Monday, June 29, 2009
Can we save the earth? Verdant Kodagu at the mercy of smugglers, poachers.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
A.R. Rahman issues statement on Michael Jackson's death.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Make erring cops pay : Praveen Sood, additional commissioner of traffic
Information you cannot miss out
If you are getting caught quite often by Bangalore's traffic police, then this will be the article you cannot miss out on. From now onwards, the Traffic Police cannot catch a motorist just to examine the driving license or vehicle documents. He can catch you only if you have violated any traffic laws or if you are driving drunk.
Remember that when caught for traffic violation, the fine you pay must be limited to the violation. In other words, the police can't bloat the bill saying that you have no insurance cover or emission certificate, etc.
Many motorists do not know this. According to the State's Road Transportation Act, no policeman can slap a penalty on you just because you have no insurance or emission certificate. If you have not purchased insurance cover for your vehicle, then the police officer must issue a notice, not impose penalty. You must be given 15 days' time to purchase insurance cover and one week for obtaining the emission certificate. Days later, meet the sub-inspector at his station with the insurance cover or emission certificate, so that he will annul the charge at once. Police can fine you only if you fail to produce these documents within the stipulated period. If your vehicle is brand new, then you need not bother about obtaining the emission certificate for one full year.
In response to a question as to why policemen fine people instantly without giving them time to obtain insurance cover or emission certificate, Additional Commissioner for Traffic Praveen Sood said, "Yes, it is a mistake. People must force policemen to issue notice or complain to me at least the following day. I have suspended the Indiranagar sub-inspector for catching people for silly reasons," he said.
The best way to teach the police a lesson is filing a written complaint with their higher officials and, a week later, using the Right to Information Act (RTI) to know the action taken against them.
Remember, any question or application filed under RTI cannot be ignored and no official is bold enough to ignore the RTI Act.
Praveen Sood (Additional Commissioner for Traffic) - 080 22942276.
Source : link
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Make erring cops pay : Praveen Sood, additional commissioner of traffic (Thursday, May 14, 2009 11:08 IST)
Traffic police personnel stationed near traffic signals are only allowed to book motorists driving rashly or jumping red lights, additional commissioner of traffic Praveen Sood clarified on Wednesday. The officer made this statement following complaints of traffic police personnel stopping and checking vehicular documents in such areas, causing jams in the process.
Admitting that such exercises may result in disruption of the traffic flow, he said, "Police personnel deployed for enforcement of rules near signals are not allowed to stop vehicles for any reason other than jumping traffic lights and negligent behaviour, which includes talking on the phone while driving." Any traffic policeman, who is caught stopping vehicles for reasons other than these, is liable to be punished, he said.
Stating that he has given strict instructions to his staff to book cases of rule violations and negligent driving, Sood said that at least five enforcement cameras, apart from 80 surveillance cameras, have been installed at traffic signals to apprehend offenders.
"Persons caught on camera will be issued notices," Sood said. Strict action will also be taken against motorists who park on zebra crossings, break lane discipline and violate other rules, he added.
"But then, if motorists come across any erring policemen, they may come to my office to lodge a complaint or register it on the Bangalore City Traffic police website: http://bangaloretrafficpolice.gov.in," he said.
Source : link
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if anyone uses the landline number provided pls let me know if it is working!.. thanks!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
ISSUED IN PUBLIC INTEREST - a mail i received
BEWARE OF THESE BANKS
Looking at the rising complaints against ICICI Bank, Citibank, and Standard Chartered Bank , we request consumers to properly read their documents and keep a record when dealing with these banks, especially regarding credit card and housing loan. These three banks are biggest defaulters and do not resolve consumer problems easily. Be aware of their terms in writing. Keep a perfect record of all correspondence with them. If they do not agree to written communication, immediately stop their services. If you ask some nationalised bank to take over the housing loan from ICICI Bank, even after paying full amount, you will not get back your original documents for months. You will be told that the documents are in Mumbai and they are trying to retrieve the same. This is the answer you get everyday.
BEWARE OF NOKIA
Nokia assures that their handset is covered under insurance. They even provide a certificate of insurance. But the condition is that if the handset is lost/stolen, you have to lodge an FIR to seek claims. The catch here is that the police station does not lodge FIR for loss of handsets, they only register NC. So you will never get insurance claims on basis of NC.
Nokia is selling some of its degraded products that have software problems. If you come across such problem in a new set, do not waste your time in running around service centres as it is not going to help much, ask for a replacement with a new set. All those who have purchased 3230 set, have experienced that there was software problem in every set. Nokia is simply dumping the sets, which can not be sold in other countries.
