Know more about Why This Kolaveri kolaveri Di Song

Why This Kolaveri Di is a song from the soundtrack of the upcoming Tamil film 3, which is due to be released in 2012. The soundtrack and background score is composed by Anirudh Ravichander. This song was officially released on 16th November 2011, and it instantly became viral on social networking sites for its quirky "Tanglish" (Tamil–English) lyrics. Soon, the song became the most searched YouTube video in India and all over the world.

According to composer Anirudh Ravichander, the director Aishwarya Dhanush wanted a lofty fresh song on love failure, and he had composed a suitable tune for that. Dhanush, then reportedly came up with this song in around 20 minutes. In an interview to The Times of India, Dhanush said "When I was writing down the lyrics, I kept in mind all the English words that are used in the Tamil vocabulary. Words like I, you, me, how, why, cow.. I just framed them into sentences and thats how I came up with the song." According to Dhanush, the song is suitable only for bathroom singers. Its simplistic and rustic beats make it more catchy to the commoner. Heartbreak is a phenomenon almost everyone can relate to. The song was initially leaked to the internet, and the makers, having noticed its popularity, decided to go for an official release.

Lyrics :

The lyrics of this song is rather simple and is written in the easiest form of Tanglish, a mixture of Tamil and English. The lyrics portray the feelings of an average Indian boy, who has failed in love, or who has some problems with his girl.

Click here to see the Lyrics of the Song.

Music video :

This song was initially leaked on the Internet, and the makers, having noticed its popularity, decided to go for an official release. The music video features the actor-playback singer Dhanush singing the song in a studio, while co-star Shruti Haasan and director Aishwarya Rajinikanth hear along in the sidelines. Composer Anirudh is at the piano.

Click here to watch the video of the Song Why This Kolaveri kolaveri Di

Bangalore Railway Station train time table.

Trains from Bangalore / Bengaluru

Note: Train Schedule is subject to change over time.Even though we try our level best to provide you accurate Train timings information here, we can't guarantee it's 100% correct.

Train Number	Train Name	Train Source Stn	Source Dep. Time	Train Destination Stn	Dest. Arr. Time
06227	Shimoga Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	11:40PM	Shimoga Town/SMET	06:15AM
0636	Kochuveli Chennai Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	11:00PM	Chennai Central/MAS	05:15AM
0642	Eranakulam Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	05:15PM	Eranakulam Junction/ERS	04:20AM
0644	Bangalore Eranakulam Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	06:50PM	Eranakulam Junction/ERS	06:30AM
0683	Nagercoil Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	10:45PM	Nagercoil Junction/NCJ	02:15PM
0704	Bangalore Kacheguda Special	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	01:00PM	Kacheguda/KCG	04:00AM
2028	Chennai Bangalore Shatabdi Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	06:00AM	Chennai Central/MAS	11:00AM
2079	Hubli Jan Shatabdi Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	06:00AM	Hubli Junction/UBL	01:10PM
2295	Sangamitra Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	09:00AM	Patna Junction/PNBE	09:20AM
2295A	Bangalore Patna Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	09:30AM	Patna Junction/PNBE	09:50AM
2429	Bangalore Rajdhani Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	08:20PM	H Nizamuddin/NZM	05:50AM
2509	Guwahati Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	11:30PM	Guwahati/GHY	05:50AM
2578	Darbhanga Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	09:00AM	Darbhanga Junction/DBG	01:30PM
2592	Gorakhpur Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	04:40PM	Gorakhpur Junction/GKP	03:20PM
2608	Lalbagh Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	06:30AM	Chennai Central/MAS	12:15PM
2610	Chennai Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	08:15AM	Chennai Central/MAS	02:45PM
2614	Tippu Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	02:15PM	Mysore Junction/MYS	04:45PM
2627	Karnataka Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	07:20PM	New Delhi/NDLS	10:35AM
2640	Brindavan Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	02:30PM	Chennai Central/MAS	08:20PM
2658	Chennai Mail	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	10:45PM	Chennai Central/MAS	04:40AM
2677	InterCity Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	06:15AM	Eranakulam Junction/ERS	04:50PM
2684	Eranakulam Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	05:15PM	Eranakulam Junction/ERS	04:20AM
2692	Chennai Express	Sri Satya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam/SSPN	07:10PM	Chennai Central/MAS	05:15AM
2725	Siddhaganga Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	01:50PM	Hubli Junction/UBL	09:45PM
2786	Kacheguda Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	06:20PM	Kacheguda/KCG	05:40AM
6206	Tippu Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	02:15PM	Mysore Junction/MYS	04:45PM
6216	Chamundi Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	06:15PM	Mysore Junction/MYS	09:10PM
6227	Shimoga Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	11:40PM	Shimoga Town/SMET	06:15AM
6227B	Shimoga Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	11:40PM	Shimoga Town/SMET	06:15AM
6315	Kochuveli Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	05:15PM	Kochuveli/KCVL	09:30AM
6321	Trivandrum Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	06:50PM	Trivandrum Central/TVC	12:00PM
6502	Ahmedabad Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	01:30PM	Ahmedabad Junction/ADI	04:00AM
6504	Satya Sai Prashanti Nilayam Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	06:45AM	Sri Satya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam/SSPN	10:45AM
6506	Gandhidham Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	09:50PM	Gandhidham Junction/GIM	02:00PM
6508	Jodhpur Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	09:50PM	Jodhpur Junction/JU	05:00PM
6524	Chennai Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	08:15AM	Chennai Central/MAS	02:45PM
6526	Island Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	09:45PM	Kanyakumari/CAPE	06:05PM
6530	Udyan Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	08:10PM	Mumbai CST/CSTM	07:50PM
6589	Rani Chennamma Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	09:15PM	C Shahu Maharaj Terminus/KOP	01:40PM
6592	Hampi Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	10:30PM	Hubli Junction/UBL	11:00AM
7209	Sheshadri Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	01:15PM	Kakinada Town/CCT	08:45AM
8464	Prasanti Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	02:00PM	Bhubaneswar/BBS	08:55PM
8564	Prasanthi Express	Bangalore City Junction/SBC	02:00PM	Bhubaneswar/BBS	08:55PM

Monday, October 10, 2011

History of Cricket World Cup

Before the first Cricket World Cup :

The first ever international cricket match was played between Canada and the United States, on the 24 and 25 September 1844. However, the first credited Test match was played in 1877 between Australia and England, and the two teams competed regularly for The Ashes in subsequent years. South Africa was admitted to Test status in 1889. Representative cricket teams were selected to tour each other, resulting in bilateral competition. Cricket was also included as an Olympic sport at the 1900 Paris Games, where Great Britain defeated France to win the gold medal. This was the only appearance of cricket at the Summer Olympics.

