Mid Day

'I still tear up thinking about Steve Jobs' death'

He is the "other Steve", but to geeks around the world, he is the real deal; the man who practically invented the personal computer and changed the world. Steve Wozniak, supreme geek of the 1970s and the maker of the Apple II computer, which brought about a worldwide computer revolution, was in the city last week to speak to a bunch of young entrepreneurs and achievers (of the Young Presidents Organisation) to tell them all about Apple

Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple Computer (now Apple, Inc) in April 1976 along with Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne. Both Apple I, the company's first product and the hugely successful Apple II (arguably the world's first fully-loaded personal computer) were designed by Wozniak making him and not Jobs the darling of geeks around the world.

Jobs may have created the Apple brand, but it was Wozniak's initial work on the company's first two products that made Apple a multi-million dollar company within a year of its founding. Now 61 years old, Wozniak is still an Apple employee with a minimum pay and goes around the world representing the company -- giving speeches and mentoring young engineers.

Wozniak took time out during his Bengaluru visit to speak to MiD DAY. Excerpts from the interview:

What brings you to India?
I was invited by the Young Presidents Organisation to address their group (in Bengaluru) and they had gotten in touch via all my speech-people. This is the first time I have come to India; in fact, this is the first time I have been invited which is strange because about two years ago, I did three keynotes all around the world for Infosys (Infosys Technologies, the Bengaluru-headquartered software firm). And I kept telling all the top executives that I would love to come to India some day and I never got an invitation until this one.

When you see these young guys in India, do you believe they will break the mould of India being the backoffice hub for the world when it comes to developing world-changing software products?
Yes, I do. And I have a reason. I see a lot of technical enthusiasts, a lot of engineers in Silicon Valley. I see a lot of Indian people. I see a lot of people from Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore. But look at the Indians. They are bright, they are enthusiastic, they are hard-working. They have all the attributes to become successful in Silicon Valley. Some of the great engineers and technologists in Apple and all the other big companies like Google and Microsoft are Indians. So clearly they have got some inner skills and abilities. I think then it just means having a sense of clarity and the level of confidence, and they could make it big.

But is being at Silicon Valley so important for technology innovation?
Not at all. Microsoft did not start in Silicon Valley; it started way up north in Seattle. Nor did Apple. And they could have been anywhere in the world. Infosys is "elsewhere in the world" company. So there are ways that technology companies can start off today with the Internet. A lot of our (Apple's) developers are anywhere in the world. And we hire engineering groups in India; in Russia, everywhere.

What is it about America then that all these young geeks set up businesses and they become super-successful... Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Twitter...
You know, there are already a lot of people around you that have done it. And that gives you the confidence to feel you can do it too and not feel scared.

You were not scared of failure?
We were not scared. These young people... they are trying something that the formulae of life tell you will not succeed. They think differently and are not scared. They don't think, "What if I don't make any money?" Look, it doesn't matter if you don't make any money. Because you don't have any money to begin with. Steve Jobs and I did not have any money to begin with.

Is Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs an accurate representation of your relationship with Steve Jobs?
How would I know? I haven't read it. I have been so busy in the last two months. I never got around to reading that book. It is on my Kindle, my iPhone, my iPad, on my computer and I bought a hard cover. But I have been so busy that I never read it. But I have lived a lot of it. So I am sure it is accurate. Steve Jobs was himself after honesty in the book, and he did not want the book to be closed or to hide the truth.

We all knew Jobs was going to die some day because of his cancer. But did it hit you hard when it actually happened?
It was a shock. It wasn't really hard emotionally, because we had expected his death for so long. So it was not something to tear up about. But, ah, Steve Jobs was such an important part of my life that sometimes I tear up.

What you didn't know about Wozniak
During the height of the Cold War, Steve Wozniak organised the US (pronounced "us") Festival and connected via live video, American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts. He became a hero in the then USSR, but not a single American media house covered it. He finally ended up losing $12 million in the venture.

Steve Wozniak was involved in a near-death air crash in February 1981. He lost his memory for close to five weeks. Steve Wozniak did not finish college in the 1970s.

Instead, he re-enrolled at the University of California in Berkeley to complete his degree in 1986. He enrolled in the name of Rocky Raccoon Clark (Rocky Racoon was his dog's name and Clark was his wife's maiden name).

Beware if you've evaded tax on your high-end car

The Regional Transport Office has begun a crack down on people who illegitimately evade tax on their expensive vehicles by getting it registered outside the state

There's bad news for those who had been illegitimately evading taxes by getting their vehicles registered from other cities. The Regional Transport Office (RTO) has begun a crack down on such people.

For months now, the RTO has been tracking the sale of high-end vehicles happening in Karnataka.

By getting their vehicles registered in Pondicherry, people
are saving a huge amount of money on taxes

On comparing the number of vehicles that acquired registrations from the Karnataka RTO, the officials realised that many of these vehicles were registered at the Pondicherry and Kerala RTOs.

"As compared to Karnataka, the vehicle registration charges in Pondicherry are quite nominal. Hence, people are buying and plying the cars here, but are getting it registered there. This is a clear violation of the Karnataka Motor Vehicle Act," said Syed Shafi Ahmed, Regional Transport Officer.

"By getting their vehicles registered in Pondicherry, people are saving a huge amount of money on taxes. If a person registers his vehicle in Karnataka, he has to pay 18 per cent of the cost of the car as tax, along with 11.5 per cent cess on the tax amount," informed, Syed Shafi Ahmed, RTO.

Hence, the RTO is acting tough on such offenders and is checking records of showrooms selling high-end cars. "We have formed several squads, and each squad comprises of five inspectors.

They are conducting elaborate investigations and are checking all vehicles that have been previously registered from different places and are now plying on Bangalore roads," said Joint Commissioner of RTO Kumar.

Explaining how the drive is yielding results, Krishna Nanda, inspector, Electronic City RTO, said, "We found a vehicle that had been plying on city roads for two months without Karnataka registration.

We approached the owner to seize his car, however he agreed to pay Rs 57 lakh tax for the Rs 6 crore vehicle he owned."

The RTO had been losing out on at least Rs 5 crore per month because of these registration discrepancies.

Taxing job
The Central RTO had checked documentation of 150 high-end cars last week, out of which 60 car owners paid their taxes.

