8th August, 2023 - The Bengaluru Commute Podcast. Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project; NICE; GST; Bengaluru Traffic; Vijay Raghavendra; Spandana; Tomato Prices; Typhoon Khanun; Elon Musk; Twitter; Bella Hadid; Gadar 2; Cristiano Ronaldo; Sadi
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Transcript:
Welcome to The Bengaluru Commute Podcast, your only companion on the streets of Bengaluru.
Bengaluru Local news
1. For today, the 8th of August, let's begin with updates from the city. The Karnataka government has established four committees to examine purported irregularities within the BBMP during the BJP's governance from 2019 to 2023. The initial committee, led by Ujjwal Kumar Ghosh, will explore possible irregularities in solid waste management. Amlan Aditya Biswas will head the group investigating suspected corruption in significant road projects and permissions for laying optical fiber cables. Dr. P C Jaffer will lead a team inspecting alleged irregularities in major stormwater drains and design approvals. Lastly, Dr. Vishal R will head the committee investigating purported irregularities in lake development, Smart City project endeavors, and ward-level projects.
2. In other headlines, former chief minister and senior JD(S) functionary HD Kumaraswamy said he will soon approach Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seek action in connection with irregularities pertaining to the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project promoted by NICE. He also urged senior Congress MLA and former law minister TB Jayachandra, who headed a House committee that investigated alleged NICE irregularities, to break his silence and make names of those who threatened him in public.
3. In some more news, according to a recent ruling by Bengaluru's Advance Ruling Authority, PG accommodations and hostels will now have a 12% GST due to their non-permanent residence status. This change is expected to increase rental costs, with Sampat Althur, Bengaluru PG Owners' Association President, stating that rents could rise by 10-12%, making PG living at least ₹1,000 more expensive for consumers.
4. Up next, Bengaluru incurs an annual loss of ₹19,725 crore due to traffic issues and related factors, per traffic expert MN Sreehari. Sreehari's team presented the estimate to Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, including suggestions on traffic control, road design, and flyovers. The report attributes this to the IT sector's employment growth, leading to increased demand for amenities like housing and education.
5. Now, onto other news, the upcoming 2-km Metro line launch connecting KR Pura and Byappanahalli this month-end might alleviate traffic congestion in the troublesome Tin Factory zone. In 2019, the BMRCL was assigned projects for road expansion, bus bays, and skywalks near KR Pura. Hindered by factors like land acquisition and the pandemic, the completion was delayed, but BMRCL is optimistic about finishing these tasks alongside the Metro line inauguration.
6. Moving on, in a shocking incident, Kannada actor Vijay Raghavendra's spouse, Spandana, passed away in Bangkok due to a sudden heart attack during her vacation. She was swiftly taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival. Her remains are expected to arrive today for final rites in Bengaluru.
7. Meanwhile, with surging tomato prices nationwide, certain farmers are reaping substantial gains from the costly crop. In Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district, a farmer named Rajesh made nearly ₹40 lakhs from his 12-acre tomato cultivation this season, enabling him to purchase an SUV. Rajesh also said that he would now look for a bride as he makes decent money to lead a good life.
8. On a different note, a Zomato delivery partner was captured eating from the delivery bag while at a traffic signal, sparking debate online. The video's virality raised questions about whether the food was intended for the customer or for the delivery person. Opinions are divided, with some criticizing the breach of rules and others suggesting the food might have been the delivery agent's own. A commenter emphasized the need for vendors to securely seal food to prevent tampering.
National News
1. Moving on to the national news. The BJP on Monday targeted the Congress in Lok Sabha over a New York Times investigation on China pumping money into various countries including India for pushing its propaganda. Citing media portal NewsClick, which was named in the NYT report for allegedly receiving Chinese funds, the BJP said that the opposition party and some independent journalists have ties with ‘Chinese propaganda’. The NYT investigation revealed a well-funded network at the behest of American billionaire Neville Roy Singham spreading ‘Chinese propaganda’ in various countries.
2. Meanwhile, Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has inched closer to its soft landing on the moon. As the mission advances, a sequence of manoeuvres is planned to gradually position it in a 100km lunar orbit and align it with the lunar poles. In the next ten days, a precise landing site near the moon's south pole will be determined. Subsequently, the propulsion module will detach from the lander while in orbit. Following this, the lander will descend from orbit and make a soft landing attempt.