The first multilateral competition at international level was the 1912 Triangular Tournament, a Test cricket tournament played in England between all three Test-playing nations at the time: England, Australia and South Africa. The event was not a success: the summer was exceptionally wet, making play difficult on damp uncovered pitches, and attendances were poor, attributed to a "surfeit of cricket". In subsequent years, international Test cricket has generally been organised as bilateral series: a multilateral Test tournament was not organised again until the quadrangular Asian Test Championship in 1999.

The number of nations playing Test cricket increased gradually over the years, with the addition of West Indies in 1928, New Zealand in 1930, India in 1932, and Pakistan in 1952, but international cricket continued to be played as bilateral Test matches over three, four or five days.

In the early 1960s, English county cricket teams began playing a shortened version of cricket which only lasted for one day. Starting in 1962 with a four-team knockout competition known as the Midlands Knock-Out Cup, and continuing with the inaugural Gillette Cup in 1963, one-day cricket grew in popularity in England. A national Sunday League was formed in 1969. The first One-Day International event was played on the fifth day of a rain-aborted Test match between England and Australia at Melbourne in 1971, to fill the time available and as compensation for the frustrated crowd. It was a forty over match with eight balls per over.

The success and popularity of the domestic one-day competitions in England and other parts of the world, as well as the early One-Day Internationals, prompted the ICC to consider organising a Cricket World Cup

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Amar Singh arrested due to cash for votes case !!!

Former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh was arrested & sent into judicial custody for 14 days on Tuesday, charged with involvement in the cash-for-votes scandal, potentially causing more embarrassment for the ruling Congress party shaken by a series of graft scandals.

Singh is accused of conspiring to bribe opposition lawmakers during a 2008 confidence vote on a landmark civilian nuclear deal with Washington. He was charged late in August in d case & a judge rejected a plea for bail on Tuesday, sending him into custody. It was d second arrest this week of a high-profile politician in India. It comes less than two weeks since social activist Anna Hazare, 74, ended a hunger strike as part of a campaign for parliament to consider anti-corruption legislation following a series of graft scandals under the Congress Party-led government that rocked public confidence. Singh denied the charges through a lawyer. "There is no evidence corroborating these allegations," Singh's lawyer, Ashgar Khan, told reporters. "This is a false and concocted story made by the prosecution or by some other person," he added. In 2008, Manmohan Singh led a shaky coalition government supported by communist parties 4rm d outside who opposed the nuclear deal. He sought d support of d Samajwadi party among others outside d government to win a majority in parliament. D Congress party returned to power in May 2009, also in a coalition. Police had earlier arrested a former aide to Amar Singh over allegations of attempting to bribe other lawmakers to vote for the nuclear deal. 3 members from the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also told a parliamentary inquiry that Singh had offered them the bribes, after speaking to Ahmed Patel, the powerful political secretary to Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi. A U.S. diplomatic cable, published by the WikiLeaks website, also suggested that the Congress party had attempted bribery. Amar Singh has a reputation for brushes with controversy, florid language and friendships with some of the country's biggest movie stars.

Janardhana Reddy Arrested !!!

Janardhana Reddy was sent to 14-day judicial custody on 05-09-2011 :

Hyderabad: Janardhana Reddy, the Tourism Minister of Karnataka till recently as last month, has been arrested 4 illegal mining & taken into 14-day judicial custody in Chanchanaguda Jail. D CBI team raided Mr Reddy's home on Sep.05.2011 in Bellary, on D border b/w Karnataka & Andhra Pradesh, an area tat has given his two brothers & him incredible clout in D political landscape of both states. Janardhana, Somasekhara & Karunakara Reddy have built their fortune through mining, most of it illegal, according to a series of cases against them. The CBI reportedly found Rs. 3 crore in cash and 30 kilos of gold 4m D former minister's palatial mansion. His brother-in-law, Srinivas Reddy, who is the managing director of one of the mining companies owned by the Reddy family, has also been arrested after his home in Bangalore was raided. Both Srinivas & Janardhana r now at d CBI headquarters in Hyderabad. The Reddy family officially owns a group of mining companies tat operate in Andhra Pradesh. Of these, d most controversial has been d Obalapuram Mining Company (OMC), which lists Janardhana as a Director and Srinivas as Managing Director. While d company operates in Andhra Pradesh, it is headquartered in Bellary about 300 km from Bangalore.

OMC has shown the sort of growth curve that would have most entrepreneurs salivating. It was set up in 2001 by Gali Janardhana, when 34 years old, with an initial capital of Rs. 10 lakh. By 2003-2004, OMC had taken over several mining leases directly or indirectly and had reported a turnover of Rs. 35 crore. In just five years, by March 2009, the turnover was Rs. 3,000 crore. The Reddys' political graph followed a similar path. In 1999, when senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj contested the Lok Sabha election 4rm Bellary, d Reddys were widely acknowledged as powering her campaign. She lost the election, but the Reddys had acquired a new prominence. By 2008, Karunakara became d Revenue Minister; Janardhana had d Tourism portfolio.

The Lokayukta or ombudsman of Karnataka, Justice Santosh Hegde, who retired last month, said in different reports that the Reddys misused their powers as ministers to protect their own mining interests, and to coerce other mining companies into serving as fronts for them. The Reddys allegedly provided safe passage to trucks carrying illegal amounts of iron-ore for export from mines to ports nearby. While Mr Yeddyurappa was forced to quit as Karnataka Chief Minister, the Reddys, despite shrill lobbying, were not inducted into the new Cabinet formed by Sadanana Gowda, who now heads the government.

The BJP has tried to play down today's arrest as part of routine investigation. "It has been in public knowledge for a long time that Janardhana Reddy has been carrying on mining activity. He has been making claim that he's not done anything illegal... I don't see anything special in this. It's natural course of investigation. I am sure Mr Reddy will come out clean after proving to authorities that he is innocent and he has not violated any rules," senior BJP leader Dhananjay Kumar said.