The East RTO checked documentation of 65 high-end cars and recovered taxes of 35 cars, while the North RTO checked documentation of over 50 high-end cars

Junior Katta's BBMP council membership in jeopardy

Problems don't seem to cease for Junior Katta who has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons throughout the year.

Little did he know Katta Jagdish that someday, the Mayor whom he once belittled in council meetings would decide his fate.

As per the norms, Mayor R Saradamma has prerogative powers
to consider the continuation of Jagdish Katta's council membership

After being arrested by the Lokayukta police in August this year for his involvement in the KIDBA land scam, Katta, who is the Vasantha Nagar BBMP Corporator, has missed four council meetings.

As per the Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) rules, the membership of a councilor can be suspended if he fails to attend three consecutive BBMP monthly council meetings.

At Mayor's mercy
With Junior Katta's fate hanging in balance, all eyes in the Palike are now on Mayor R Shardamma. As per the provisions in the KMC Act, only the Mayor has prerogative powers to consider the continuation of any BBMP councilor's council membership.

"The Mayor has the power to consider the continuation of membership, provided the reason given for absence is genuine.

Katta had cited ill health as reason for his absence, tough the obvious reason for his absence was his arrest and judicial custody," said a source within BBMP.

What works in Katta's favour is the fact that Mayor is from the same party and had earlier showed signs of consideration.

"I have the power to continue his membership for another two months, but I need the medical certificate establishing his ill health.

As far as the credibility of the reason given for his absence is concerned, only BBMP's legal cell has the authority to decide that," said R Shardamma, Mayor.

Sriramulu not to topple BJP's apple cart

As B Sriramulu looks 'little interested' in pulling down the D V Sadananda Gowda government as of now, the BJP leadership has heaved a sigh of relief.

But 'increasing infighting' in the party could well topple its apple cart in the state and necessitate a mid-term election.

Thousands of supporters are expected to pour into the city
from across the state to witness B Sriramulu's swearing-in
ceremony on Wednesday

Fresh from registering a thumping victory in the Bellary (Rural) bypoll, Sriramulu who claims to have support of at least 23 BJP MLA, yesterday announced that he will float his own political outfit soon.

No pulling down govt
Also, the leader shot down the speculations that he and JD(S) were conspiring to pull down the D V Sadananda Gowda government by luring dissident BJP MLAs into their side.

"The process of launching a political party and preparing for the elections requires some time. So, I don't see the government facing any mid-life crisis at this point in time," said a source close to Sriramulu.

He added that the government has one and a half years term left and Sriramulu has decided to wait out this period.

"As the state is likely go into election mode from the next year, we think it is better to prepare for the full-term elections than taking the blame for toppling an elected government," said the source.

Show of strength
The process of the preparing for the elections starts right from Wednesday when Sriramulu takes oath as the newly elected legislator.

Earlier, he was to be sworn in on Monday, but he changed the plan and chose to use the opportunity to put up a show of strength.

Now, thousands of his supporters would pour into Bangalore from across the state to rally behind him during the swearing-in ceremony.

Sriramulu said, "We have decided to launch a new party and the modalities are being worked out. We don't want to disturb the government. But if collapses on its own, I should not be held responsible for it."

Not returning to BJP
He also ruled out the possibility of re-joining the BJP. As infighting in the BJP raged further in the aftermath of Bellary rout, JD(S) leaders went into a huddle to chalk out preparatory plans for mid-term elections.

The two-day meeting started, which started yesterday, will focus on choosing the candidates for the polls.

"We are anticipating the polls any moment as the government will fall because of the ever-increasing divide in the BJP. We have already started the preparatory plans," said Kumaraswamy.

However, D V Sadananda Gowda, who attended his first assembly session as the chief minister yesterday, said in the House that he is confident that the government will complete its term.

Reminding Sadananda Gowda of his predecessor B S Yeddyurappa's pledge that he would return to power in six months, the opposition leaders demanded a clarification from the chief minister.

"The opposition member are suffering from suspicion syndrome and their wish will never come true and I will complete my term," said Sadananda Gowda.

Last bencher Yeddy
Yeddyurappa, who is attending the session for the fist time after stepping down as the chief minister, attracted the attention by sitting in the last row in the House.

Get smart, save power

BESCOM plans to introduce Smart Meters that will give Bangaloreans the option to monitor and control their power consumption online; it will also help 'reduce power bills by 15-20%'

While the much-hyped Rs 100-crore smart grid pilot project is yet to take off in the city, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) is now planning to introduce smart metres that will give consumers the option to monitor and control their power consumption online.

In 2009, BESCOM announced that it will be taking up the implementation of a smart grid pilot in the city, but the utility is still working on the details of the project.

According to BESCOM sources, the smart grid will take at least three years to become operational.

Thus as a precursor to the smart grid, BESCOM is now planning to introduce smart meters only on project basis in residential areas. Speaking to MiD DAY, Syscon Hefcom Smart Solutions Pvt Ltd, a city-based company that will be taking up the job of installing smart meters, said that the first pilot project would be in residential areas.

"We are keen on a mix of residential and commercial areas," said Kasturi Rangan, Director, Syscon Hefcom Smart Solutions Pvt Ltd.

According to these companies, the smart metering system will help reduce electricity bills by 15 to 20 per cent.
"We have a consumer interface unit (CIU), which can be effectively used by the consumer to monitor each one of the appliances for power consumption.

The CIU displays power consumed in real time. If a TV is switched on, you will get to know the additional load. Consumers become conscious of their consumption. Statistics abroad have shown that smart meters have helped consumers reduce their bills by 15 to 20 per cent," added Rangan.

Recently, BESCOM invited various stakeholders and technology providers to discuss on the installation of smart meters informing them about the project.

"Once we decide on a residential area for our pilot project, we will then start replacing the present electricity meters with the smart meters there," said P Manivannan, BESCOM, Managing Director.

The smart meters will cost around Rs 5000, however, BESCOM is planning to collect the money on the smart meters on installments over a period of two years, Manivannan added.

Fact file
Smart Meters are the primary source of information to manage a Smart Grid. It displays the energy consumed on an LCD, and transmits readings to remote management server.

In addition to measuring energy used, electronic meters also record other parameters of the load and supply.

They also support time-of-day billing, for example, recording the amount of energy used during peak and lean hours.

