India has more money to spend on luxuries that the bare necessities of life

A new UN study has found that more people in India, the world’s second most populous country, have access to a mobile telephone than to a toilet.India has some 545 million cellphones, enough to serve about 45% of the population, but only about 366 million people or 31% of the population had access to improved sanitation in 2008.If current global trends continue, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) predict there will be a shortfall of at least 1 billion persons from that sanitation goal by the target date of 2015.





According to a 2001 study, 15% houses in urban areas had a ‘flush latrine’, while 85% did not have any facility. In rural areas, 17.4 % homes had toilets. According to statistics given by the rural development ministry in 2008, 60.07% houses in urban areas have toilets, while 57% houses in rural areas have toilets.

“While I do not completely agree with the UN report, it is a fact that India, with its population of over one billion, does need more toilets,” said Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, founder, Sulabh International, a social service organization which aims to make affordable toilets available to all. “Our cultural background,” he said, “is the reason behind this problem.” Traditionally, Indians were told that they should have a toilet away from the house, which is why we didn’t have toilets inside the house,” he explained.

Source: DNA- India has more cellphones than toilets, says UN report

BJP created history in Bangalore winning the BBMP election

The BJP won 105 seats out of 198 in the Greater Bangalore City Corporation beating the Congress.It is the first time that the BJP has come to power in the civic body since Independence, ending five decades of Congress dominance.The Congress came a distant second winning 65 wards and the Janata Dal (Secular) 13. The remaining six wards were won by Independents.


The people voted for the development works taken up by the B S Yeddyurappa government in the City, claimed leaders and Ministers in the BJP government.Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa told reporters in Bangalore that he was glad with BJP's performance in the BBMP polls.Reacting to the results, Karantaka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said the victory of the BJP candidates had once again proved the saffron party's strength and the support of the people has increased the responsibility of the state government to fulfill their aspirations.

The civic body polls took place on March 28.Counting of votes for the BBMP elections held on March 28 began at 8 am in 28 different counting centers in the City. The counting of votes in about 38 wards was yet to begin. The process of counting in one station will be taken up only around 2 pm to facilitate the completion of SSLC examination that is underway.

BJP candidate from Vasanth Nagar Mr. Katta Jagadish Naidu, who is also son of Minister for Information Technology Mr. Katta Subramanya Naidu, has registered a victory.Similiarly, Rajarajeshwarinagar BJP MLA M. Srinivas son Venkatesh Babu has won the elections. Minister for Labour B N Bache Gowda said the voters of the city taught a fitting lesson to the JD (S) which launched the NICE campaign against the BJP Government.

Source: mangalorean.com