The Congress was quick to retort, "Unfortunate that BJP spokesperson saying so. If you look at Bellary, it's obvious that national wealth has been looted... The Lokayukta said it is no lesser than the 2G scam." The party's BK Hariprasad also tore into Dhananjay Kumar for saying that the Reddy's had played an important part in developing the BJP at the grass roots in Karnataka and that the party "has benefitted by their political activity."

CREATE YOUR OWN MOBILE CHARGER IN HOME

Charging of the cellphone battery is a big problem while traveling as power supply source is not generally accessible. If you keep your cellphone switched on continuously, its battery will go flat within five to six hours, making the cellphone useless. A fully charged battery becomes necessary especially when your distance from the nearest relay station increases. Here’s a simple charger that replenishes the cellphone battery within two to three hours. Basically, the charger is a current-limited limited voltage source. Generally, cellphone battery packs require 3.6-6V DC and 180- 200mA current for charging. These usually contain three NiCd cells, each having 1.2V rating. Current of 100mA is sufficient for charging the cellphone battery at a slow rate. A 12V battery containing eight pin cells gives sufficient current (1.8A) to charge the battery connected across the output terminals. The circuit also monitors the voltage level of the battery. It automatically cuts off the charging process when its output terminal voltage increases above the predetermined voltage level.

Timer IC NE555 is used to charge and monitor the voltage level in the battery. Control voltage pin 5 of IC1 is provided with a reference voltage of 5.6V by zener diode ZD1. Threshold pin 6 is supplied with a voltage set by VR1 and trigger pin 2 is supplied with a voltage set by VR2. When the discharged cellphone battery is connected to the circuit, the voltage given to trigger pin 2 of IC1 is below 1/3Vcc and hence the flip-flop in the IC is switched on to take output pin 3 high. When the battery is fully charged, the output terminal voltage increases the voltage at pin 2 of IC1 above the trigger point threshold. This switches off the flip-flop and the output goes low to terminate the charging process. Threshold pin 6 of IC1 is referenced at 2/3Vcc set by VR1. Transistor T1 is used to enhance the charging current. Value of R3 is critical in providing the required current for charging. With the given value of 39-ohm the charging current is around 180 mA. The circuit can be constructed on a small general purpose PCB. For calibration of cut-off voltage level, use a variable DC power source. Connect the output terminals of the circuit to the variable power supply set at 7V. Adjust VR1 in the middle position and slowly adjust VR2 until LED1 goes off, indicating low output. LED1 should turn on when the voltage of the variable power supply reduces below 5V. Enclose the circuit in a small plastic case and use suitable connector for connecting to the cellphone battery.

Note : At lab, the circuit was tested with a Motorola make cellphone battery rated at 3.6V, 320 mAH. In place of 5.6V zener, a 3.3V zener diode was used. The charging current measured was about 200 mA.The status of LED1 is shown in the table.

BBMP's Rs. 20 Crores Fund For Namma Metro Footpaths Misused

The BBMP has landed itself in yet another controversy. The fund of Rs. 20 crores that was allotted to build footpaths along the metro corridor seems to have been misused. Various standing committees involved in the project each took some money from the fund in order to build roads in their own wards, and, at present, there is not enough money to spend on BBMP's original project. The Palike has stated that this matter will be managed, and that there is nothing to be worried about. The BBMP and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) had sat in several meetings with the Agenda for Bengaluru Infrastructure and Development (ABID) task force. A decision was finally reached to build world-class footpaths on all the feeder roads that connect the Namma Metro - Reach 1, from Byappanahalli to M G Road.

The footpaths around the cricket stadium on Cubbon Road, Trinity Circle, Ulsoor, and C M H Road were also supposed to be renovated. The 14 standing committees, however, decided to use Rs. 1 crore each for renovation of roads in their own wards, which are nowhere near the Namma Metro - Reach 1. Consequently, an amount of Rs. 6 crores is all that is left with the BBMP. People within the BBMP as well as the general public have condemned the misuse of funds. Many believe that it is the result of the lack of communication between the BBMP and the BMRC.

AHA! International theatre treat for kids in Bangalore !!

International Theater for Children Fest 2011 :

Children in the city can get ready to enjoy some exciting days as the AHA!, International Theatre for Children Fest ’11 is all set to kickstart in Bangalore.

If you’ve always wanted to get your kids more involved in arts and theatre, here’s your chance to do so. The AHA! International Theatre for Children Fest ’11 at Ranga Shankara has plays and story-telling sessions for 3 to 12 year olds and above. Troupes and storytellers from Korea, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, UK and India will be performing at the festival. The festival will open with a Kathakali performance and the episode of Lava-Kusha in the play “Lavanasuravadham”, one of the most celebrated “Aata Kathas” of Kathakali will be staged by Kalakshetra of Chennai.

The Indo-Korean collaborative play by children, “Huengbu, Nolbu” based on a Korean folktale will be directed by Kevin Kim of Theatre Seoul. The play opened in Korea recently to much acclaim and brings the resplendent Korean way of doing theatre – colourful costumes and live singing accompanied by Korean instruments.

The 2000 year old form of India, Kutiyattam, will launch AHA!’s storytelling programme, “The Little Cloud”. The young Kapila Venu will perform an episode from the life of Lord Krishna. Stefo Nantsou, the Australian storyteller, Vayu Naidu from the UK and our own Padmavati Rao are the other storytellers. All the four storytellers will perform for children from 5 to 12. There will be a “Painting Day” which will be open to children from 5 years and above. The paintings by the children will be displayed at Ranga Shankara during the Fest and beyond.

“It is a privilege to have veterans like Sri Sadanam Balakrishnan and Leela Samson perform for AHA! Children. A Kutiyattam performance will launch our storytelling programme. Kutiyattam is a 2000 year old form declared a World Heritage by UNESCO recently. I hope parents will bring their children to watch these to ignite curiousity for Indian forms in them,” says Arundhati Nag, the Creative Director of Ranga Shankara. “We have handpicked performances from several countries in order to ensure every child in the age group of 3 to 12 years has something in the Fest”.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

CREDAI: Why OK plan first and find fault later?

BANGALORE: "Do not give us building plan approval at all. Whenever you wish to find fault with us, come and demolish the structures," is what exasperated CREDAI members say with regard to BBMP's allegations against certain builders in the city in recent times.

