Spot billing introduced by Water Board
Newindpress.com
HUBLI: In order to make the system of payment of water bills more transparent and hassle free, Karnataka Water Board has introduced a spot billing system in some parts of the City.
Under the present system of manual billing, multitudes of complaints have been received. Hence the spot billing system was introduced in west part of the City on trial basis in wards 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39. Later it will be extended to all wards.
Infoland Technologies who had taken up the work will be sending representatives (sporting identity cards) to consumers’ doorsteps along with a hand-held terminal to record water meter-readings, prepare and issue the bills to consumers.
The hand-held terminals will also issue receipts if consumers want to make on the spot payment, but consumers can make payments only through crossed cheques, DDs and pay orders.
Otherwise consumers can make the payments in all branches of Canara Bank and M G Bank, State Bank of Mysore, Gokul Road Branch and Union Bank, Lamington Road, Hubli.
The spot billing system will ensure superior consumer satisfaction as the consumers can crosscheck the bill. The consumers are requested to co-operate to improve the efficiency in bill collection system, according to a press release by Managing Director, KUWSD Board
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Multiculturalism, a relatively new phenomenon: expert
Multiculturalism, a relatively new phenomenon: expert
The Hindu
DHARWAD: James Mayall, former Director of the Centre for International Studies, Cambridge University, has said that multiculturalism has moved to centre stage now, and its future has been called into question in the context of rapid globalisation and terrorist activities in some countries.
Delivering a special lecture on "Future of Multiculturalism," arranged under the joint auspices of Karnatak University and Dr. D.C. Pavate Foundation here on Tuesday, Prof. Mayall noted that while multicultural societies existed in the past, multiculturalism is a relatively new phenomenon.
Most of the modern States were originally created by conquest and maintained by force, and while some groups offered resistance, others merged their identities and gave up the struggle.
In Western societies, where people are living longer and have smaller families, people are not concerned with the social and political implications of this transfusion, and for them multiculturalism is not an option but a necessity, Prof. Mayall observed.
Uncontrolled influx of immigrants, he said, could lead to unpleasant confrontation with the local population and this poses a number of intractable ethical dilemmas for policymakers in the host countries, irrespective of their commitment to multicultural values. Building bridges with cultural minorities, without empowering leaders who are not actually representatives of their communities, is a major task, Prof. Mayall said. In a rapidly changing world, multiculturalism is merely a means to the next stage of societal evolution, he said.
Madhu Mehra said gender relations play a crucial role in the context of defining cultural identities. Much of the legislation brought by the Government is not in tune with different cultural practices inside a community and, hence, evoke opposition, she said.
Women are identified as custodians of culture but are denied many privileges offered by cultural practices.
Women are not projected as agents or political representatives of culture but as makers of it, she said.
The Hindu
DHARWAD: James Mayall, former Director of the Centre for International Studies, Cambridge University, has said that multiculturalism has moved to centre stage now, and its future has been called into question in the context of rapid globalisation and terrorist activities in some countries.
Delivering a special lecture on "Future of Multiculturalism," arranged under the joint auspices of Karnatak University and Dr. D.C. Pavate Foundation here on Tuesday, Prof. Mayall noted that while multicultural societies existed in the past, multiculturalism is a relatively new phenomenon.
Most of the modern States were originally created by conquest and maintained by force, and while some groups offered resistance, others merged their identities and gave up the struggle.
In Western societies, where people are living longer and have smaller families, people are not concerned with the social and political implications of this transfusion, and for them multiculturalism is not an option but a necessity, Prof. Mayall observed.
Uncontrolled influx of immigrants, he said, could lead to unpleasant confrontation with the local population and this poses a number of intractable ethical dilemmas for policymakers in the host countries, irrespective of their commitment to multicultural values. Building bridges with cultural minorities, without empowering leaders who are not actually representatives of their communities, is a major task, Prof. Mayall said. In a rapidly changing world, multiculturalism is merely a means to the next stage of societal evolution, he said.
Madhu Mehra said gender relations play a crucial role in the context of defining cultural identities. Much of the legislation brought by the Government is not in tune with different cultural practices inside a community and, hence, evoke opposition, she said.