BEWARE OF AIR DECCAN
Their confirmed bookings are highly unreliable and of no guarantee that you will be allowed to fly . The booked tickets get cancelled without intimation to consumer only to be known by him when he goes to the airport to catch his flight. You will not get refund immediately, if you have booked your ticket through credit card. If you call up their call centre, if you press numbers relating to refund, you will not be attended at all even if you try for hours together. If you talk to somebody regarding refund, you have to press options relating to ticket booking, so that someone will attend to you. Then you can ask for refund. They are following very good trick.
BEWARE OF COUNTRY CLUB, BANGALORE
They advertise that if you take their membership, a plot of land will be given free of cost near Golden Spa at Coconut Grove. Please note Golden Spa is 35 Kms from Bangalore and the said plot of land is over 100 Kms from Bangalore . Based on false promises and with arrangement with Citibank and ICICI Bank, this team cheats the consumers of his money by asking payments through credit card.
BEWARE OF PRIVATE BUS OPERATORS/TRAVEL AGENTS
If you book your ticket in a private bus operator, you will find that your seat is allotted to somebody else also. Many a times, though you have booked your ticket to some destination, you will dropped few kilometers away, if there are not enough passengers for your destination. Then you will have to depend on other services to reach your destination. Keep the records/proofs and give a complaint to the nearest police station, when you come back. If you find that the police is supporting the travel agent, immediately inform his higher ups or give a complaint to consumer forum. Always try to use government transportation services. They may be bad in service but will never cheat you.
BOOK TELESALES & RECOVERY AGENTS
If you receive unwanted advertisement / telemarketing call from any company or recovery agents. You will find it annoying especially when you are on roaming network. Ask their telephone number and report to the police. File a police complaint against the Chairman of the company.
BEWARE OF SOME HOSPITALS
If you happen to get admitted (or admit your family person/friend/relative) for any operation in any hospital, keep all the records. Even if the doctor scribbles any information on a piece of paper and give it you, please keep it with you. In future, for your bad luck, if some adverse thing happens due to wrong dialysis or wrong operation, these things will come handy to fight it in a court. Please be clear that consumer forums are not of much help to you because they do not have good doctors in their panel. Many a times they do not have any doctors in their panel and even if they have, a doctor in the panel will try to help a doctor. In such a case you will have to fight tooth and nail. Hence keep all the records/proofs with you carefully.
BEWARE OF TATAINDICOM BROADBAND and WIRELESS FIXED TELEPHONE
Their promises to get you a broadband connection within a week is not to be relied upon. Once your money is stuck (about Rs. 2000), it takes lot of pains to recover it back. If you book Wireless fixed telephone, the Tataindicom sales person will tell you that you can send/receive fax, send/receive e-mails in other service providers' account also (for example vsnl, touchtel etc). Once you install the telephone, you will find that the instrument can not support fax machine even if connected through EPABX, you will find that you can receive e-mails in other accounts and can not send e-mails at all. You have to send e-mails only through Tataindicom e-mail service.
CAREFUL WHEN DEALING WITH THESE COMPANIES / PRODUCTS
LIST OF WORST COMPANIES AGAINST WHOM WE RECEIVE COMPLAINTS VERY FREQUENTLY
WE ARE GATHERING INFORMATION ON CORRUPT JUDGES, REGISTRARS & CLERKS
We have received many complaints from consumers that they are being harassed in the consumer courts when they go there to submit consumer complaint and attend hearings. They are not being served properly by the clerks, and the judges keep on giving hearing dates without arriving to judgment. These acts are contrary to the purpose of setting up of consumer courts that were basically meant to help the consumers. Please inform us if you have experienced or witnessed harassment or corruption. Inform us the exact time, date, and location of the incident in writing through duly signed letter. Your details will not be disclosed on this website, but you should be ready to co-operate when action against these people is initiated by nabbing them through proper channel.