"What is the sanctity of building plan approvals? BBMP's random inspection reveals that violations have been found. Why does BBMP approve a plan if the conditions are not met? This has to be answered by the officials who have sanctioned the plans," CREDAI (Confederation of real estate developers' associations of India) members told TOI.

B T Ramesh, engineer-in-chief at BBMP, said the officials are working under pressure. "Whenever these issues are raised, it is the officials who are held responsible. But the unseen hands who pressurize the officials to approve the plans will never come into public glare. Sanction plan is issued by the engineers at the central office, but the field work is done by the zonal assistant executive engineers. There are possibilities of misappropriation.''

Expertspeak
R K Mishra | ABIDE member and member of BBMP technical advisory committee

"Every corporator is not a town planner by knowledge. Their job is to legislate. Officials must inspect and submit reports. If the allegations are proved, then action can be taken. But while approving the projects, why doesn't BBMP do a thorough job? In the absence of a council in the last five years, there could be ad hoc approvals given by the officials. In such cases, BBMP can cross check the facts.''

Friday, June 10, 2011

Fake IT company dupes 100 job-seekers in Bangalore

BANGALORE: Electrosys Solutions India, reportedly a fake company based in Jeevan Bima Nagar, had appointed 90 employees in March. The company allegedly collected Rs 8,000 to Rs 20,000 from each of the aspirants, in the guise of training and induction fee. The company promised them a salary of Rs 17,000 per month during the first two months, Jeevan Bima Nagar police have started a manhunt for three, who floated an IT company and duped nearly 100 job-seekers . Police registered a case against the promoters, who allegedly promised jobs to 90 BE and MCA graduates, and cheated them of Rs 1.5 crore. which would increase to Rs 24,000 on regularization.

The promoters of the company — Chinmaya, Karthik and Saurabh — lured the employees, claiming they had two projects, one from the Orissa government and the other from Wipro Technologies.

However, last Friday, they locked up the office and vanished. Employee representatives met joint commissioner of police (crime) Alok Kumar and submitted their complaint. Kumar said a case had been registered with Jeevan Bima Nagar police. "The accused in this case do not have any criminal record. We've asked the local police to intensify the search for the accused," said Alok Kumar.

Don't admit your child to school before April

BENGALURU: Did you know it is illegal to admit your child to primary and high schools in months other than April?

Through a circular on February 2, 2011, the department of public instructions has asked all primary and high schools to strictly begin admission process from April when the new academic year begins.

Admissions completed before April will be considered illegal, primary and secondary education minister Visveshwar Hegde Kageri said in his written reply to Abdul Azeem (JDS) in the council on Friday.

Schools affiliated to CBSE and ICSE will not fall within the department's purview, officials said. But other schools are barred from admitting students before the department of public instructions releases the academic calendar, which is commonly issued in March.

Karnataka assembly to discuss cricket match ticket chaos

BENGALURU : The chaotic scenes at the Chinnaswamy stadium last week for tickets to Sunday's India-England World Cup tie is turning out to be a major issue for Karnataka legislators.

The assembly would discuss the matter Thursday and decide whether to set up a committee to probe the mess, which some members called a 'scam'.

Thousands of people had queued up Thursday at the stadium and police staged a baton charge to keep the milling crowds under control. Only around 7,000 tickets were sold at the counters for a stadium with a capacity of around 50,000.

Several legislators were angry that they were not treated fairly in ticket distribution. A number of tickets had been set apart for the legislators, who had to collect it from the speaker's office.

S.R. Vishwanath, a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, claimed that only 5,000 tickets were meant for the public and of this only 1,000 were sold to them. 'The rest went in the black market,' he charged.

He held the Karnataka State Cricket Association management responsible for the mess. The KSCA is now headed by former India captain and leg spinner Anil Kumble. Former paceman Javagal Srinath is the secretary.

Srinath has apologized to the fans for the baton charge and also for inability of the KSCA to provide tickets to all of them because of commitments to KSCA members, other state cricket associations, International Cricket Council, Board of Control for Cricket in India, sponsors and the like.

Two Congress members N. L. Narendra Babu and N. Sampangi and Vishwanath raised the issue of baton charge on the fans though 'calling attention motion' and insisted that only a house panel (committee of legislators) would bring out the true picture.

They were supported by several other ruling and opposition members.

The members sought a house committee to find out how tickets sales were managed and whether they were sold in black market.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S. Suresh Kumar told the legislators that the house could discuss the issue Thursday and then decide whether to set up a panel.

Speaker K. G. Bopaiah announced that a decision on forming a panel would be taken 'after discussion on March 3'.

The Chinnaswamy stadium, in the heart of the city, is built on land leased by the government.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

US employee alleges large-scale visa fraud at Infosys

An American employee of Infosys has filed a case against the Indian company accusing it of systematic visa and tax fraud to increase profits.In his 13-page complaint filed before an Alabama Court early this week, Jack Palmer alleged that Infosys sent lower level and unskilled foreigners to the US to work in full-time positions at its customer sites in direct violation of immigration laws.

Palmer, who says he worked for Infosys as "Principal - Enterprise Solutions" since August 2008, alleged that the company was paying these employees in India for full-time work in the US without withholding federal or state income taxes, and overbilled customers for the labour costs of these employees.

After the federal government restricted the H-1B programme in 2009, Palmer claimed he was sent to Bangalore for planning meetings.

"During one of the meetings, Infosys management discussed the need to, and ways to, 'creatively' get around the H-1B limitations and process and to work the system in order to increase profits and the value of Infosys' stock,” he said.

“The decision was made by management to start using the B-1 visa program to get around the H-1B restrictions,” Palmer alleged. Palmer also alleged that Infosys managers in the US and India asked him to write false welcome letters, and he refused.

On July 1, 2010, he claims, he "was asked to join a conference call in regards to his refusal to write the welcome letters during which call plaintiff was chastised for not being a team player."

Then he was transferred to another project in a different division, Palmer alleged. There, he says, he "soon learned that Infosys was illegally employing B-1 visa holders on that project as well".

Infosys asked him to rewrite the contract for that project, and he refused, "because he knew that the purpose was to try to cover up Infosys' overcharging this customer by using the lower-income B-1 employees and charging the higher pay rate for specialized employees", according to the complaint.

