An online petition has urged the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to stop toll collection on Bengaluru’s Electronics City Flyover following the end of its concession period.

The nearly 10-km Electronics City Flyover, located along Hosur Road between Bommanahalli near the Central Silk Board and Electronics City, was initiated in 2006 and inaugurated on January 22, 2010. It was constructed by Bengaluru Elevated Tollway Limited (BETL) at an estimated cost of around ₹1,000 crore under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.

When did the concession period end?

According to the petition on Change.org, the 20-year concession period began in 2006 and ended on September 10, 2026. During this period, BETL was authorised to collect toll to recover the costs of building, operating and maintaining the infrastructure, along with a reasonable return on its investment.

The petition, filed by Rajkumar Dugar, founder and convenor of Citizens for Citizens, argues that toll collection should have been stopped from September 11, 2026, with the flyover subsequently taken over by NHAI for maintenance.

“The toll covers the total costs incurred by the concessionaire to build, operate and maintain the infrastructure, along with a reasonable return on their investment,” he said.

He also pointed to the continued presence of the Attibele Toll Plaza, located just 14 km further along the highway. The petition refers to the current NHAI rule prescribing a standard minimum distance of 60 km between two adjacent toll plazas on the same section of a National Highway in the same direction.

The petition notes that the Electronics City toll plaza currently charges ₹65 for cars, jeeps and vans for a single journey, while other vehicle categories are charged between ₹25 and ₹365.

Further maintenance of flyover

Mr. Dugar and the petition signatories have urged NHAI and MoRTH to urgently decide on a practical arrangement for the flyover’s future maintenance and toll collection. They have also raised concerns about waterlogging and flooding in the dip or valley section of the flyover, and urged authorities to ensure maintenance is not compromised after the concession period.

The petition argues that continuing the existing toll arrangement could set a precedent for other toll plazas after their concession periods expire.

In a bid to address the long-standing problem of vehicles seized in criminal and traffic cases occupying police station premises, the Bengaluru police on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) launched a drive to shift the vehicles to Revenue Department land on the city outskirts.

Launching the drive at the Jayanagar police station, Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said a whopping 11,346 such vehicles lying on the premises of police stations across the city had been identified and were scheduled to be shifted over the next one month.

“We have begun addressing long-standing perennial issues in the city, starting with debris and abandoned vehicle clearance. While footpath clearance is ongoing, many citizens complained that police stations in the city are inundated with seized vehicles and demanded action,” Mr. Gowda said, adding that even State legislators and MPs had demanded a solution to the problem.

Dearth of space

The Hindu had earlier reported on such seized vehicles posing a fire threat, but a dearth of space within the city to shift the vehicles had led to an impasse.

The problem was briefly addressed between 2023 and 2025, when the city police shifted all seized vehicles to Jakkarayanakere in the central part of the city, besides a small facility in Madanayakanahalli on the outskirts. But frequent fires, snake-related issues, and improper management of space at Jakkarayanakere drew backlash from neighbourhood residents. Even the Madanayakanahalli facility was full.

In 2025, the city police again shifted the seized vehicles from Jakkarayanakere and dumped them at police stations. A senior police officer explained to The Hindu that they had to keep the vehicles on the premises, as cases linked to them were ongoing, and hence they could neither be returned nor disposed of.

During footpath clearance

While the issue remained unaddressed, it came under fire when the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) launched its footpath clearance drive. The accumulation of vehicles has not only created a shortage of space at police stations but has also resulted in vehicles spilling onto roads and footpaths, obstructing pedestrian movement and causing inconvenience to the public.

Mr. Gowda said the authorities had urged the police to formally seek permission from courts to fast-track such cases so that the vehicles could be cleared. “We have been holding preparatory meetings for the past two months. As these vehicles are involved in court cases, we made a special request to get them cleared. However, the courts have said that the cases cannot be fast-tracked,” he said.

Following this, Mr. Gowda said they sought the help of the Revenue Department and secured land parcels at seven locations spanning 26 acres for the purpose. “Now, the police have fenced those lands and are shifting the seized vehicles,” Mr. Gowda said.

An old issue

Mr. Gowda said the accumulation of seized vehicles was not a recent problem and had been affecting police stations for 15 to 20 years. The coordinated effort by the GBA and Bengaluru Police is expected to free up space around police stations and reduce obstructions on roads and pedestrian pathways across the city.

The Minister said the State government was also taking measures to address other long-standing civic problems. He reiterated that notices had been affixed to 2,024 vehicles, but their owners had not come forward to take them back. Such vehicles were being towed away, he said.

Dismissing the claim that the government had been forced into a “U-turn” on the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Friday (September 4, 2026) defended the withdrawal, saying the decision was taken to respect public sentiment and allow for a wider discussion on the legislation.  

“Why should I make a U-turn? The sentiments of the people have been respected. We will release a list of what happened during the tenures of Yediyurappa and Bommai. There should be a discussion on this. There is no intention to build a tunnel through Lalbagh. Alternative routes will be examined,” Mr. Shivakumar, addressing the media here, said. 