Women are identified as custodians of culture but are denied many privileges offered by cultural practices.
Women are not projected as agents or political representatives of culture but as makers of it, she said.
Government ignoring Nanjundappa committee recommendations
Government ignoring Nanjundappa committee recommendations
The Hindu
HUBLI: The recommendations of the High-Power Committee on the Removal of Regional Imbalances, popularly known as the Nanjundappa committee, have yet to be implemented by the Government.
Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh said in Hubli on Monday that the recommendations of the Nanjundappa committee hold the key to the development of north Karnataka, and the State Government is committed to implementing them.
However, his words are at variance with the track record of his Government and that of his predecessor. Both have chosen to pay lip-service to the issue rather than make a serious attempt to implement the recommendations.
No follow-up action
The committee submitted its report four years ago to the S.M. Krishna Government. The initiative taken by the Government to tackle the issue had earned him praise from the people of north Karnataka.
But they were in for disappointment when Mr. Krishna started ignoring the findings of the committee. Mr. Krishna initially maintained a studious silence and later quoted financial constraints as the reasons for not taking up the issue.
The lack of interest was obvious from the Government's reluctance to take follow-up action on the report.
The Government did not even ask the district administrations to prepare plans of action based on the recommendations and indicate a possible investment in the Budget.
The report was a clinical document that quantified what appeared to be a mere sentimental issue.
Though it was expected that the committee would go into the grievances of north Karnataka, it analysed the entire State on the issue of backwardness and categorised taluks into three groups — developed, backward and most backward — before undertaking a sector-wise identification of lack of development.
Additional investment
The report called for an additional investment of Rs. 2,000 crores a year for a seven-year period to bridge the gap in development.
These funds would have to be in addition to the usual investment, the report said. Another feature of the report was that it had been prepared keeping in view the administrative requirements of the taluks. The State Government chose to post a senior IAS officer as the Development Commissioner for north Karnataka, as recommended by the committee.
Though an official was posted to Belgaum, his responsibilities and financial powers remained vague.
Special assistance
Mr. Dharam Singh sought to equate the recommendations of the committee with the demand for special assistance to Hyderabad Karnataka under Article 371 of the Constitution and said that the Union Government would be approached to sanction the required funds.
The Government's move to industrially develop 39 most backward taluks is attributed to the recommendations of the Nanjundappa committee.
However, it has ignored the fact that the committee had recommended the development of the region as a whole and not of individual sectors.
Even the World Bank-assisted programme for the development of north Karnataka towns is being trotted as part of the plan to implement the Nanjundappa committee report.
The Hindu
HUBLI: The recommendations of the High-Power Committee on the Removal of Regional Imbalances, popularly known as the Nanjundappa committee, have yet to be implemented by the Government.
Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh said in Hubli on Monday that the recommendations of the Nanjundappa committee hold the key to the development of north Karnataka, and the State Government is committed to implementing them.
However, his words are at variance with the track record of his Government and that of his predecessor. Both have chosen to pay lip-service to the issue rather than make a serious attempt to implement the recommendations.
No follow-up action
The committee submitted its report four years ago to the S.M. Krishna Government. The initiative taken by the Government to tackle the issue had earned him praise from the people of north Karnataka.
But they were in for disappointment when Mr. Krishna started ignoring the findings of the committee. Mr. Krishna initially maintained a studious silence and later quoted financial constraints as the reasons for not taking up the issue.
The lack of interest was obvious from the Government's reluctance to take follow-up action on the report.
The Government did not even ask the district administrations to prepare plans of action based on the recommendations and indicate a possible investment in the Budget.
The report was a clinical document that quantified what appeared to be a mere sentimental issue.
Though it was expected that the committee would go into the grievances of north Karnataka, it analysed the entire State on the issue of backwardness and categorised taluks into three groups — developed, backward and most backward — before undertaking a sector-wise identification of lack of development.
Additional investment
The report called for an additional investment of Rs. 2,000 crores a year for a seven-year period to bridge the gap in development.
These funds would have to be in addition to the usual investment, the report said. Another feature of the report was that it had been prepared keeping in view the administrative requirements of the taluks. The State Government chose to post a senior IAS officer as the Development Commissioner for north Karnataka, as recommended by the committee.