Infosys, which employs more than 15,000 foreign workers in the US, had also threatened and retaliated against him, Palmer alleged.

Aero Show 2011 at Bengaluru on Wednesday !

The breathtaking flying sorties drew thunderous applause from the gathering :

Bengaluru: The Aero India show that began here Wednesday has smashed all records in terms of its size and content, entering history books as the largest edition of the biennial event so far. The breathtaking flying sorties drew thunderous applause from the gathering The present-day version of Aero India, deemed the biggest air show in Asia, had begun as a modest display of a few aviation assets as Avia-India in 1993. The show, renamed Aero India since 1998, has only become bigger and more popular which must rank among one of the largest attended air shows around the world.

               According to statistics given by the Department of Defence Production (DDP), the online request for registration of general visitors to the air show this year has already exceeded the 1.75-lakh mark, a lakh more than the official 75,000 footfalls in 2009. The organisers are expecting the figure to reach 2.75 lakh. With enquiries and requests not showing any signs of abatement, Aero India-2011 is clearly on its way to top the charts.

               Discounting Avia-India in 1993, the growth in Aero India since 1998 to 2005 had been marginal, defence ministry officials pointed out. "It began showing a quantum increase in the gross exhibition area only from the 2007 edition. While it hovered between the 7,000-18,000 sq mts mark from 1998 to 2005, it sharply rose to 30,000 sq mts in 2007 and 44,000 sq mts in 2009," an official said.

              This year, the organisers have increased the gross area to 75,000 sq mts, a significant 70 percent increase over 2009, a fact mentioned by Defence Production Secretary Raj Kumar Singh at his address at the air show's inaugural ceremony. There are 675 exhibitors in this edition of Aero India - a 16 percent increase over the last edition that had 581 exhibitors in all. As with all previous editions, this time too international exhibitors score over the domestic ones in terms of participation. In 2009, the gap was marginal -- 303 international exhibitors against 289 domestic. This year, the figure is 380 against 295, a growth of 25 percent for the international exhibitors against a mere five for domestic exhibitors.

With 30 countries participating this year and 350 official representation from 60 countries, the delegations' number has seen a three-fold-plus increase, both official and business, with the US leading the pact with 250, Germany at number two with 35, Italy 10, and other countries sharing the rest. Based on online request for business passes, around 70,000 business visitors and delegates are expected to throng the venue, a figure twice that of 2009, through the first three days of the five-day show.

There are eight country pavilions and 63 chalets at the venue, with exhibitions, flying and static display an integral part of the event. This year has recorded a 62 percent increase in flight, static and flight-cum-static display by civil and military aircraft over 2009. With the defence ministry promoting the air show as both military and civil aerospace event, there are 27 aircraft belonging to the civil aviation sector in the air show, marking a 54 percent representation compared to just 46 percent military component.

In all, over 100 aircraft would be witnessed at Aero India-2011. The Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO ) too has set up a exhibition of its works at a stall, which is expected to be another major attraction.

Nitish Kumar condoles death of M P Prakash

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today expressed profound shock and grief at the demise of former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister M P Prakash.

Seventy one-year-old Prakash died at a private hospital in Bangalore after a prolonged battle with cancer.Karnataka JD(U) president Nad Gowda, who was present at a party meeting here, informed Kumar about the leader's death.

In his condolence message, Kumar described his death as "irreparable loss to the socialist movement" and said he would remain a source of inspiration for the younger generation in politics.

"Because of his people-oriented commitment and devotion in public life, he earned fame and popularity not only in Karnataka but also elsewhere," he noted.

Prakash was a writer, theater personality and social activist, besides being a prominent face of Karnataka politics since the 1980s and had held several responsibilities all through his political career, Kumar recalled.

METRO Cash & Carry launches the ‘Wednesday Fresh Bazaar’

Bangalore, India - METRO Cash & Carry, the leader in self service wholesale, recently launched its ‘Wednesday Fresh Bazaar’ in their wholesale centres in Bangalore. This weekly promotional bazaar offers a range of high quality fruits and vegetables like Onion, Potato, Tomato, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Beans, Cucumber, chow chow, Brinjals, Radish, Knol Khol, Capsicum, Chilli, Watermelon, Papaya,
Kinnow Orange, Grapes etc at a price advantage which is extremely attractive for registered customers.

Sourced directly from the farmer at METRO’s own platform within the state, the available range of fruits and vegetables come with a promise of freshness, quality, hygiene and the METRO assurance of food safety. The price advantage to
customers is at par with the wholesale APMC market.

This is an initiative by METRO Cash & Carry to offer quality that is expected from METRO and increase customer engagement in the fruits and vegetables category.

For More Information Contact :

Mr. V. Gunashekar
M/s. Candour PR
Bangalore, India
E-Mail : guna@candour.co.in

High Court to decide on Kasab’s death sentence on Feb 21 :

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday set Feb 21 as the date when it will pronounce its verdict on the death sentence awarded to Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Kasab for his role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

The court announced that it will give its verdict February 21 confirming or commuting the death penalty of Kasab awarded by a lower court last year, said Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. The high court will also the same day decide on Kasab’s appeal against the award of death sentence to him by the lower court, his lawyer Farhana Shah said.

The matter came up before the Bombay High Court on Monday for further directions in the case, the hearings on which were concluded three weeks ago. In the final stages of the hearing in the high court, Kasab boycotted the proceedings after the judges rejected his request to be brought physically to the court.

In view of the security considerations in transferring him to and from the court, Kasab was made to appear before the court through a video-conference link set up in the high-security Arthur Road Central Jail.

At one of the initial hearings, Kasab displayed violent tendencies and attempted to spit at the video-camera. Refusing to accept the death sentence, Kasab also demanded that he should be sent to the US.

On Nov 26, 2008, Kasab and nine other Pakistani terrorists sneaked into south Mumbai through the Arabian Sea route and targeted various locations, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway terminus, Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel, Hotel Trident-Oberoi, and Nariman House which housed the Jewish Chabad House. The 60-hour mayhem left 166 people dead, including many foreign nationals, and over 300 injured.