3. In more news, The Archaeological Survey of India conducted the scientific survey of the complex housing Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi for the fourth day yesterday, to determine if the mosque was built over a temple. Hindu side's lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain said it is wrong to assume that some new discovery will be made every day. Manju Vyas, one of the five Hindu plaintiffs, expressed satisfaction with the ongoing court-ordered survey and said the ASI team is “doing its job well.”
4. Shifting our focus, the government on Monday told the Supreme Court that the CBI will probe all 12 FIRs related to the crimes against women in violence-hit Manipur. According to a report, a total of 12 cases documenting crimes against women during the ethnic clashes, show grisly incidents including the gang rape of five women, murder of four women, and assault with intent to outrage the modesty of 10 other women. The report also stated that there have been no arrests to date.
International News
1. Turning our attention to international news, a woman was killed early on Monday when Russian forces shelled the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, while two other people were killed in Russian shelling of border areas of the Kharkiv region in northeast Ukraine, officials said. Both the city of Kherson and parts of the Kharkiv region are directly adjacent to the front line. The Ukrainian military has reported increased Russian attacks in the Kharkiv region in recent days.
2. In ongoing news, a former NYPD cold case detective has suggested that a secluded stretch of woods situated blocks from the home of alleged Gilgo Beach killer Rex Heuermann may be hiding more bodies. The Massapequa Preserve, a 430-acre expanse of trails that stretches six miles from Merrick Road to the Southern State Parkway, is very close to Rex’s home. Rex’s arrest is tied to the ‘Gilgo Four,’ referring to the four women whose bodies were found within days of each other in 2010.
3. In a recent development, Singapore's Indian-origin former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam filed his application for a certificate of eligibility to run in next month's presidential election. Shanmugaratnam, 66, formally launched his presidential campaign last month. The 2023 presidential election is due in September, as President Halimah Yacob's six-year term ends on September 13. Apart from Shanmugaratnam, three other potential hopefuls, all of Chinese origin, have announced their own submissions.
4. In more news, Typhoon Khanun dumped prolonged, heavy rain on one of Japan's main islands this week, forcing commemorations of the Nagasaki atomic bombing to be held inside. The typhoon last week cut off power in the Okinawa region before barrelling toward Taiwan. It has since swung back to the Okinawa area and was expected to rumble northwards to the west of Kyushu today and tomorrow before veering towards South Korea, the Japan Meteorological Agency said in a televised press briefing.
Business News
1. Let's now look at some business stories. The count of income tax returns submitted during April-June 2023 nearly doubled to exceed 1.36 crore from the previous year. In July, the final month for filing I-T returns, more than 5.41 crore returns were filed, resulting in a total of over 6.77 crore filings by the end of the month. Comparative data on the I-T e-filing platform indicates a rise from 70.34 lakh returns in April-June 2022-23 to over 1.36 crore in April-June 2023-24, marking a 93.76 percent surge.
2. In more news, Elon Musk says his potential in-person fight with Mark Zuckerberg would be streamed on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. The two tech billionaires seemingly agreed to a "cage match" face-off in late June. Zuckerberg is actually trained in mixed martial arts, and the Facebook founder posted about completing his first jiu-jitsu tournament earlier this year. Musk wrote in a post on Sunday that all proceeds will go to charity for veterans.
3. Next up, the average cost of Russian crude landing on Indian shores in June was the lowest since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago. The price for each barrel including freight costs was $68.17, down from $70.17 in May and $100.48 a year earlier, according to the latest figures from India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry. India has become one of the world’s top consumers of cheaper Russian crude since the war, along with China.
4. Moving on, USB Group AG is reportedly considering a significant reduction of approximately two-thirds of Credit Suisse Group's investment bankers in the Asia-Pacific region. This marks the initial major job cuts following the merger of the two Swiss banks. Around 200 positions in its global banking division within Asia could be affected in the coming months.
5. In market news for Aug 8th, benchmark indices ended higher with Nifty at 19,600. The Sensex was up 232.23 points or 0.35 percent at 65,953.48, and the Nifty was up 80.30 points or 0.41 percent at 19,597.30. About 1954 shares advanced, 1637 shares declined, and 186 shares were unchanged. Divis Laboratories, Mahindra & Mahindra, SBI Life Insurance, LTIMindtree, and Adani Ports were among the top gainers on the Nifty. The Indian rupee ended 10 paise higher at 82.74 per dollar.
