acts withdrawal ”

The minister said that farmers have benefited from the amendments done, but also acknowledged that the revenue of APMCs has come down hamsaveni n@iijnm org

Plant goes kaput, villagers get water from 15 km away

By Yukta Mudgal

Indulge Saturday Club Nights - Bollywood, 21 Jan- 28 Jan 2023, 8:30 PM onwards

The Mahabharata Project, Shoonya Centre for Art and Somatic Practices, 21-22 January 2023, with shows at 5:00 pm and 7:30 pm

Tagore & Gandhi in the Making of Modern India, Bangalore International Centre, 19th Jan 2023, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

The Bengaluru Startup Mixer, 22 Jan 2023, 1 pm - 4 pm

The Indian Machine Tool Exhibition, Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre, Tumkuru Road, 19 Jan - 25 Jan 2023, 4:30 am onwards

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars ” Oscar Wilde

There are around 2 billion species on Earth with 6 8 million likely to be species of insects And up to 10 types of bacteria lives inside of each of these insects!

Awater

filter established around seven years ago in Jigeri, Gajendragad taluk, is in a dilapidated condition Jigeri is a small village with a population of 600 people The residents want filtered water as they say tap water is not good for their health They want the water filter plant to start working again Parshuram SK, a farmer, said: “We go to Mugnoor, 15 km away, to fill filtered water MLAs are very careless and we do not ask them to repair it because we are afraid of them ”

A school headmaster said in a rather fearful tone that he does not know about the water filter, which is just opposite his school “Earlier, there was Congress, now there is BJP , ” he said and stopped speaking

In 2016, when Siddaramaiah headed a Congress government, water filter plants were set up in various villages of Karnataka Shivanand Kattimani, a villager, said doctors ask them to drink filtered water instead of tap water “We have seen our children drinking tap water and falling ill several times ”

Jubeda Begum, another villager, said women have developed urinary tract infections after drinking tap water “We are a big

family, so not everyone drinks filtered water; only those who have health problems drinks filter water My husband goes on his Scooty to bring 20 litres of water every day from Mugnoor It gets difficult when my husband is not

here, so we walk and carry filtered water home ”

Mahantesh Talwar, panchayat development officer, Jigeri panchayat, said the filter was installed under the Jal Jeevan Mission People could get 10 litres

of water for Rs 2. “Now the government is planning to install taps with clean water, so we do not need the water filter Initially, the water filter plant worked but later due to some technical problems, it stopped working ”

B Mallikarjun Gowda, a First Division Assistant of the Gajendragad Town Municipal Council, said the council does not handle issues with the water filter plant

The Hindu Business Line report mentioned that in some villages, water contains fluoride and arsenic This causes health problems among villagers The government was supposed to set up water-purification units in such villages to tide over the problem

As per the Jal Jeevan Mission’s website, the mission was envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India

According to swachhamevajayate org, Karnataka State Government has implemented Jal Jeevan Mission in Karnataka as 'Mane Manege Gange' Scheme to provide safe and pure drinking water through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) in Rural Karnataka The mission includes providing functional tap connection to each household yukta m@iijnm org

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Produced by the Print students of the Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media at Nityananda Nagar, Kumbalgodu, Kengeri hobli, Bengaluru 560074

Editor: Yashaswini Sri

News Editor: Vindhya P Copy editors: Arsha B S , Sidhi Chauhan, Yuktha Mudgal

Photo editor: Hamsaveni N Other IIJNM publications

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Farmers are happy to sell their produce to private buyers than in APMC yard | Credit: Hamsaveni N

The Karnataka Government has implemented Jal Jeevan Mission as 'Mane Manege Gange' Scheme to provide safe and pure drinking water in rural Karnataka | Credit: Yukta Mudgal