Aerospace Park in Bengaluru

Karnataka setting up Aerospace Park near Bengaluru :

The Karnataka government is setting up a dedicated Aerospace Park near the Bangalore international airport at Devanahalli on the city's outskirts to attract global majors and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), an official said Thursday.

"Of the proposed 1,000-acre Aerospace Park, about 800 acres of land has been acquired by the state government to facilitate global aerospace majors and several SMEs set up manufacturing and ancillary units for domestic and export markets," state's Industrial Development Commissioner Raj Kumar Khatri told reporters here.

The state government will earmark about 250 acres in the park to create a special economic zone (SEZ) with incentives and facilities offered by the central government for 100 percent dedicated export units.

"Being the country's aerospace hub, we are showcasing Bangalore as an ideal destination for investing in this sunrise sector. The presence of various state-run defence research and development organisations, scientific and educational institutions and defence behemoths such as Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) provides an ecosystem to promote the aerospace industry in a big way," Khatri said.

As India's tech hub with a huge talent pool, Bangalore already boasts of being home to global aerospace majors such as Boeing, Airbus, Snecma, Rolls-Royce, Honeywell and BAE Systems.

Coinciding with the eighth Aero India 2011 trade fair in the city from Feb 9-13, the state government has scheduled a series of meetings with global firms and business delegations to discuss investments in wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint ventures and expansion of their existing operations in the Indian sub-continent.

"Business delegations from Germany, France, Russia, the US and other countries will explore investment opportunities in the Aerospace Park in their meetings with the state chief minister (B.S. Yeddyurappa) and top officials during the upcoming air show," Khatri said.

A 35-member American delegation, led by Indo-US Business Council president Ron Somers and representatives from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Honeywell and Raytheon will call on the chief minister Feb 8 to discuss investment proposals.

Similarly, Rolls-Royce India president Anil Shrikhande and Honeywell Technology Lab's Krishna Mikkilineni will call on the state's Industry Minister Murgesh Nirani and officials Feb 9, followed by a delegation from North Carolina in the US, headed by its Commerce Department Secretary J. Keith Crisco Feb 10.

"We are looking forward to sign a few agreements with global and Indian firms for investments in the aerospace sector and setting up their operations in the upcoming park," Khatri added.

Lockheed Martin India Ltd director Jagmohan Singh, UK-based Wolver Hampton city council head Joy Patel and a delegation from the French aerospace industries association (Gifas) will also be calling on the chief minister to discuss their interests in the Aerospace Park.

Sleepless METRO

Metro leaves residents sleepless :

Those staying around CMH Road station complain that the ear-splitting noise from six granite-cutting machines is posing a serious health risk.

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation authorities are in a race against time to ensure that the Namma Metro is commercially operational as quickly as possible, but residents around CMH Road are complaining of sleepless nights due to the hectic work. Residents say they have not had a decent night’s rest in the last couple of month’s because the contractor involved in building the Metro station, has deployed dozens of workers to cut granite slabs in the residential area. The workers begin their task early in the morning and continue until midnight. The ear-splitting noise from the machines and the clouds of dust created by the cutting work are posing a serious health risk, residents say. When repeated pleas to the contractor fell on deaf ears, they decided to approach the Indiranagar police.

Satish Rajanna, a long-time resident of 10th Cross, First Stage, Indiranagar, told Bangalore Mirror: “There are six granite cutting machines at the site. They are being used non-stop until late in the night. What is more, they don’t even apply water while cutting these slabs. Water helps reduce the noise. We have not been able to sleep for the last couple of months.”

Satish revealed that BMRCL had earmarked a special areas where such work could be carried out. “We won’t have this problem if they work at the designated area. But this contractor is determined to make our life miserable. So we have sought police assistance,’’ Satish said. R Rajagopal, another resident of the area, alleged that the waste granite pieces are strewn all over the area, hindering pedestrians and motorists. “The BBMP is responsible for sweeping the roads, but they say it’s the job of the Metro workers. While they keep passing the buck, motorists and pedestrians are having a tough time,” Rajagopal said.

Some residents say they cannot take their vehicles out of their houses because the contractor is using part of the barricaded road to park heavy vehicles. “We can’t walk, nor can we take our vehicles out,” Satish said. The contractor promised to shift work to the designated area only after the Indiranagar police arrived on the scene. But much to the agony of the residents, two fresh truckloads of granite slabs arrived on Monday. When the residents protested, the contractor guided the trucks to the designated area. But not before some of slabs were already unloaded.

Yashwant Chouhan, BMRCL spokesperson and public relations officer, promised to look into the issue.

“If work is disturbing the peace and quiet of the people, we will certainly ask the contractor to shift the work another area,” he said.

Karnataka Radio Stations

102.9	All India Radio (AIR / Akashvani / Vividh Bharati)	Bangalore II
107.8	Radio Active (RA, Jain Group of Institutions)	Bengalaru [Bangalore]
107.2	Gyan Vani	Bengalaru [Bangalore]
98.3	Radio Mirchi	Bengaluru [Bangalore]
94.3	Radio One	Bengaluru [Bangalore]
93.5	South Asia FM (S FM)	Bengaluru [Bangalore]
92.7	Big 92.7 FM	Bengaluru [Bangalore]
91.9	Radio Indigo	Bengaluru [Bangalore]
91.1	Radio City	Bengaluru [Bangalore]
105.6	Gyan Vani	Bengaluru [Bangalore]
104	Fever 104 FM (HT Media Ltd / Virgin)	Bengaluru [Bangalore]
101.3	All India Radio (AIR FM Rainbow / Akashvani)	Bengaluru [Bangalore]
100.4	AIR Music Service	Bengaluru [Bangalore]
100.1	All India Radio (AIR Classical Music Channel / Akashvani / Amrutha Varshini)	Bengaluru [Bangalore]
101.8	All India Radio (AIR / Akashvani)	Bijapur
102.6	All India Radio (AIR / Akashvani)	Chitradurga
90.4	FM90.4 (Samudaya Banuli Kendra, University of Agricultural Sciences)	Dharwad
103	All India Radio (AIR / Akashvani)	Dharwad
93.5	Kal Radio Ltd (S FM)	Gulbarga
103.7	All India Radio (AIR / Akashvani / Vividh Bharati)	Gulbarga
102.2	All India Radio (AIR / Akashvani)	Hassan
100.5	All India Radio (AIR / Akashvani)	Hospet
102.3	All India Radio (AIR / Akashvani)	Karwar, Uttara Kannada District
103.1	All India Radio (AIR / Akashvani)	Madikeri, Kodagu District
98.3	Radio Mirchi	Mangalore
93.5	Kal Radio Ltd. (S FM)	Mangalore
92.7	Big 92.7 FM	Mangalore
100.3	All India Radio (AIR / Akashvani)	Mangalore, Dakshina Kannada District
93.5	Kal Radio Ltd. (S FM)	Mysore
92.7	Big 92.7 FM	Mysore
105.2	Gyan Vani	Mysore
100.6	All India Radio (AIR / Akashvani)	Mysore
102.1	All India Radio (AIR / Akashvani)	Raichur

Visit the wild life zoological garden in Bengaluru !