Smart Meters are remotely configured to operate in pre-pay or post-pay mode and could be re-configured remotely at any time.

Rs 5,000
The amount of money that Bangaloreans will have to shell out for the Smart Meters

24
The number of months in which the amount has to be paid to BESCOM

Freedom of expression denied?

Following strong opposition from right wing organisations, police withdrew permission that was granted to conduct Slut Walk in the city yesterday

A large group of Bangaloreans intending to voice their opinion against sexual abuse and eventual victim blaming decided to take to the streets yesterday.

A group of volunteers had assembled at the venue to inform
participants about the cancellation of the event. However,
the cops got hold of them and allegedly detained them
for two hours

However, following strong opposition from some organisations, the city police revoked the permission, and that too, merely hours before the event.

"On Saturday night, two police officials came to my home with a letter revoking the permission. We were told that some right wing organisations had threatened to go violent if we carried out the march," said Dhillan Chandramowli, the chief organiser.

Speaking to MiD DAY, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) T Suneel Kumar, said, "We have received intelligence inputs that there was a threat to the law and order situation. Hence, we revoked the permission."

A group of volunteers had assembled at the venue to inform participants about the cancellation of the event.

"We were informing the crowd to leave but the cops caught hold of nine of us and took us to the police station," said Yashasavi Datta, a student of National Law School.

Before detaining them at Sadashiv Nagar police station for two hours, the volunteers were allegedly taken to five different police stations.

What's in the name?
The organisers have drawn flak from all quarters because of the name they had chosen for the event. Many groups have claimed that 'Slut Walk' has a perceived notion of encouraging women to dress up in skimpy clothes.

Sri Ram Sene Chief Pramod Muthalik said, "I thank the police for taking these people into custody. They are spoiling the culture and are encouraging women to indulge in obscenity."

The group alleged that a Malleshwaram-based NGO had threatened to beat up women with broomsticks if they strutted around in skimpy outfits.

"Few social activists and members of political outfits called us to find out the nature of our movement. We want to clarify that the event wasn't about dressing in short skirts, but about victim bashing post a rape case," said Vikram Hemanathan, a volunteer.

He, however, argued that the name wouldn't be changed just to please certain sensibilities. "We won't change the name for political buttering," Hemanathan said.

Meanwhile, the organisers have urged various groups to take part in a healthy discussion to break the misconceptions about the event.

'Unacceptable'
Protestors claimed over 23,000 rape cases were reported in Bangalore in 2010, however the conviction rate was a mere 26.6 per cent.

The number of cases of sexual abuse went up by 40 per cent in 2011. "While rape victims walk scot-free, a silent awareness march against sexual abuse is stopped by the police. This is completely unacceptable," said a volunteer.

Nobody will be spared: Bidari

DG and IG of the state says even the elected representatives will be summoned if their name crops up during the investigation

The upshots of the firethat engulfed Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) station last month were felt at the council meetings of the palike.

Acting on the directions of the state government, the BMTF has transferred all the documents related to the financial irregularities scam to the CID.

However, the BMTF officials have expressed their displeasure with the palike's decision of not instigating a probe into the 'accident'. They are also angry with the palike for getting the case transferred mid way.

No mercy!
Meanwhile, the CID has made a strong statement claiming that no accused would be spared.

"If names of elected representatives crop up during the investigation, they too will be summoned. Nobody will be spared," said Shankar Bidari, DG and IG, Karnataka.

Reacting on Bidari's statement, Gandhinagar MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao said, "I'll cooperate with the investigating agency.

But I also want to clarify that the BBMP officials had not informed me about any work on the projects all these years." However, the BBMP Engineer-in-Chief BT Ramesh has rubbished Gundu Rao claims.

"I have all the related documents pertaining to the projects that were cleared by the local elected representatives," said Ramesh.

Fund and fire
Post the scam, three constituencies (including Gandhinagar ward) were found to be beneficiaries of financial misappropriation of the development funds worth Rs 3,200 crore.

9,565
Number of files related to scam that are reportedly missing

Lumbering beasts feast on standing crops worth Rs 30 lakh

A herd of 40 elephants strayed into 3 tribal hamlets adjacent to Bannerghatta National Park; forest department says 'it is impossible to stop such attacks'

At least 40 elephants strayed into three colonies adjoining the Bannerghatta National Park yesterday morning, cutting a swathe through standing crops worth around Rs 30 lakh and trampling the last hope of a decent life of over 11,000 people residing in these hapless hamlets.

Incidents of man-animal conflict are not new to residents of Batrayanaoddi, Chilrayandoddi and Akkipikki which are situated dangerously close to the national park.

In a bid to avoid the wrath of these lumbering beasts, usually, farmers cut their crop in January. But this time they were caught unawares as the tuskers played a trick and came out a little early to feast on the harvest.

According to eyewitnesses, the farmers had just finished spraying pesticides on their crops of ragi, paddy and gram, when they spotted the herd rushing towards their fields. Though they put up a brave face and managed to drive the elephants back into the forest, the crops were destroyed completely.

"We face this situation every year. The government has allotted us plots here, as part of its rehabilitation plan. Earlier, we used to sell toys and beg near signals in Bangalore. Now that we have started cultivation, these elephants are forcing us to go back to begging," said Maha Vishnu, Akkipikki tribe.

Another jumbo attack
The elephants have been invading the habitats every year since their establishment in 200o, but forest official say it is impossible to stop such attacks completely.

"The loss, however, can be minimised if people are alert. An elephant lives up to 60 years and the cultivation has been happening here only since the last few years. All we can do is chase these elephants back into the core areas of the forest with the help of villagers," said S Chandrashekar Range Forest Officer.

Wildlfe Warden Sharat Babu chipped in, "Man has ventured into the animal territory, animals have not come to human settlements. Animals by nature are wanderers, so we should not be surprised if we spot an elephant around us. The best thing we can do is to learn to coexist, instead of thinking of eliminating them,"

60-70 yrs
The average lifespan of an elephant

Danseuse faces cheating charges

Renowned danseuse Nandini Alva has been accused of cheating her legal advisor of Rs 75 lakh that she reportedly owed to him for executing various project of the upcoming annual cultural fest, Bengalooru Habba, of which she is the founder.