Entertainment News
1. Over to news from the entertainment world. Sunny Deol has compared his character Tara Singh from the upcoming film Gadar 2 with Hulk and Superman. Speaking during a session at the 2023 Jagran Film Festival in Delhi, Sunny said that every person wants to watch a superhero on screen who 'will set things right'. Gadar 2, is set in 1971 and will hit the screens on August 11.
2. In news from the modelling world, Supermodel Bella Hadid recently updated her followers about her ongoing battle with Lyme disease and the challenges she has faced while taking time off from work to focus on her health. The 26-year-old has been sharing photographs of her ongoing treatment in what appeared to be blood transfusions and IV drips. She has been suffering from the disease since she was eleven-and-half years old.
3. Meanwhile, in some more news, Bomman and Bellie, who starred in The Elephant Whisperers, have sent a legal notice to filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves requesting a 'goodwill gesture' of ₹2 crore. The notice claims they were assured a home, multi-purpose vehicle, and compensation based on project income. Social activist-lawyer Pravin Raj stated Gonsalves now refuses to give even a fraction of the enormous profits made by the film.
Sports News
1. In sports news, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane have joined forces at Al Nassr, forming the most dangerous frontline in a summer transfer window that has seen a great influx of talent to the Saudi Pro League. Mane joins the Saudi club after a transfer away from Bayern Munich and earned a start in his first appearance for his new team.
2. In more sports updates, Kylian Mbappe’s future hangs in the balance this summer transfer window, with the tug of war-between PSG and Real Madrid leaving him in the middle of the two clubs and no certainty about where he will be playing his football in the coming year. Mbappe’s contract with Paris comes to an end at the conclusion of the 2023/24 season.
3. Wrapping up sports news, England secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the Women's World Cup after defeating Nigeria 4-2 on penalties in Brisbane on Aug 7th. The last-16 match had ended in a goalless draw at the end of extra time, leading to a tense shootout. Chloe Kelly proved to be the hero, scoring the winning penalty that sent England into the last eight. Their next opponents will be either Colombia or Jamaica.
Bengaluru Buzz
Switching gears to local events. There are many events ongoing and upcoming in Bengaluru this week.
1. You can watch Lakshay Chaudhary Live, as he showcases his talent for observational humor, relatable stories, and witty jokes that touch on everything from everyday life to social issues, at ArtKhoj JP Nagar, from the 12th- 20th of Aug, at 7.30pm.
2. After doing standup ,music,debates and roasting people with his crowd work shows,Jagan Krishnan is now launching his solo your Jagame Thandiram in Bengaluru! Happening from 12th - 20th Aug at 7pm, at MLR Convention Center, JP Nagar.
3. Are you a Deadpool fan? Then Movie Nights by Banjara and Gypsy is for you. Happening on 12th Aug, at 6 pm, head to Dhwani Indiranagar, where you can get a complimentary beverage too!
4. Lahe Lahe is hosting an Open Mic, Open to all genres. You get to have a mic, a stage, an audience, and 4 minutes where you can express yourself. Happening on Sunday, Aug 13th at 6 pm.
5. If dance is your passion, the Sensual Bachata Social, at Small World Koramangala is for you. It’s perfect for beginners and veterans alike. Enjoy an inclusive environment where sultry Latin beats meet smooth dance floor moves, happening every Saturday from 12th-20th Aug, at 11am.
Bengaluru Weather
1. In a general weather update for the country, apart from localised events of torrential rains that triggered flash floods, rainfall activity has mostly remained light to moderate in Himachal. Delhi is set to experience yet another hot and humid day, with no rain, an IMD official said. The maximum and minimum temperatures of the day are expected to be around 36 degrees and 27 degrees Celsius, respectively.
2. And finally, the weather in Bengaluru. The weather will be mainly cloudy today as well. Temperature span will be from a high of a warm 29°C to a low of an enjoyable 19°C.
The maximum heat index, which takes the relative humidity and factors it into the air temperature reading, is evaluated at a tropical 32°C.
That’s all for now on The Bengaluru Commute Podcast for today. I’m Anupama. If you enjoyed this episode, please do follow me on your favourite podcast and player, and leave a rating and a review as well. It helps other listeners to discover the show, and I would just really appreciate it. Even better if you know someone who would enjoy the podcast, share it with them. Make your commute truly extraordinary. The Bengaluru Commute podcast skill is now available on Alexa! All you have to do is to download the skill from your Alexa app and look for the Bengaluru commute podcast.
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Producer: Anupama Rajarathnam
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Voiceover: Anupama Rajarathnam
Script: Anupama Rajarathnam
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