Bannerghatta National Park is about 22 km from Bangalore in Karnataka. It is a home to many endangered animal species. It is a natural forest and has one of the largest collections of carnivores in any bio-park in the state. This zoological garden is spread over area of about 25000 acres. It consists of dense forest and scrub land becoming home for wild animals like bison, leopard, wild boar as well as being an important corridor for elephants migrating between the eastern and western ghats.

Tiger

One of the main attractions here are the lion and tiger safari. Other attractions here are a butterfly park, crocodile farm, serpentarium. In addition, a portion of the park is used as a sanctuary for wild rescued animals from circuses.

An elephant ride in the herbivore safari facilitates viewing of these animals in the natural habitat including the bison, spotted deer, black buck, barking deer etc.
The park is open for visitors between 9 AM to 5 PM . The park is closed on Tuesdays.

White Tiger

Safari : The famous Safari has Carnivore Section and Herbivore section. In the Safari rides, visitors are taken around a mini bus through the enclosed and protected area of the aninmals to roam around freely. The Herbivores section comprises of few animals like deers, bears and a few monkeys etc. White Tigers, Bengal Tigers make up for the Tiger Safari, Lions Safari and Bear Safari in the carnivores' section. Though the entire national park stretches across 104.27 sq km, only a small portion in the north has been carved out for tourism.

Butterfly

Zoological garden and Trekking : You can find everything from avifauna to hyenas, panthers, neel gay, etc in the Bannerghatta National Park. The 25,000 acre park is home to panthers, lions, tigers and a large variety of birds. Wander through the Zoological Garden, with its canopy of shady and sturdy trees, find a quiet resting spot beside a pond and watch waterfowl frolic, also facilities to rest, pinic are also available in the park premises. The zoo boasts an amazing reptile collection, an encounter with the scaly, slithery creatures at the snake park. Uddigebande (3.5 km) a natural rock formation called Hajjamana Kallu (3 km) and Mirza Hill (1.5 km) are for the Trekking enthusiasts. There is also Jumbo ride for the visitors beyond the parking slots organized by the Forest Department. One has to buy a ticket for this ride. The area spread of Dry deciduous forests and thorny scrub, with patches of moist deciduous forests along the streams.

White Peacock

Suvarnamukhi Stream and Temple : Covering an area of 104 sq km, including ten reserve forests of Anekal Range of the Bangalore Forest Division, the scenic hills are covered with many ancient temples.A stream named Suvarnamukhi flows through the park, originates in the Suvarnamukhi hills. These hills spread out to a huge rock, about a kilometre long.

The Champaka Dharna Swamy temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu and his consorts Sridevi and Bhoodevi is built in the Dravidian style of the Hoysala age, lies at the foot of the rock. There is also a Narasimha temple about two km away from the Suvarnamukhi pond. The waters of this pond are believed to have curative powers. For those of you who are nature and wildlife buffs, visiting Bangalore for few days, a trip to Bannerghata National Park will truly be an unforgettable experience.

You can visit the place year round. The weather is moderate in the range of 25 - 30 Degree C all through the year. Best time suited will be September to January.

Tourist Information :

Day Visit : Indians: Rs. 325/- , Foreign citizens: US $15/-
Tourists are accommodated in large well equipped vans managed by Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC).
Bannerghatta Nature Camp,
Bannerghatta,
Tel : 080-25597021 - 25 (Corporate Office),
Fax : 080-25586163 (Corporate Office),
Email : junglelodges@vsnl.com.
Tariff :
Swiss Tent : Indians : Rs. 1000/- , Foreign citizens : US $30/-,
Dormitory : Indians : Rs. 500/- , Foreign citizens : US $20/-
The first week of October each year is celebrated as the Wildlife Week to spread public awareness about the need to save our precious flora and fauna. The Karnataka state forest department, in coordination with various nature clubs and organizations, arranges a wide range of programs for nature enthusiasts through out the week.

How to Reach :
By Road : 22kms from South of Bangalore on the Anekal Road.
Lodging : No accommodation available
Altitude : 740 to 1034 meters above sea level
Visiting hours : 9 am to 5 pm
Holiday : Closed every Tuesday
Best time : September to January.

South Indian Actress Yamuna Arrested !

By Agencies Bengaluru:

South Indian actress Yamuna is in news for wrong reasons. She has been arrested for charges of prostitution from a city hotel in Bangalore. The business of flesh trade has been popular in the city for several years. Yamuna along with seven others were arrested after police conducted a raid on the hotel. Shankar M Bidari, city police commissioner stated “We cannot reveal anything about the racket. We are quite certain, though, that it has a network spread across the country.” Yamuna was offered a whopping amount of Rs 2 lakh for this assignment. Police sources stated “On specific information, we conducted a raid on room no. 1402, 4th floor in ITC Royal Gardenia Hotel, Bangalore. During the raid, we have recovered Rs. 2 laks from actress Yamuna and Rs 46,000 from her pimp Surakshit of Puttur in Andhra Pradesh.” Source said further, “Customer Nandakumar, the owner of Transoft Call Centre and a resident of Kasthuri Nagar in Indira Nagar, has been arrested. Nandakumar’s Toyota Forturner and pimps’ Hundai Electra cars have also been seized.”

Bangalore Renamed !

Bangalore To Be Renamed As Bengaluru

Bangalore, according to state historians, got its name from Bendakalooru (the town of boiled beans) after a king strayed into the area during a hunting trip in the late 14th century. A woman offered him a meal of boiled beans which the king enjoyed so much that he named the town after the dish. Bengaluru is a transliteration of the original spelling, according to state historians.

