

BANGALORE
- Best Indian City to Live in
Pipping
past the four metro cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai,
the southern technology hub Bangalore has emerged as the best
city to live in India, a global survey said today.
Despite
its top Indian ranking, Bangalore's worldwide rank is very low
at 141st position in a list of 221 cities globally in terms of
standard of living, compiled by the 'Quality of Living Survey
- Worldwide Rankings, 2011' by the global HR (human resources)
consultancy major Mercer.
Vienna
has been ranked as the world's best city to live in on the global
list, which has five Indian cities -- Bangalore (141st), New Delhi
(143rd), Mumbai (144th), Chennai (150th) and Kolkata (151st).
In another list of the world's best cities in terms of personal
safety standards, Luxembourg has been placed on the top, followed
by Bern, Helsinki, Zurich, Vienna, Geneva and Stockholm.
On
this list, Indian cities have been ranked a little better, as
Bangalore has got 117th place, New Delhi and Kolkata shared the
127th position, Mumbai is at 142 and Chennai is placed at 108th.
Bangalore
has been ranked as the best Indian city both in terms of quality
of living and the personal safety standards.
The
personal safety ranking has been on measures of internal stability,
crime levels, law enforcement effectiveness and host-country's
international relations.

Chitra Santhe on Jan 29
Chitra
Santhe, the annual mega art bazaar organised by the Karnataka
Chitrakala Parishat, will be held from January 29 to 31.
The
exhibition, which provides the much-needed forum for artists
to display and sell their paintings, sculptures and installations,
will be open to public from 8 am to 9 pm.
The
three-day event is eagerly awaited by art enthusiasts in the
City.
Addressing
mediapersons, CKP administrator G J?Kongawad said the works
of as many as 2,000 artists will be on display at this year’s
Chitra Santhe.
“No
fee will be charged for exhibitors. Free lodging and boarding
facilities too will be provided for artists. Special vehicles
will be arranged to facilitate easy transportation for senior
citizens and differently-abled,” said Kongawad.
The
exhibits will be on display along the footpath between Shivananda
Circle and Windsor Manor Circle.
Specially-designed
stalls will be set up for the blind and differently-abled in
the premises of the CKP.
Porsche enters Bangalore
The German auto major opened their third dealership in South
India, seventh in the country and the fourth dealership in 2011
alone, with the other two in Hyderabad and Chennai.
Speaking
about the showroom on Lavelle Road, Raghu Nayak, Principal Dealer
at the Porsche Centre in Bangalore said that they would also
have an after sales facility on Hosur Road for their customers.
"All
models will be available on order," Ashish Chordia, director
of Porsche India, said and added that customers have to wait
for three to eight months for delivery of cars.
Commenting
on their performance last year, Chordia said that they delivered
134 cars last year and this year they will be delivering 500
units.
The
press conference also saw the unveiling of the Cayenne S, Chordia
said that out of the market share of Porsche in India, 56-60
per cent of these were in the Cayenne range. Nayak added that
the facility would have a provision of three car display and
they would also have a range of original accessories like key
chains and other memorabilia to attract customers.
Plea
to sanction Phase 2 of Metro
The
infrastructure committee of the Federation of Karnataka Chamber
of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) has urged Union Urban Development
Minister Kamal Nath to announce sanctioning of Phase-II of Namma
Metro in Bangalore on Thursday.
Prakash
Mandoth, chairman of the FKCCI panel said in a letter to the minister
that a high-powered committee set up by the State government has
already given green signal to Phase-II of the Metro project which
may cost Rs 21,000 crore for its 72.1 km length.
The
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has conducted detailed survey and
prepared Project Report of Phase-II of Namma Metro. This phase
will cover Baippanahalli to Whitefield, Mysore Road to Kengeri,
Hesaraghatta Cross to Bangalore International Exhibition centre,
Puttenahalli to Anjanapura, R V Road Terminal inter change station,
on North South corridor of Phase-I to Bommasandra, and Gottigere
Indian Institute of Management to Nagawara, he said.
Mandoth
said while Phase-I would be fully operational by 2014, the transport
needs of Bangalore City was growing day by day and Phase-I would
not be sufficient as its alignment mainly runs through the central
business district of the City. The other important extensions
of the City are not covered by Namma Metro Rail link, he added
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