Rejecting the claims of advocate N Vinod, who has filed a private complaint in the Magistrate Court against
the danseuse on Friday, Alva said, "He has stolen cheques from my office and is making false claims now.

We have already filed a complaint with Sadashiv Nagar police station on October 26," she said.

In his complaint, Vinod has alleged Nandini of not only issuing a cheque towards the payment, but also threatened him with dire consequences, boasting of her high-profile contacts.

In the complaint filed by Alva through her purchasing manager Niloufer, the company claims that they got to know about the fraud two days after the cheque was presented to the bank for encashment.

"We got a call from the bank for confirmation and we came to know that Vinod has stolen six blank cheques from the office signed by Nandini," she stated in the complaint.

According to Vinod, his firm Vinod and Associates entered into various understandings with Alva, who is the managing director of ALV Projects Pvt Ltd and M&W Associates Pvt Ltd, between 2007 and 2011.

"I along with my colleagues Sampath Kumar, Ravi H S and Ramesh Babu B N have rendered legal services to M&W Associates, 'Bengalooru Habba' conducted by AFFA annually, for which Alva agreed to pay a lumpsum amount of Rs 75 lakh as our legal fee. She used to pay travelling and other miscellaneous expenses also," Vinod claimed.

The advocate has alleged that Alva, during the month of August, expressed her willingness to settle the fee issue and issued a cheque (bearing No. 242517) of United Bank of India for an amount of Rs 30 lakh on September 21 towards making a partial payment.

As per the lawyer's complaint, the cheque was issued in Vinod's name and with an assurance that the remaining amount of Rs 45 lakh would be cleared after the completion of Bengalooru Habba in January 2012.

When Vinod presented the cheque for encashment on October 24 through Karnataka Bank's City Civil Court Branch, Bangalore, it was dishonoured on October 24.

Is this the beginning of BJP's nightmare?

Sriramulu's landslide victory in Bellary is giving the BJP leadership sleepless nights. the assembly's winter session may turn in to a bed of hot coals for the ruling party

A day before the Assembly sits for the winter session, BJP's worst nightmare has come true, as its rival leader B Sriramulu, who has the backing of the JD(S) and around 20 BJP legislators, secured a landslide victory in the Bellary bypoll.

If Sriramulu's thumping victory has sent shivers down the spine of faction-riddled BJP, it has also reportedly split the Bellary brothers, his mentors.

While the Reddy camp, led by G Janardana Reddy now in jail, reveled on the victory of its poster boy, G Karunakara Reddy, the eldest of the siblings, was conspicuous by his absence.

Thumping victory
Contesting as an independent candidate, Sriramulu won Bellary (Rural) seat with a margin of 46,790 votes against his nearest rival B Ramaprasad of the Congress. Interestingly, the BJP's official candidate was pushed to a humiliating third slot only to lose his deposit.

While Karunakara Reddy is maintaining distance from Sriramulu,
sibling Janaradana is supporting the victor

With the open support of the JD(S) and covert blessings of former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, Sriramulu managed to get 75,527 votes, while the Congress candidate bagged 27,737 votes. And BJP's Gadilingappa could manage to bag a meager 17,366 votes.

A powerful leader of the politically influential Nayaka community, Sriramulu had resigned as a BJP MLA, in September this year, complaining about the humiliation he and his mentors the Reddy brothers were subjected to following their indictment in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining.

Meteoric rise
But Sriramulu's meteoric rise in the faction has reportedly threatened the authority of Karunakara Reddy. "It's unfortunate.

Karunakara Reddy is our senior leader, but he chose to be neutral in this particular bypoll due to some political reasons. However, he is very much with us," said Mruthyunjaya Jidiga, an MLC from the Reddy camp.

B Sriramulu gestures to the crowd for giving him
a thumping victory in Bellary bypoll

However, insiders from the Reddy camp said Karunakara Reddy did not approve of Sriramulu's leadership and he is contemplating whether to join the Congress or retire from active politics.

Inferiority complex

While Janardana Reddy promoted Sriramulu as the leader of his camp, Karunakara Reddy was against the idea right from the beginning.

The fissures in the camp came to light during the bypoll as Karunakara Reddy decided to stay away from electioneering. He neither canvassed for the BJP, nor appeared with Sriramulu.

However, G Somashekara Reddy, the youngest of the Reddy brothers and BJP MLA from Bellary (Urban), supported Sriramulu openly along with two other BJP legislators Suresh Babu and Nagendra attracting suspension from the party.

The BJP also suspended two MPs J Shantha and Sanna Fakirappa. "Janardana Reddy has big political plans in his mind. He wants to promote Sriramulu as the face of his soon-to-be-floated party.

While the youngest brother is game for it, the eldest one is opposing it tooth and nail. This can lead to bifurcation of the camp," said a source close to the Reddys.

According to sources, Karunakara Reddy is in talks with the Congress leaders, but it is not clear whether he would leave the BJP to join the Congress.

While speculations are rife over Karunakara Reddy's move, sources said it could even be a political strategy of Janardana Reddy to keep Congress in good humour as he needed its support to get a clean chit in the illegal mining cases being probed by the CBI.

Floating new party?
In the meantime, buoyed by his landslide victory, Sriramulu is reportedly planning to float a new political outfit with the support of the JD(S). He is expected to meet JD(S) state president H D Kumarswamy in the city today, before taking oath as an elected legislator.

As the winter session beings today, the moves of Sriramulu and Kumarswamy will be closely watched as the former is claiming to have support of over 20 BJP MLAs.

"Sriramulu's victory is a warning bell for the BJP government and it is against the humiliation faced by the backward classes who supported it," said Kumaraswamy, keeping the cards close to his chest.

Imminent crisis
Meanwhile, Somashekara Reddy dropped hints on the problems for the government in store.

"The BJP suspended us from the party for having supported Sriramulu. There are many in the party with us and going by democratic principles, the Assembly must be dissolved and fresh elections must be held," he said.

Reacting to the speculations, Sriramulu, however, ruled out the possibility of him destabilising the BJP government.

"It is true that we have support of many BJP legislators. But, we will not pull down the government because we believe in construction but not destruction," said Sriramulu.

Yeddy's pressure tactics
The humiliating rout in the Bellary battle has certainly left the BJP red-faced. But Yeddyurappa is understood to be happy with the debacle.