I.T. Raids on Bollywood "STARS"

Mumbai: There have been Income Tax raids at the residences of Bollywood actors Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra in Mumbai.

The raids were reportedly made in connection with suspected tax evasion. Sources said the Income Tax authorities were investigating whether or not the actors had paid taxes proportionate to their income.

Both the actresses have done a fair amount of movies, endorsements and international shows in the last two years and they are paid between Rs. 3 to 5 crore per film. Katrina Kaif endorses 10 brands whereas Priyanka Chopra has about 8-10 endorsements in her kitty. Also, Priyanka Chopra was reportedly paid Rs. 6 crore for her movie "Pyar Impossible" that released in 2010.

The raids began at 8 on Monday morning and are expected to continue through the day.

The Route map of Bengaluru Metro !

Is Makarajyothi Man-Made ?

'Makarajyothi' is not man made: Thantri

Amid heated debate on whether 'Makarajyothi' of Lord Ayyappa shrine is celestial or man-made, the chief priest of Sabarimala temple today said the controversy was generated only to divert attention from the tragedy that killed 102 devotees. "Makarajyothi is the celestial star Siries and Makara villakku a symbolic deeparadhana (aarthi) lit at Ponnamabelamedu," Kantaru Maheswararu told reporters here.

The recent controversy over 'Makara Jyothi' and 'Makara Vilakku' was only to divert attention from the tragedy that claimed the lives of 102 devotees, he said. The controversy was also an attempt to torpedo the two month long pilgrim season of the sacred shrine, he said, adding, efforts should be made to provide better facilities and security for the pilgrims. The thantri, who is responsible for lighting 'Makara Vilakku', said the practice was earlier done by tribals. "We do not see who is doing it," he said. Rahul Easwar, his grandson and spokesperson of the family said the question over who was lighting the 'Makara vilakku' is "irrelevant", but what was being done was more important. On reported remarks of former TDB commissioner Nalinakshan Nair that TDB (Travancore Devaswom Board which administers the shrine) lights the fire atop Ponambelemedu,he said Nair should not use this opportunity to "tarnish" Sabarimala. "There is a deliberate attempt to create a controversy by stating that 'makara vilakku' is being lit by some people in the forest," he said. Asked if the thantri family would file an affidavit in the the backdrop of the Kerala High Court's query to the government on whether 'Makarajyothi' was man made, Rahul Easwar said they would clarify it if asked. "We expect the court to ask us. Court should ask us and not the TDB," he said. "This is a delicate and sensitive issue. We have to deal with clinical precision as legal, ethical, devotional aspects are involved," he said, adding, the faith of lakhs of devotees was unnecessarily being questioned and a controversy created.

Visiting Places in B'lore....

Main Attractions In BENGALURU

Vidhana Soudha

This elegant four-storied edifice is constructed out of granite stone on the pattern of temple architecture. This 46m high complex is an official building holding the Legislative Chambers of the state government. The structure houses four domes in all the four corners. There are the sculptures of 4 headed lions - the majestic beast, on the gateway of the building representing the symbol of Indian sovereignty. It also houses 22 departments and 300 rooms. The lighting up of the building on every Sunday evening holds the special charm among its visitors.

Cubbon Park
The park was constructed by Lord Cubbon.in 1864 over an area of 300 acre. This ravishing garden is adorned with lush green patches, blossoming rows of flowers and some structural buildings all adding to its glory. It is an idle place for relaxing and escaping from the ciaos of the city, thronged by young crowd, families, walkers, joggers and nature lovers. Other attractions of the park are Cheshire Dyer Memorial Hall, Ottawa Chatter, Museum, Century Club and the Press Club.

Government Museum and Venkatappa Art Gallery
Established in 1887, the museum is the oldest structural complex of India. The Government Museum showcases medley of archaeological artifacts, exquisite collection of coins, sculptures, inscriptions, old paintings and excavated items. Whereas the art gallery houses the works of the celebrated artist of the Mysore Court like K. Venkatappa, his famous paintings, plaster of Paris works and wooden sculptures are worth a site.

Timings : Open 10.00 to 17.00 hours except on Wednesdays.

And still more places coming soon.....

Countdown begins !

Work on Namma Metro’s Reach One stations has been fast-tracked, as chief minister BS Yeddyurappa announced on Tuesday that the trial run of the Metro train is scheduled to begin on January 24.

Yeddyurappa will inspect progress of work soon, and will take a ride on the train even as it does the trial runs.

There are six stations on Reach One, between Byappanahalli and MG Road. All stations have been witnessing work at a brisk pace. With just a week to go before trial runs begin, Metro officials find their hands tied. There is much work still to be done on the stations before the trial runs.

Questioned about all the work that remains to be done and the fast-approaching deadline, BLY Chavan, spokesperson of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), said, “Work pressure has remained more or less the same. However, it is true that there is a lot of work still to be done before the trial runs begin.”

At the Byappanahalli Metro depot, where the station is at grade (meaning that it is at ground level), construction is ongoing on the foot over-bridge within the depot, connecting the station’s main entrance to the Old Madras Road.

Workers have been instructed that the ramp has to be ready for use by January 23. Ticketing counters at the Byappanahalli station will be made near the entrance gates at the Old Madras Road side of the depot. Structures for erecting the main frame of the foot over-bridge for the Swami Vivekananda (SV) Station on SV Road are being readied. Workers have been instructed that this work should be complete by Sunday.

The station at Byappanahalli is getting whitewashed. The station on Chinmaya Mission Hospital (CMH) Road has already been whitewashed; it will soon get a coat of paint. The back wall of the Mahatma Gandhi (MG Road) Station has been painted yellow.

Many teams have been working simultaneously at different stations and junctions of Reach One. Security arrangements too are being made, ahead of trial runs.

Escalators at all stations have been fitted. Half-walls are being erected, as boundaries to the stations. The third train, which was brought to the yard on Wednesday, was coupled only on Tuesday night. Electrical connections will be made into the coaches for static tests on the new train. Meanwhile, sources in the BMRC said that the committee for deciding the fares has already prepared a report. It is expected to meet next week; according to the BMRCL website, fares are expected to be one-and-a-half times the bus fares in the city.

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