my visit to vizag and lessons for Hyderabad...

on 5th April, paid an official visit to Vizag (forsome office work).....i ike the city quite a bit...it is just that i cannot relocate myself their ..due to very personal reasons....

1. Vizag has some semblance of planning....grossly lacking in Hyderabad
2. they (vizag city administration - VUDA) have laboured quite a bit to beautify the city especially the beach road and ensure it gets some traction as far as being tourist destination.
3. Many of the public lighting system does not have overhead cabling or wiring and it is underground...It does look neat. Hyderabad it ispathetic.
4. The roads are well laid out and it is planned for future.
5. The flats/houses are not made in a clumsy manner. It is well laid out; even flats. It looks good. Unfortunatley in big metros flats/houses are made in such a manner that looks very complex/disorganised.
6. This gives a soothing experience to the eye. it is like easy going feeling. the body is relaxed.

These are some of my personal thoughts but also heard some flip side also to Vizag like the rentals have shot up (even during these times), the real estate costs have shot up, the cost living is also going northwards etc.

So judge yourselves; maybe a good place to be in once a while.

Indian elections - 15 times 28

This elections that we are going to have is very very unique...maybe our polity is becoming quite fragmented in the sense that we have more regional parties with far greater influence coming to the scene. Also their is no big emotive national issue touching one and all. That's why i say it is 15X28 as it is the 15th lok sabha with 28 different states electing for the national assembly. Quite surprisingly even terrorism, unemployment/recession impacts, power shortage, basic infrastructure are not national issues instead we have local issues be it the Jagdish Tytler case for Sikhs, tamil cause in Tamil Naidu, separate statehood in Andhra/Vidharbha or even anti incumbency at the local level. hence it is also the most difficult elections to predict the end score. No wonder Dr. prannoy Roy of NDTV is promising a Skoda Superb car as a prize for guessing the next PM.
But let us come to some hard facts as a result of this elections -
We are going to have even deeper fractured mandate putting the country to greater chaos and ensuring more number of fringe players thinking that they have greater role as national power brokers. Will this sugur good for our country especially in the backdrop of India being in the threshhold of development/growth and giving the world a direction?

1. We need some firm/punitive actions as far as national borders/integrity of our country is concerned considering the percieved threat of taliban from across the border (remember taliban is not a military regime to simple fight with instead it is a thought process and hence need far firmer handling no matter who).
2. We need reforms and some proactive ones. Do we have the guts to do it.
3. we need cleaning of the judicial system - meaning ensuring all cases are settled fast and have as minimal backlog.
4. We need firmness and speed in our infrastructure build up...no matter how big our potential is if we do not spread world class infrastructure nothing much is going to change.

These to me are some things expected from the new lok sabha and if we deliver then i am a lucky chap to go through this renaissance in our country.

jai hind