"He would now further bargain for the top leadership, if the party doesn't oblige, he will even threaten to split it to form his own outfit," said a BJP leader.

City divided over FDI debate

While traders' associations from across the state observed a daylong bandh, Bangaloreans deliberated on the pros and cons of foreign investment in retail

As a part of the ongoing protest against the proposed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the retail sector, the city observed a trade bandh yesterday.

Members of traders' unions protest against the proposal of
introducing FDI in retail sector in the city yesterday

Led by the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as many as 26 district chambers of commerce and industry and 130 trade associations participated in the protest.

Reality check
Even as the country stands divided over the matter, MiD DAY's ground check revealed that the scales of balance in Bangalore tipped largely towards those supporting FDI in retail.

While many opposing the proposal argued that their businesses would suffer individually, others showed eagerness to embrace the imminent change with open arms.

Businesses to suffer
For Mallikarjun, a 43-year-old shopkeeper from Avenue Road, the debate started and ended with 'No'. Asked why he opted to become a naysayer, he cited several reasons.

"My father used to run this shop and he passed it on to me. I've been running this shop here for the last 25 years.

If there will be big stores where people can buy all their daily needs under one roof, who would buy from us?" he questioned.

Arguing against this was a 23-year-old salesman from a mid-segment brand. "I completed PUC two years ago and since then I've been working as a salesman at various places.

I earn barely around Rs 8,000 - Rs 10,000 per month. If a big shop is willing to hire me for the same job but with a bigger salary, why wouldn't I support this?" asked Subhash Kumar. Shashi Kumar (29), a store manager in Safina Plaza, echoed Subhash's view.

"When the IT boom took place, many people understood the growth and welcomed it. Today it is creating jobs at all levels - from a cab driver to a sophisticated techie. Similarly, the lower segment wants to rise up and if the job situation is conducive for growth - people would want to grow, albeit with training," said Kumar.

End of road?
Small and mid-segment establishments are opposing this move by the government tooth and nail.

"The entry of FDI in retail would render crores of Indians, who are into retail marketing industry, jobless. If FDI is allowed in retail sector, the state exchequer would incur a revenue loss of over Rs 90 crore.

Around 70 per cent of revenue loss would be from Bangalore urban and rural district alone," argued J R Bangera, President, FKCCI.

Brigade Road traders also argued against FDI. "We are opposing FDI as it is like letting East India Company through the backdoor. They will eat up the Indian business and that would have disastrous results.

Certainly they will offer cheaper rates than compared to us, but that will be at the cost of killing our businesses," Suhail Yusuff, Secretary, Brigade Shops and Establishment Association.

However, big chains like Big Bazaar and Star Bazaar chose to withdraw from the debate claiming that it was a wait and watch situation for them.

"We welcome the decision on opening up the retail sector. This decision would give overall boost to the entire sector.

The policy and regulatory framework will enhance the support infrastructure for organised retail in areas such
as supply chain management.

It would be a win-win situation for all segments of the industry, including small scale suppliers, consumers, farmers and retailers," said the spokesperson, Reliance Retail.

Rs 90cr
The estimated loss to the exchequer if FDI is allowed in retail sector in the state

Harassed woman biker takes on bribe-lusty traffic police

Forced to pay Rs 200 for releasing bike, 38-year-old woman calls up top cop to inform hims about the bribery incident, leading to suspension of a sub-inspector and blacklisting of towing vehicle

A docile housewife, who was forced to cough up a bribe of Rs 200 for releasing her scooty towed away by the traffic police, unseathed a deadly weapon her inner voice to inflict grievous wounds on the corrupt cops and their aides.

Representation pic

Riding back home on her just-released vehicle, the idea of registering a complaint with a senior traffic officer struck Lalithamma. The 38-year-old woman decided to call the Additional Commissioner of Traffic, M A Saleem, on his mobile and narrated the whole incident.

Lalithamma, who was out shopping in the area, had parked her vehicle in a no parking zone and upon returning she along with other vehicle owners found that the vehicles had been towed away.

She rushed to the Chikpet traffic police station. And when the woman requested the towing vehicle attendant to release her vehicle, she was asked to cough up a fine of Rs 300, for which no receipt will be issued.

In her complaint, Lalithamma claimed that she negotiated with the attendant identified as Natraj to reduce the amount.

"Natraj called the assistant sub-inspector Venkata Muluvaiah and after a brief talk with him in hushed tones, Natraj agreed to release her vehicle for Rs 200, without issuing any receipt.

The other vehicle owners gathered around and followed the same procedure to get their vehicles released by paying the bribe. Acting on her complaint, an inquiry was initiated and Muluvaiah was summoned for questioning.

During interrogation the sub-inspector confessed to the crime following which was suspended and the towing vehicle was blacklisted.

"This is not only an incident of dereliction of duty, but also of corruption, the biggest menace of our society. We are getting lots of complaints from people who are harassed by towing vehicle officials. We have decided to take strong action against them," said Saleem.

Initially the traffic department had around five towing vehicles of their own and when the wrong parking problem increased with the increase in the number of vehicle in the city, they were unable to handle the situation.

According to sources, a few traffic officials decided to cash in on the situation and outsourced the towing services to private players. Majority of the towing vehicles belong to police officials or their kin.

The towing vehicle owners have even formed an association with the help of officials. They had an agreement with the government earlier to pocket 70 per cent of total revenue and the rest goes to the government. This malpractice was brought to the notice of the authorities concerned by the then DCP Saleem.

In 2006, the officer recommended the government to cancel the contract, but the association approached the High Court, which directed the home department to chalk out an amicable solution.

After careful consideration, the home department finally drafted a resolution that the towing charge of Rs 300 will be equally divided into three parties the traffic department, on duty traffic cop and the owner of the vehicle.

BMTC moves faster on 'priority lane'

The state transport agency is working on signal preference system for its buses on the Majestic-ITPL route, hopes to cut down the commuting time by a good 20-25 minutes

There's a good news for those travelling on the Majestic-ITPL route.

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) in association with the civic body and the traffic police is working on a priority lane and signal preference system for its buses, which will cut down the travel time on the route by a good 20-25 minutes.

Emergency services such as ambulances and fire trucks
too would be allowed to ply on the priority lane

The arrangement is currently being tested on the 15 km stretch of the 24 km long route. "We have created a lane on the left side of the road for our buses.