Though an official was posted to Belgaum, his responsibilities and financial powers remained vague.
Special assistance
Mr. Dharam Singh sought to equate the recommendations of the committee with the demand for special assistance to Hyderabad Karnataka under Article 371 of the Constitution and said that the Union Government would be approached to sanction the required funds.
The Government's move to industrially develop 39 most backward taluks is attributed to the recommendations of the Nanjundappa committee.
However, it has ignored the fact that the committee had recommended the development of the region as a whole and not of individual sectors.
Even the World Bank-assisted programme for the development of north Karnataka towns is being trotted as part of the plan to implement the Nanjundappa committee report.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Most electricity users oppose increase in tariff
Most electricity users oppose increase in tariff
The Hindu
HUBLI: Complaints of inefficiency, inadequacy of service and absence of the customer friendly attitude on the part of Hubli Electricity Supply Company (HESCOM) poured in at the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) began the two-day public hearing of the 124 objections filed against the move to increase power tariff.
KERC Chairman K.P. Pandey, and members S.D. Ukkali and Subramanyam heard the representations from Uttara Kannada, Gadag, and Bagalkot districts.
The most common complaint was that the HESCOM ignored the complaints from electricity users.
There were complaints that HESCOM collect charges of new connection even for mere change of name in power records.
There were complaints about HESCOM personnel visiting the installations without uniforms, variations in billing and the policy of HESCOM levying minimum rate even while the bills were paid regularly.
S.K. Hegde, I.S. Bhagwat, Aravind Pai, and Gajajan Shanbhag, all from the Electricity Consumers' Forum, Kumta, criticised HESCOM for never responding to complaints.
R.K. Rangrej of the District Electricity Consumers Forum, Gadag, said several anomalies noticed in the applications remained unresolved even today.
There was no reason for the tariff being increased and the practice of indiscriminate increase in tariff should be stopped.
The promised toll-free telephone was yet to materialise. No explanation was given for fuel levy of 25 paise per unit.
S.B. Herur, M.I. Balabatti, Bagalkot Power Consumers' Forum, questioned the need for increasing the power tariff because HESCOM is adept at getting money in the name of many levies.
On Monday, Mr. Pandey said in the fast changing scenario of electricity distribution and supply, the customers should be aware of their rights and obligations.
He stressed on the need to involve the electricity users' associations and non-governmental organisations in creating awareness.
The Hindu
HUBLI: Complaints of inefficiency, inadequacy of service and absence of the customer friendly attitude on the part of Hubli Electricity Supply Company (HESCOM) poured in at the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) began the two-day public hearing of the 124 objections filed against the move to increase power tariff.
KERC Chairman K.P. Pandey, and members S.D. Ukkali and Subramanyam heard the representations from Uttara Kannada, Gadag, and Bagalkot districts.
The most common complaint was that the HESCOM ignored the complaints from electricity users.
There were complaints that HESCOM collect charges of new connection even for mere change of name in power records.
There were complaints about HESCOM personnel visiting the installations without uniforms, variations in billing and the policy of HESCOM levying minimum rate even while the bills were paid regularly.
S.K. Hegde, I.S. Bhagwat, Aravind Pai, and Gajajan Shanbhag, all from the Electricity Consumers' Forum, Kumta, criticised HESCOM for never responding to complaints.
R.K. Rangrej of the District Electricity Consumers Forum, Gadag, said several anomalies noticed in the applications remained unresolved even today.
There was no reason for the tariff being increased and the practice of indiscriminate increase in tariff should be stopped.
The promised toll-free telephone was yet to materialise. No explanation was given for fuel levy of 25 paise per unit.
S.B. Herur, M.I. Balabatti, Bagalkot Power Consumers' Forum, questioned the need for increasing the power tariff because HESCOM is adept at getting money in the name of many levies.
On Monday, Mr. Pandey said in the fast changing scenario of electricity distribution and supply, the customers should be aware of their rights and obligations.
He stressed on the need to involve the electricity users' associations and non-governmental organisations in creating awareness.
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