The January 30th print issue of Citizen Matters hit the stands and homes in south Bengaluru exactly two years after our first issue of January 30th 2009! That maiden issue we had covered the HSR Layout Agara Flyover digging work, for those of you who may recall our cover.
The Citizen Matters print newsmagazine is a fortnightly that goes to the JP Nagar, BTM and Jayanagar (tiny part) areas of south Bangalore. Apart from independent homes, over 22 major apartments on Bannerghatta road and in JP Nagar get copies. Advertisers range from the smallest local business to major silk saree and jewellery brands, and auto dealers.
We still remember that very first early morning. It was 5.55 am, and our team was handing out copies to homes in JP Nagar-BTM. Users of the 3rd Phase mini-forest and parks walked up to us.
“Is this a political stunt? Will you support one party or one MLA only?”, one gentleman asked. The launch issue had a cover pic of B N Vijaykumar, Jayanagar MLA, and that was enough to stir up suspicion! “No”, we had answered then. “We’ve launched this to bring the best and independent local news to Bengaluru, and we’re not going to take sides”, we recall saying.
We have since broken story after story that matters to Bangaloreans. We have also provided you with useful facts, faqs, tips, guides and more. Today we hope that Citizen Matters fortnightly newsmagazine has a place of relevance in your local lives. We are a media open to citizens joining hands with reporters and editors to publish the stuff that matters to your neighhbourhood and the city.
We’d like to also say thanks to so many of you in JP Nagar, BTM, Jayanagar, Bannerghatta Road, and neighbouring areas. You have called us to alert us to what’s happening. You have given your opinion when it mattered. You have helped us organise meetings. You have given us original articles. You have led protests when required and enrichened your areas with activities for fellow citizens young and old.
Above all, you have kept us on our toes, issue after issue, so that we can deliver meaningful local journalism to you.
A special thanks to Arathi Manay Yajaman (for helping with reach out and understanding local needs), D R Prakash (for his indefatigable effort in sharing his knowledge, and responding to hundreds of queries from readers on property tax and related matters), M S Vittal (for his cartoons) and Vasudha Murthy (our trusted resource person for Kannada translations). In addition, we have had great help from members of BTM residents associations, JP Nagar Citizen Association, Manjari, Citizen Action Forum and many more. We have also had very good support from quite a few in the Police, BBMP and other government agencies.
And our heartfelt thanks to all our advertisers – large and small – who have reached out to you through us and supported this newsmagazine. Without them, Citizen Matters would not be here. ⊕
we bought a flat in Nagarjuna Premier in Jp Nagar 6th phase which was registered in May 2009. soon after we left for The US.
we returned in Sept 2010 and requested the builder to get the khata. we paid the requisite amount by DD. we got the after nearly four months and when we went to pay the tax at BBMp office, the clerk there said we have to pay the property tax from 2008.We argued with that the property was regisered in,our name only in 2009 he said some change in regulation.We contacted other residents in the complex and got to know that they paid only two years tax and not for 3yrs as demanded from us. the BBmp office is situated in JP Nagar 5th phase, 24thmain, 18th cross.could you please clarify