Not a complete grumbler this time!
A few asked 'why no blogs?'
Frankly my Bengaluru ramblers had turned into to grumblers! Also the competition was severe, the news papers and others took over my pet peeves. For example, they covered the same subjects; the way we drive, the expansion of the deep inner city so that many so called better areas are now seen as a seamless continuation of the inner city, the Chickpets and Balepets!
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I am not sure whether Kempegowda, founder of Bengaluru, would be proud! But he will surely be at home in these congested, over built and crowded areas. The clogged streets, but now with cars, scooters and mammoth buses instead of buffaloes and cows.
About the total lack of play areas for children and lack of amenities for the aam admi, the poor pedestrian! I actually laughed at the campaign by one paper, 'footpath my foot'! Has anyone worked out the cost of making Bengaluru pedestrian friendly? If these improvements are made after the 'akrama - sakrama' becomes a reality it will be a battle between the road grabbers and the foot path savers! By the way have you noticed the immense construction activity in the inner cities. I wonder if they are the result of this 'sakrama' that is planned.
I believe every one knows what this ak-sak is! Converting all illegal constructions to legal ones for a fee! We all know how dirty and ugly we have become and how some idealists are trying to defeat the so-called mafias. They mention the garbage mafia, the water mafia and so on. The real estate people are not just mafia, they practically own us.
Wait a minute, I wanted to stop grumbling. So here is my story:
I was in the bank and suddenly remembered Tara wanted me to check with appa about a draft or a banker's cheque he wanted done! I called and asked him the amount and he gave it to me. The bank in fact wanted a cheque, but agreed to use my passbook for the transaction. (The days when they would give you one loose cheque leaf is gone!) I came home happy and gave him the draft.
Next morning he called and said that the draft was not matching the exact figure he had self-assessed as property tax. It seems he had given me a rounded off figure just to know the commission to be paid, so that he could make a cheque. I said it could be carried forward. But apparently no! The draft has to be exact according to him.
Anyway, while playing golf, my friend Venkat said he had paid on line. A bit slow but it worked! I gave it a try and paid on line easily and it was even quick. I gave appa the receipt and he smiled till he saw the receipt was not signed. I explained that computer generated receipts were without signature. Then I noticed that the calculations had brought forward even Re1 as credit from last year!
So I guess the clerks in BBMP will eventually learn to accept drafts which are in excess of the self-assessed tax as the system takes care. It did make sense while it was done manually! And I am relieved that I do not have go to BBMP, stand in queue to pay. Understand many are away on election duty and queues are expected to be long. Only thing is that I should not forget to get the draft cancelled.
Frankly my Bengaluru ramblers had turned into to grumblers! Also the competition was severe, the news papers and others took over my pet peeves. For example, they covered the same subjects; the way we drive, the expansion of the deep inner city so that many so called better areas are now seen as a seamless continuation of the inner city, the Chickpets and Balepets!
.
I am not sure whether Kempegowda, founder of Bengaluru, would be proud! But he will surely be at home in these congested, over built and crowded areas. The clogged streets, but now with cars, scooters and mammoth buses instead of buffaloes and cows.
About the total lack of play areas for children and lack of amenities for the aam admi, the poor pedestrian! I actually laughed at the campaign by one paper, 'footpath my foot'! Has anyone worked out the cost of making Bengaluru pedestrian friendly? If these improvements are made after the 'akrama - sakrama' becomes a reality it will be a battle between the road grabbers and the foot path savers! By the way have you noticed the immense construction activity in the inner cities. I wonder if they are the result of this 'sakrama' that is planned.
I believe every one knows what this ak-sak is! Converting all illegal constructions to legal ones for a fee! We all know how dirty and ugly we have become and how some idealists are trying to defeat the so-called mafias. They mention the garbage mafia, the water mafia and so on. The real estate people are not just mafia, they practically own us.
Wait a minute, I wanted to stop grumbling. So here is my story:
I was in the bank and suddenly remembered Tara wanted me to check with appa about a draft or a banker's cheque he wanted done! I called and asked him the amount and he gave it to me. The bank in fact wanted a cheque, but agreed to use my passbook for the transaction. (The days when they would give you one loose cheque leaf is gone!) I came home happy and gave him the draft.
Next morning he called and said that the draft was not matching the exact figure he had self-assessed as property tax. It seems he had given me a rounded off figure just to know the commission to be paid, so that he could make a cheque. I said it could be carried forward. But apparently no! The draft has to be exact according to him.
Anyway, while playing golf, my friend Venkat said he had paid on line. A bit slow but it worked! I gave it a try and paid on line easily and it was even quick. I gave appa the receipt and he smiled till he saw the receipt was not signed. I explained that computer generated receipts were without signature. Then I noticed that the calculations had brought forward even Re1 as credit from last year!
So I guess the clerks in BBMP will eventually learn to accept drafts which are in excess of the self-assessed tax as the system takes care. It did make sense while it was done manually! And I am relieved that I do not have go to BBMP, stand in queue to pay. Understand many are away on election duty and queues are expected to be long. Only thing is that I should not forget to get the draft cancelled.
Comments
If my recollection is correct he was paying a water bill and had made the draft or check rounded out to the next higher rupee .
He describes the ordeal he went thru
Glad computer billing worked out for you
I had a pleasant experience in paying arrears on electric bill in my flat years ago,when it was unoccupied before Nikhil moved
The girl at Bescom near Agriculture college was very helpful writing it, taking it to the cashier, get the receipt.
I remember the cashier telling her that I should come back for it. She vetoed his idea.
So it comes down to people everywhere
R
Regards,
Sriram
Enjoyed reading your blog, which you deprived us for so long.
Looking forward to reading more and since we dont get the Bangalore papers here, your blogs keep us up to date:)
warm regards,
Rajitha
Ram