In fact, we had conducted a survey before starting the test and had discovered that almost 40 per cent of the bus travel time was spend on signals.

Once the priority left lane and signal preference system is implemented, commuters will save a lot of time on the route," said M P Prabhudas, chief traffic manager (operations), BMTC.

At present, the city roads are choked with private vehicles. However, this initiative will discourage frequent travellers from taking their cars on the road.

"As the roads are narrow, the right lane will get congested following which the vehicular movement will slow down. Thus, instead of getting stuck in traffic, people will opt for public transport," Prabhudas added.
Board a bus!

The project, however, has its own challenges. It will be quite a task for the traffic cops to ensure that all private vehicles ply on the right side on the road.

"If this doesn't happen then it will lead to severe traffic jams. Besides, the free movement of the BMTC buses too will suffer," said Urban Transport Planner Mithila Jha.

36.5 lakh
Approximate number of private vehicles that ply on city roads

Jinxed speedfest hits permission hurdle

Racing extravaganza is scheduled to start this weekend after seven years; while organisers claim to have got the go-ahead, city police deny giving green signal

The much-awaited annual carnival of racing enthusiasts, Quarter Mile Drag Race that has remained off the tracks for the past seven years due to several technical problems, is likely to veer into a rough terrain of controversies this time too.

Representation pic

While around 500 racers from across India are gearing up to drive their mean machines at full throttle down Nice Road this weekend, the city police is not looking very keen on giving green signal to the 'speedfest'.

No green signal
"No one has approached us. As per rules, any club wanting to host such an event needs to get the City Police Commissioner's permission.

Once the permission is sought, we take all aspects, including security, into consideration, before accepting or rejecting the plea," said Sunil Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law & Order).

Besides, the traffic police are also vocal about not allowing any drag race in the city whether it is authorised or unauthorised. "I haven't even heard of the event.

They need the permission of the jurisdictional police. But officially, the commissioner needs to give his nod after internal consultation," said M A Saleem, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic).

Smooth start?
The organisers on the other hand are battling tooth and nail to make sure the event kicks off without any hitches.

Representation pic

Pradeep URS, President, Motor Sport Club of Karnataka, said, "We have got all the necessary permission. The area of the race comes under the NICE Road and Ramanagar is the jurisdictional police station.

We have spoken to the Superintendent of Police. We are an authorised federation and we are going to keep all the safety precautions in mind."

Ray of hope
While the captions of city and traffic police look little interested in the fest, Ramnagar Superintendent of Police S B Bisnelli has come the rescue of the organisers.

"They had approached me two days ago. But I had directed them to the city police commissioner for approval. However, the venue of the event is a dead road and has no traffic. We are ready to provide protection also, if they ask for it," said Bisnelli.

Asserting that the club has necessary experience of successfully organising big events like the 'Race to the Cloud - Nandi Hills race', the organisers assures that nothing would go wrong.

"Racing is shown in the wrong light. We have taken all safety measures.

An official scrutiniser approved by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India would be testing all participating bikes and cars before the race," said the President of Motor Sport Club of Karnataka.

Racers scandalised
Many veteran racers are scandalised by the response of the city police. "These officials opposing the event should travel abroad and see the kind of encouragement that the government and police department offers to young racers.

We believe in safe riding. Since people have developed a wrong notion about racing, we don't get sponsors. I am excited about this event and I stand by the race. It is going to be a brilliant competition," said Zubair Ali Jung, superbike champion who has been racing for around a decade.

And Jung is not alone in the fight of keeping the city's racing extravaganza alive. Many others like veteran racer Baban Khan (49), who has spent 33 years of his life racing, are looking forward to the incident.

"I am excited about this event, my job is to race to success and I'll concentrate on that instead of the controversy over permission. Bangalore would be racing after seven years.

We are confident of giving a tough competition to the racers from the rest of India. It would be good to see all enthusiastic new age racers during the event," said Khan.

Asked why the race could not be organised for the seven years, Khan said that earlier they used to have drag races at Jakkur Aerodrum, but a few years ago the authorities suddenly disallowed private organisers from using their space.

"All across the world drags happens on a 402.34 meter stretch which has to be followed by at least 1 km dead stretch to cut down speed.

As 0the organisers could not find a suitable place for the past seven years, it was impossible to them the event. Fortunately, they have got a stretch on Nice Road that fulfills all the criteria for a drag race like event," added Khan.

According to the police, the process of granting permission for such events has been made more stringent over the years. "There were many accidents happening and youngsters were getting hooked to racing.

We recorded an increase in driving rashly on city roads often inspired by drag racers. This is why the rules were made strict," said an official.

Death toll dwindles but BMTC buses yet to shed 'killer tag'

Statistics reveal a decline in the number of accidents this year, but transport experts far from impressed

It looks like there is still a long way to go before the city transport corporation could rid itself of the 'Killer BMTC' tag.

A total of 344 bus accident cases have been registered
till the month of October this year

From reducing the pay scale to conducting fresh driving lessons for erring drivers, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has done it all, but urban transport experts blame the road accidents to drivers who are stressed.

According to the statistics from the City Traffic Department, in the last 10 months, 52 people have died in accidents involving BMTC buses, while several others have been injured.

Too much pressure?
BMTC operates over 70,000 trips in day and each driver is expected to complete around 10 to 12 trips. "The issue is that most of the drivers are hard-pressed to complete their respective number of trips in a day.

However, with increasing congestion on the roads, the average has reduced to 10 - 15 km per hour," said M N Sreehari, transport expert.

Owing to the heavy traffic on the roads, the drivers are reportedly faced with a difficult situation as their duration of travel has increased.

"Due to this reduced speed, the drivers are pulled up many a times for not meeting the trip requirements, leading to stress and rash driving. This sometimes end up causing accidents," added Sreehari.

Records
Till October this year, 344 accident cases have been filed in which 48 people suffered fatal injuries and 52 were killed. In 2010, there were 465 accident cases, which claimed 90 lives and in 2009 there were 434 incidents that left 82 dead.

Though there is a drop in the number of accidents, Bangaloreans are not happy about the fact that rash driving is still claiming many lives.

"For the family of the accident victims, it is a big loss. Till BMTC brings down its accidents to a minimal, the situation still is far from being considered as an improvement," the expert said.