Flays BJP for being ‘anti-development’

The Bill, which sought to amend the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) Act, 1975, had drawn intense opposition from citizen groups and the opposition BJP over the provision allowing alienation of 5% of park land to be used for public infrastructure. The government withdrew it amid the controversy, with Mr. Shivakumar saying there was “nothing wrong in hearing their demands”. 

Turning his attack on the BJP while speaking on concerns raised over tunnel road, Mr. Shivakumar accused the Opposition of being “anti-development” and questioned its record on major infrastructure projects in Bengaluru. “Even when Siddaramaiah had proposed a steel bridge earlier, the BJP opposed it. The BJP is anti-development. If Bengaluru has any curse, it is the BJP’s. Let them tell us if they started any major project of this kind during their tenure,” he said. 

Mr. Shivakumar said tunnel roads, double-decker corridors and similar projects were necessary to address Bengaluru’s traffic congestion and “those who oppose tunnel roads should also say what their alternative is.” 

He also questioned the BJP’s opposition to tunnel projects in Bengaluru, referring to projects in other States. “If that is the case, let the Opposition stop tunnel projects in Delhi and Maharashtra as well,” he said. 

‘No intention of using Lalbagh land’

Mr. Shivakumar reiterated that the government had no intention of taking over Lalbagh land for the proposed 16.5-km tunnel road. “The Bill was withdrawn because we want to have a discussion. The government has no intention of taking over Lalbagh land for the tunnel road project. We are not selling parks. Land has to be transferred to provide space for the Metro,” he said, alleging that the Opposition had prevented a discussion on such issues in the Assembly. “We know that if we discuss important issues, their (opposition parties’) failures will come to light. That is why the Opposition did not allow the session to be held,” he said. 

Defending the government’s handling of public land, he cited several instances in which land had earlier been provided for public infrastructure and institutions. “Public land had earlier been given for the Metro, High Court parking and in other cases. I have already said that we should all work together. If we accept suggestions, does that mean I have made a U-turn?” he argued. 

On Lalbagh, he said the land under the Horticulture Department was being transferred and that special orders had been issued in the past for small parcels of land. “When officials proposed this, approval was given. It was not done specifically for the tunnel,” he maintained. 

The Basavanagudi Police have registered three separate FIRs in connection with the clash reported on KR Road in Basavanagudi during an Eid Milad procession on August 26.

The police said the situation was brought under control immediately and additional security has been deployed in the area to monitor law and order situation.

According to the police, two Eid Milad processions were being taken out within the Jayanagar sub-division. One procession had started from Tilaknagar and was proceeding towards the YMCA Grounds via Siddapura and Lalbagh, while another had begun from Kumaraswamy Layout and was moving towards the YMCA Grounds through the Banashankari and Basavanagudi areas.

Bengaluru: Clash during Id Milad procession, youth injured

Tensions flared near Garadi Apartments on KR Road when members of a Hindutva group, including activist Puneeth Kerehalli and others, allegedly raised slogans while the procession was passing through the area. Police personnel intervened to prevent the situation from escalating.

During the commotion, a youth identified as Murali, was allegedly assaulted with a weapon. Puneeth Kerehalli and his associates reportedly remained on the road and raised slogans, causing inconvenience to the public and the procession.

Police subsequently rushed to the spot, shifted the injured person to Victoria Hospital and detained those allegedly involved in the incident.

Three FIRs registered

The first case was registered at Basavanagudi Police Station based on a complaint by Abdul Razak Khan. The FIR invokes several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including provisions relating to promoting enmity between groups, unlawful assembly, assault and criminal intimidation.

Puneeth Kerehalli, Gopi Gowda and Vinod Nayak are among those arrested in the case. The accused were produced before the court.

The second FIR was registered based on a complaint by Puneeth Kumar alias Puneeth Kerehalli. The case includes charges relating to attempt to murder and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Three accused — Kamal Pasha, Abubakar Siddiq and Syed Anas — have been arrested, while two juveniles allegedly involved in the incident are being produced before the Juvenile Justice Board.

A third case was registered at Basavanagudi Traffic Police Station based on a complaint by police personnel, under Section 285 of the BNS, for allegedly obstructing a public road and disrupting traffic.

Security tightened

Police said the situation is presently under control. Additional personnel have been deployed in Basavanagudi and surrounding areas, with continuous patrolling being carried out to prevent any further disturbance.

Police have appealed to the public not to believe or circulate rumours and have urged citizens to maintain peace and cooperate with the authorities.

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has said there will be a disruption in water supply in western parts of the city on August 28 due to emergency work to repair a leak in a scour valve near the NICE Junction. To facilitate the repairs, the water pumping station serving Cauvery IV Stage, Phase II, will be shut down.

Areas likely to be affected include Nandini Layout, Sunkadakatte, Sir M. Visvesvaraya Layout, Ullal, J.P. Park, Muthyala Nagar and parts of Yeshwanthpur, among others.

