E.R. RAMACHANDRAN writes: Once upon a time, Karnataka used to be known for the arts, culture, and the no-nonsense administration. Bangalore, in particular, revelled in this image, in part because of the pioneering work under chieftain Kempe Gowda, whose 497th Birthday is being celebrated this week.
But in circa 2012, the brihat Bangalore mahanagara palike (the greater Bangalore municipal corporation, BBMP) is making news for all the wrong reasons.
In keeping with the spirit of the times where greed and opportunism have made Karnataka more or less the No. 1 corrupt State in the country, BBMP wants free tickets to watch IPL matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
BBMP’s deputy mayor has rather shamelessly has demanded 450 tickets, 400 for each for the 198 corporators and his wife/girlfriend, and a kosuru (a little extra) for some officials of the corporation.
The deputy mayor who came on national television demanded that they should be given free tickets and that they were not beggars to go and ask the Karnataka state cricket association (KSCA) for them.
But anyone who has followed cricket in Karnataka knows that this is a regular ‘custom’. It has been going on for several years now and looks suspiciously like a typical ‘mamool’ issue.
Why don’t the corporators buy the tickets and watch the match and keep their self-respect intact rather than making fools of themselves on national TV? If there is an iota of self-esteem and honesty left in them, they wouldn’t grovel for better seats and then threaten KSCA with regard to some unpaid taxes etc if denied.
Chinnaswamy stadium belongs to the people of Karnataka and not Corporators.
At this rate, KSRTC, KEB can also demand free tickets.
BWSSB can demand FOC tickets for their entire staff / wives/ dogs and cats or threaten to cut off water supply.
Ditto the police.
It may be interesting to recall here General Pervez Musharraf.
For all his negative image, the former Pakistani president set a shining example which not only our corporators, government officials and even BCCI officials should follow.
When he was invited to watch an India-Pakistan one-day match, Musharraf went to the counter and bought a ticket for himself. When asked why he was buying ticket he told, ‘I am the patron of Pakistan Cricket Association. As a patron, if I don’t buy ticket who else will?’
Well said Musharraf, saab!
Whether Pakistan allows you or not, please come to Bangalore and drill this into the heads of our BBMP officials who have a made it a policy to live life free of cost.
churumuri 
Salah Fauji Tha,
Han Fauji
Which your corporators AREN’T
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This mamool business is so ingrained in the Govt institution they don’t know the world otherwise. They expect mamool just like their monthly pay-cheque.
~*~
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Our corporators are not only shameless, they are also blackmailers. I don’t particularly like BCCI, but to make a demand for ticket with a threat of punishment if not complied is nothing but blackmail.
Corporators don’t have any special privilege for demanding IPL or any other tickets. If this logic is followed through, then they’ll demand movie tickets, engineering/medical seats for their children and any other such limited commodities on the same specious argument.
These same Corporators will go on to become MLAs. God help us.
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How about another Jalianwala Bagh for all these unscrupulous personalities regardless of whether they are at Town, City, State or Central level. I am sure several General Dyers can be found if only they are promised/assured general amnesty. Honesty is not in their dictionary and exploitation doesn’t mean anything to them as they have the means to get away with whatever they do. Disgusting……
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If cops, lawyers and journalists can use blackmail as normal operating procedure, why different yardstick for corporators?
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Two aspects that has been highlighted here, non payment of taxes and blackmailing. The corporators should be taken to task for not collecting the taxes firstly, and secondly demanding favours in return for tax relaxation/exemption. These nincompoops have exposed themselves by shamelessly appearing on the television. I wish someone will initiate legal action against these idiots, PIL please.
Mr Ramchandra, why do you need an outsider to set an example or teach locals, it’s beyond me. If we all do right things that is good enough, or is it low self esteem among locals that you need an outsider to teach you to do simple and natural things. Shameful. Musharraf is such a poor example.
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BBMP is a third rate organization run by thugs and goons. No wonder these guys are so shamelessly demanding the tickets for themselves. Next they will be saying that bribe is their birthright. I was not surprised by their demand but surprised to see that they had the gall to defend this extortion on national tv.
Ivarige NMM (naachike maana maryaade) illa.
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Here are a few things I read today in newspaper:
1. It costs Rs.90,000/- to clear garbage from KSCA and it should be paid by KSCA.
2. Taxes have to be paid on all advertisements displayed, inside and outside the stadium.
3. Ground rent of some 6 crores is to be paid by KSCA.
What appals me here is that if these things are indeed true, why the hell didnt the BBMP think of collecting money from KSCA all these days? Also, if the corporators are given the free tickets, they suggest that these charges can be waived off. If so, for the sake of few corporators, should our city lose the revenue??
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@Vasudev,
These personalities come from same pool of people like you & me. How many people are you going to kill? Their replacement won’t be any different.
~*~
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nAstIkarige namaskAra!
I am not for killing anyone as I don’t believe in it. But at the same time, how do you get rid of them? There has to be something drastic. In the middle east, even though I don’t believe in inhuman punishments, you don’t find too many burglars as they chop their hands off in a public intersection. I have seen a princess stoned to death (a long time ago on the public channel) because of adultery. You and me are not excluded from the bunch if we belong to that category! We can only hope there won’t be any “Raktabijasuras” though! Corruption, perhaps, is there since Adam and Eve’s time, but there has to be a limit though. As Kannadigas, we should be ashamed to be in the midst of these hooligans. Don’t you agree?
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>Chinnaswamy stadium belongs to the people of Karnataka and n..
I believe it belongs to KSCA (BCCI affiliate) and is built on land leased from the state government (although there were claims that the land was leased from the Army). So the Stadium is private property, just like the players/teams hosted by them.
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For this mamool vasul, they have become, so called Corporators. It is just a routine business. They are least worried.
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Well, a local corporator’s goons stopped work on a building in our road. The goons told the owner, pay 1lakh to corporator otherwise we won’t allow your guys to proceed.
The owner tried to get police involved, but Police indirectly told him to settle with corporator, saying they can file a case if he has evidence, but can’t provide him 24/7 protection, he’d have to figure a way out!!
He has all licenses, permits hasn’t violated any rules, but is being harassed! He finally paid up, as he didn’t want his building construction to stop.
He could’ve gone to court, but the courts rely on the police again to enforce law.
Sad state of affairs.
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