When MiD DAY questioned BMTC officials on the stress levels of their drivers, they blamed it on the road congestion.

"The drivers are stressed, there is no denying that but the accidents are taking place mainly due to the road congestion and bad traffic in the city," said M P Prabhudas, Chief Traffic Manager, BMTC.

For long BMTC has been facing the public ire over rash driving and now in a bid to save its face, the corporation has swung into action.

"We have taken up special courses for accident prone drivers. Besides that, drivers found guilty of rash driving leading to fatal accidents have been suspended or punished with pay cuts," added Prabhudas.

Action plan
Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M A Saleem said, "We have already started a drive on disciplining BMTC buses.

Those drivers involved in fatal accidents may even lose their driving licenses. We are planning on strict enforcement."

City's wait for suburban railway network gets longer

Three decades after announcement, project still in limbo as existing railway routes cannot accommodate local trains

Suburban trains, known as the lifeline of transportation in cities like Mumbai and Chennai, still remain a distant dream for Bangaloreans.

Railways say that the existing routes are already burdened with heavy traffic and accommodating local trains on the same would be very difficult

Three decades have passed since the railways announced the project in 1982, but it still lies buried in mounds of dust-caked files.

Railways U-turn
But when the state government along with the railways announced this July that work would begin on four suburban routes in the city within six months, it rekindled the hope of the traffic-choked city of getting its lifeline.

Now, the railways, which has been incurring staggering losses in operating suburban trains in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, has done a U-turn.

The railways have revealed that they are not very keen on the city's suburban trains project as the existing routes already have heavy traffic and accommodating local trains on the same would be very difficult.

But the state government is still pushing for suburban trains and has also offered Rs 5 crore to railways for the project.

"We have offered all sorts of help. We are ready to help them in the procurement of rakes and will even bear the cost of building some pit lines for servicing the rakes which would need an investment of Rs 5 crore," said Rajkumar Khatri, Secretary, Infrastructure Development Department (IDD).

At present, the government is interested in getting the four routes up and running. These suburban routes are Yelahanka-Baiyyappanahalli-Hosur; Chikkaballapur-Nelamangala; Nayandahalli-Mandya; Baiyyappanahalli-Whitefield-Bangarpet.

"Once the local trains start chugging down these lanes, roads will automatically get decongested. Over 30 lakh commuters will be benefited," Khatri said.

An official from South Western Railways has revealed that the railway's existing lines are full. "We can undertake the project, but then our existing lines are already full.

And besides that, the state would need to have a special purpose vehicle (SPV) as we can't handle it all on our own," said a junior official from SWR on conditions of anonymity.

Survey in progress
He added, "At present the Railways have taken up a survey on the route. It will be completed only by March 2012 following which the report will be submitted to the sate government and only after that any progress can be expected."

No infrastructure
When MiD DAY confronted the railways over the issue, senior officials accepted the fact that its lines are overloaded.

"Right now the infrastructure we have is only fit for long distance trains and accommodating the local routes will be very difficult.

But we are cooperating with the state government on finding out ways to make the local services possible, keeping the present infrastructure in mind," said S Mani, Divisional Regional Manager, SW Railway.

Mani also added that efforts are being made to get the survey report on the project by February 2012. If the current situation is considered, it seems like the Bangaloreans would have to wait for a long time before they get their long-cherished 'lifeline'.

Fire-ravaged BBMP to beef up security

It took a devastating fire to take the glasses of 'ignorance' off the BMMP's eyes that could not see the imminent security threat till the last month's blaze that reduced the BMTF office to ashes.

Firetenders outside the BBMP headquarters on November 19

Coincidently, the day when Deputy Mayor S Harish's Prada glasses worth Rs 70,000 went missing from Palike premises, the civic body decided to fortify its free-for-all headquarters on the lines of the Vidhan Sabha, spending Rs 1.5 crore.

Now the BBMP administration committee has decided to construct an 8 feet metal barricade around the office along with installation of CCTV cameras. They also plan to frisk of all visitors. The administration committee has been monitoring the security measures since the freak fire accident took place.

Ironically, at a meeting convened by the deputy mayor Harish to put an end to the criticism emerging from various quarters, he lost his expensive glasses. Presuming that it was stolen, Harish who has had no luck with the CCTV footage also.

"I had got my glasses for Rs 70, 000 and the lens alone would cost Rs 40,000. Hence, we are thinking to improve our security in Palike," said Harish.

He further added that the Palike will be made full-proof security zone. "Earlier, the fire broke out and now my reading glasses have gone missing.

Before things get even worse, we have decided to fortify BBMP. Other civic bodies in North India are very strict when it comes to security checks. Visitors will be subject to frisking," he added.

The opposition, which was waiting for another opportunity to embarrass the ruling BJP in council, attacked the decision to fortify the BBMP complex.

"No public has access to the Palike's inside affairs. Hence this expenditure is nothing but a waste of public money at this juncture when the Palike is facing acute shortage of funds," said Rizwan Nawab, deputy opposition leader, BBMP, adding that the move was 'nothing but eyewash, a waste of public money'.

Security lapse?
On November 19, a freak fire broke out in the BMTF station in the BBMP head office, the ruling BJP had to face criticisms from all quarters for the lapses. The security measures were the point of concern.

Krishna, 'the author of Karnataka mining scam'?

Social activist files complaint with Lokayukta court naming foreign minister, former chief ministers Dharam Singh and H D Kumaraswamy; Justice Santosh Hegde does a U-turn over Krishna indictment a day after MiD DAY expose

A day after MiD DAY exposed Foreign Minister S M Krishna's alleged involvement in illegal mining case during his tenure as the chief minister, a private complaint was filed against the Congress stalwart calling him the 'author of the mining scam in the state' at the Lokayukta court.

(From left ) Complainant Abraham T Joseph yesterday filed a complaint against former chief minister Dharam Singh, JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy and foreign minister SM Krishna for their alleged involvement in illegal mining. File Pics

The complainant, Abraham T Joseph, a social worker, also accused former chief minister Dharam Singh, now an MP, and JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy along with more than 10 bureaucrats for allowing illegal mining in the state, causing huge losses to the state exchequer.

Hegdes' U-turn
Interestingly, former Lokayukta Justice N Santhosh Hegde, who has been under attack from the BJP for not indicting Krishna in his famous mining report that claimed B S Yeddyurappa's scalp, yesterday switched into a defensive mode over the issue.