The revamped Outer Ring Road (ORR) stretch between Silk Board Junction and K.R. Puram will have dedicated bus and cycle lanes, besides a Namma Metro elevated corridor, and will creatively utilise space under flyovers to create community spaces, according to a presentation by Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. (B-SMILE), accessed by The Hindu.

Six junctions along the stretch will be developed under the project, and the space beneath flyovers at these junctions will be transformed into community spaces featuring seating lounges, markets, vending zones, game courts and a gig hub. The gig hub will offer shaded seating, charging lockers, Wi-Fi and water stations, dedicated micro-mobility docks with solar-powered charging, and an organised auto-rickshaw lay-by with a digital queue system and shaded waiting area.

Cycle and bus lanes

While the footpath will include a marked cycle lane, the carriageway will have a red band indicating the bus lane; neither will be physically segregated, according to the presentation. Civic activist Sandeep Aniruddhan pointed out that bus lanes are effective only when they are located at the centre of the road next to the median and are physically segregated.

Better integration 

In the presentation, B-SMILE said the road will be designed as a mobility corridor with seamless integration of all modes of transport. It aims to provide safe and easy entry/exits to tech parks, well-integrated cross roads, metro stations, and bus stations, along with better storm water disposal to avoid traffic snarls on the key corridor.

As per B-SMILE, there are at least 6.42 Lakh employees using 3.38 lakh vehicles everyday on this ORR stretch. 

Following complaints received from public, videos posted on social media platforms and media reports, the Health and Family Welfare Department has formed 30 special teams to conduct inspections in hotels, restaurants, smaller food units and others.

The teams comprise officials from Food Safety and Drug Administration.

U.T. Khader, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, said, “We were receiving continuous complaints from various people and through videos posted on social media about the sale of substandard food, unhygienic practices at eateries, etc. Every citizen has right to clean and healthy food. From Friday (August 7, 2026), we have started the inspection drive in five-star hotels in Bengaluru.”

He added, “These teams are being led by Food Safety Commissioner, Srinivas K. and they will inspect the food and hygiene as per the guidelines of the Food Safety and Drug Administration department. I have instructed officials to submit a detailed report at the end of the day about actions being taken and the kind of violations noticed in these hotels, including big and small.”

According to the notification from the department, the inspection will be conducted in five-star hotels, road-side eateries, restaurants and other forms of food businesses. The inspection checklist is prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for each hotel/food establishment. Inspection officials will record video at required locations in each hotel/food establishment for further investigation purposes.

The notification also stated that legal action will be taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011, in case of violations.

It says that a review should be conducted on the caloric value of food items, and officials have to inspect if ingredients like milk or masala items have expired, if the kitchens are hygienic, if food is stored under prescribed temperature, if hotels are using banned colour to prepare gobi manchurian, curries and non-vegetarian items, while also reviewing cross-contamination prevention measures, and cold chain management.

Further, necessary steps should be taken to collect food samples of sheep, chicken, fish and other meat products and submit them to a private laboratory for analysis.

After conducting the inspection in each of the designated hotels, food establishments, the address of the centralised kitchen of the said food establishment should be obtained and a visit should also be made there for inspection.

The department has also requested citizens to raise complaints of food safety violations by dialling the FSSAI helpline number posted on its website.

While examinations, marks and academic competition have been considered the primary drivers of stress experienced by students, a new study suggests “family conflict” as a more common reason for students seeking psychological support than academic stress.

A clinical study by Cadabams Hospitals — a priviate hospital which draws on over 58,000 student touchpoints across 3,569 documented counselling sessions conducted by Cadabams psychologists embedded across schools and colleges in Bengaluru — observed that emotional struggles of many young people may begin well beyond the classroom.  

Self-harm concerns highest among PU students

In the study, while anxiety accounted for nearly one in three counselling concerns (29%), family conflict (14%) ranked ahead of academic stress (10%), followed by relationship distress (8%) and loneliness (7%).

Students aged 16 to 18 years studying in Pre-University colleges recorded the highest proportion of self-harm concerns among all educational groups assessed.

Mental health concerns of student differed significantly across educational streams.

Engineering students most commonly sought help for relationship distress and ADHD-related concerns, while recording the highest rates of self-referrals. Medical students struggled with the combined burden of academics and clinical responsibilities. Management and architecture students frequently presented with loneliness, homesickness and career uncertainty, while law students recorded the highest density of high-risk mental health cases.

‘Must create safe environments’

Commenting on the findings, Neha Cadabam, Senior Psychologist and Executive Director, Cadabams Hospitals, said, “One of the biggest challenges is that many students continue to suffer silently due to lack of conducive environment for discussing what they are experiencing at home. If we truly want to improve student mental health, we need to move beyond conversations around examinations and create emotionally safe environments where young people feel heard without fear of judgement.” 

The study was conducted across more than 20 educational institutions, with nearly 92% of all student touchpoints from Bengaluru.