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Kannada Websites Patti (List)
http://www.kannadastore.com/
http://www.kannadakasturi.com
Kannada Wikipedia
http://www.vishvakannada.com/
http://www.kannada.com/
http://www.totalkannada.com/
http://www.my-kannada.com/
http://www.thatskannada.com
http://www.ourkarnataka.com/
http://www.karnatakarakshanavedike.org/
http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~kulki/kannada/kanindex.html
http://sify.com/kannada/
http://www.kannadaratna.com/
http://www.vishwabanku.org/
http://www.kannadasangha.com.bh/index.htm
Kannada History
http://www.ancientscripts.com/kannada.html
http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/kar/index.htm
Kannada Songs & films
http://www.kannadaaudio.com/
http://www.udbhava.com/
http://www.chirag-entertainers.com/
http://www.viggy.com/
http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/kannada/
http://www.MusicIndiaOnline.org
http://www.chitraranga.com
http://www.chitraloka.com/
http://www.musicindiaonline.com/
http://www.hamaracd.com/hcdindia/asp/Kannada.asp?eid=4%2B3
http://www.angelfire.com/ar/kebballi/index.html
http://www.geocities.com/singer_ram/
http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~kulki/kannada/haadu.html
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/8329/
http://kannada.galatta.com/
http://nagathihallichandru.com/
http://www.achichu.com/Kannada-Songs/3.htm
Kannada Radio
http://kannadasongs.allindiansite.com/
Sify Radio
http://www.kannadaaudio.net/
Kannada Lyrics and Literature
http://www.kannadalyrics.com/
http://www.kannadasaahithya.com/
http://www.dasasahitya.org
http://www.missouri.edu/~physchan/kannada/kannada.html
Kannada Newspapers and Articles
http://199.74.239.15/udayavani/home.asp
http://www.kannadaprabha.com/
http://www.sanjevani.com/
http://www.prajavani.net/apr292005/home.php
http://www.vijaykarnatakaepaper.com
http://www.prajavani.net
http://www.eesanje.com/
http://www.kannadadhvani.com/
http://www.prakashaka.com/
http://www.sampada.net/
http://www.idukannada.com/
Karnataka Cook Book
http://www.bennett.com/curry/archives/cat_karnataka.php
Southern Kitchen
Karnataka Tour
http://kstdc.nic.in/
http://www.junglelodges.com/
http://www.mybangalore.com/
http://www.karnatakatourism.org/
http://www.tourisminindia.com/indiainfo/states/karnataka/index.htm
Cities & Places
http://www.explocity.com/bangalore.asp
http://www.karnataka.com
http://www.bangalore.com
http://www.bangaloreit.com
http://www.bangaloreonline.com
http://www.apnabangalore.com
http://www.bangalorebest.com
http://www.bangalorenet.com
http://www.children-of-bangalore.com
http://www.bangaloretelecom.com/
http://www.bangalorebio.com/
http://linux-bangalore.org/
http://www.educationbangalore.com/
http://bangalore.gnu.org.in/
http://www.cyberbangalore.com/
http://www.mybangalore.com/
http://www.bangalore-online.com/
http://www.iskconbangalore.org/2.asp
http://www.bangaloreyellowpages.com
http://www.koramangala.com/
http://www.bangalorelabs.com/
http://www.bwssb.org/
http://www.bangalore.travelmall.com/
http://www.harappa.com/post/bang.html
http://www.bangaloreonlineflorists.com
http://www.naveenmysore.com/mysore/mysore.htm
http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/mysore/jewelry.htm
http://www.mysorepalace.org/
http://www.mysoredasara.com/
http://www.mylibnet.org/
http://www.mysoresamachar.com/
http://www.mysore.nic.in/
http://www.starofmysore.com/
http://www.agumbe.com/
http://www.kodava.com/
http://www.yakshagana.com/
http://www.uni-mysore.ac.in/
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2960/
http://www.mysore.net/history.htm
http://www.dharwad.com/
http://www.hubli.bsnl.co.in/
http://www.clickhubli.com/
http://www.bijapur.net/
http://www.mangalore.com/
http://www.mangaloreuniversity.ac..in/
http://mangalorecustoms.kar.nic.in/
http://www.mangaloredelicacy.netfirms.com/
http://www.mgl.stpi.in/index.html
http://www.udupipages.com/travel/mlore.html
http://www.mangalorecity.com/mlore.htm
http://www.mangalore-karnataka.com/
Others
http://www.kannadavrinda.org/
http://www.pampakannadakoota.org/
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/kannada.htm
http://cad.nic.in/users/mmh/kannada.html
http://members.tripod.com/~lingayat/index.html
http://www.baraha.com/kan_news/news019.htm
http://www.ekavi.org/kannada.html
http://www.ciil-learnkannada.net/
http://www.akkaonline.org/
http://www.geocities.com/kannadaganaka/
http://www.indianlanguages.com/kannada/
http://www.kannadakutaillinois.com/
http://www.clickhubli.com/kannadalinks.htm