He said Krishna's name could not be included in the report as government officials did not cooperate with him.

No evidence
"Exclusion of Krishna's name was not deliberate. I had got a hint of the allegations against him, but the government was reluctant to provide records we asked for. Without any substantial evidence, we could not indict him," said Hegde.

But parts of the Lokayukta report, which was leaked to the media a couple of days before to its official submission on July 27, indicated Krishna in the mining scam, Hegde came on record to deny his involvement.

Yesterday in his complaint, Joseph added that Krishna during his tenure as the chief minister, not only sanctioned mining lease on old rates and incurred huge loss to the state exchequer, but also de-reserved forestland, despite vehement opposition from the department of forest and environment.

Illegal mining
"Going by the records of various government and Lokayukta reports, it can be concluded that Krishna was responsible for a large-scale illegal mining in the state and he could be termed as author of the mining scams," Joseph said.

Turning the tirade against Dharam Singh, the petitioner said the former chief minister, who during his tenure as the state head between 2004 and 2006 also held the portfolio of the department of mines and geology, ordered issuance of temporary transport permits for ferrying iron and manganese ores from agricultural patta plots not mentioned in the mining lease.

Loss of Rs 23.22 C
This scam has resulted in revenue loss to the state to the extent of Rs 23.22 crore. Therefore, under Section 12(3) of the Lokayukta Act, a separate recommendation is made to the Competent Authority to initiate appropriate proceedings against Dharam Singh for recovery of the loss caused by him to the state.

"The flow of the ill-gotten money by indulging in corruption has been invested into property acquired by Dharam Singh's family members," alleged Joseph.

Bidari gets top cop's job, BJP lands in trouble

In a decision that could snowball into a controversy, the government appointed 1978-batch IPS officer Shankar M Bidari, who belongs to the politically influential Ligayat community, as the state police chief ignoring A R Infant, who is the senior most IPS officer in the state.

Yesterday, the Union Public Service Commission, Delhi, shortlisted three officers Infant, Bidari and Sushanth Mahapatra from a list of five Director General-rank officers. The panel sent names of shortlisted officers to the state government for the appointment of new DG-IGP.

BJP MLAs from the Lingayat community protested against selection

of A RInfant and demanded Gowda to appoint Bidari as the DG-IGP

On the basis of seniority, CM DV Sadananda Gowda wanted to propose Infant's name. But, a group of BJP MLAs (from the Lingayat community) protested against selection of Infant and demanded Gowda to appoint Bidari as the DG-IGP.

Succumbing to their pressure Gowda, appointed Bidari as the state police chief, highly-placed sources in the home department told MiD DAY.

Infant said, "I will seek legal recourse. I will approach the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) to seek justice. The selection procedures have been violated during the appointment of DG-IGP." As Infant looks ready for a legal battle, the stage is set for a high-voltage drama over the 'biased' selection process.

Shankar Bidari shot to the limelight when he downsized forest brigand Veerappan's gang from 100 to eight during his tenure as the STF Chief. He bagged several medals, including two gallantry medals.

He has also served as the Commissioner of Bangalore city and the ADGP of law and order. But he has been in many controversies, as NHRC had also conducted an inquiry on fake encounter deaths in MM Hills by his team when the STF was hunting for Veerappan and gang.

Policemen dishonour tricolour

In a hurry to welcome their new boss Shankar M Bidari, police officials brought dishonour to the Tricolour yesterday.

Nearly two hours after the ritual of bringing down the national flag at 6.30 pm everyday, the staff in-charge realised that the flag was flying forlorn at the police headquarters, thanks to the government which delayed announcing the name of DG-IGP.

Immediately after the announcement, an overjoyed Bidari rushed to the headquarters to take charge and received the guard of honour around 6.51 pm.

"As per the rules, the flag should have been brought down at 6.30 pm with a ceremonial procedure, but since there was confusion about the appointment of DG and IGP, this slipped our minds," said an officer.

The flag was not brought down even after the outgoing DG & IGP, N Achuta Rao, who came from Delhi to handover the charge at around 7.20 pm, was also given the Guard of hounour under the Tricolour.

The mistake was rectified when the staff returned and saw the flag. Additional Director General of Police (administration) J V Gaonkar, said, "The procedure is to hoist the flag at dawn and bring it down at dusk.

But the procedure can be stretched on special occasions like this," adding that it had happened due to some confusion.

IT company sacks techie for raising safety concerns

A senior software engineer has been sacked from a leading IT company for raising concerns over the safety of employees at the workplace.

For the the past five years, Sharan Desai, a post-graduate in town planning and computer science, was working in Oracle in Mahadevpura as a solution architect manager. He had allegedly highlighted the violation of the fire safety norms in the building that endangered the life of 1,200 employees.

Representation pic/Thinkstockimage

Desai said, "After the infamous Carlton Tower fire tragedy that took place two years ago, I decided to check the safety norms as mentioned in the company policy, and report the same to the authorities. I anticipated a positive response."

Desai revealed that the safety measures of the company were clearly being violated, while the building that housed another major IT firm, did not even have the mandatory No objection Certificate (NoC) from the fire department.

The engineer said, "When the company HR started harassing me and threatened to sack me, I decided to seek police help and filed a complaint with the jurisdictional police station in January this year." He said that he was taken aback when the company began levelling allegations of non-performance against him.

"This happened when I decided to take up the issue with the authority and got the fire and emergency services department to conduct an inspection. The department had confirmed the lack of safety measures and informed that the commercial building did not posses the required NoC," Desai added.

While the fire department issued a notice to the company and the building owner, the company terminated Desai's services in April, citing non-performance. Though the company has shifted its base from Mahadevapur to a new building in White Field, other IT and BPO firms still operate without the safety norms.

Desai approached the labour department and also sought intervention from the home department seeking justice. The case is currently with the labour department. "I just want justice as I have not done anything wrong according to the company rules. I just did what I felt was right," he added.

Desai said the company has asked its employees to report any injuries, accidents, or hazards so that they can act promptly and take corrective action. "But raising safety issues proved costly for me.

The company has not only fired me but also refused to give a relieving letter to block my future employment," the engineer said.

The other side
Meanwhile, several emails sent to Oracle did not yield any replies.