Six lakes in and around Bengaluru adopted by private companies for rejuvenation

Enviornment

Kumaraswamy called on the industry to come forward and adopt more lakes and water-bodies across Karnataka.

IANS

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India Inc came forward to adopt six lakes in Bengaluru for rejuvenation, said the industry apex body CII on Wednesday. The six water bodies adopted by the industry are Kenchenhalli lake by Meritor CVC India Ltd, Doddathogur lake by Elcia, Shikaripalya by Wipro, Yarandahalli lake and Kammasandra lake by Biocon and Maragondanahalli lake by Timken India Ltd. The five firms have signed an agreement with the Karnataka government to adopt the lakes located in and around the city at the annual meet of the Confederation of Indian Industry (Karnataka chapter). Lauding India Inc for adopting the lakes, state Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy urged the industry to adopt more lakes and water bodies across the southern state for saving them and protecting the environment. Kumaraswamy called on the industry to come forward and adopt more lakes and water-bodies across Karnataka. "As our government is committed to rejuvenating lakes across the state, we will support any corporate coming forward to assist us in saving them," said Kumaraswamy on the occasion. State Industry Minister K.J. George said the industry had offered to partially fund the metro rail project from Silk Board junction in the city's southwest suburb to KR Puram junction in northeast suburb. "Work is in full swing to complete the 72km route in the second phase of the metro network after completing 42km in the first phase across the city. The industry will partially fund the Silk Board-K.R. Puram line through a unique funding method," said George. Surin Automotive Ltd Managing Director Aman Choudhari and Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Ltd Managing Director Sandeep Singh were elected as the new chairman and vice-chairman of the CII Karnataka chapter.  

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Will definitely win more than 17 seats in Lok Sabha polls: K'taka BJP

Politics

A dominant party above the Vindhyas over the years, Karnataka has been the BJP's gateway to south India.

IANS

By Bhavana Akella & Fakir Balaji The BJP in Karnataka is betting on winning more seats in the Lok Sabha polls despite the prospects of facing joint contestants from the ruling JD-S and Congress allies in the 28 constituencies across the state. "We will definitely win more seats this time than the 17 we had won in the 2014 general elections due to favourable factors, including the changing national mood and the solid achievements of the NDA government over the last 5 years," BJP state unit spokesman Vamanacharya told IANS. A dominant party above the Vindhyas over the years, Karnataka has been the BJP's gateway to south India, having come to power first as a coalition partner with the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) in 2006 and on its own in the 2008 assembly elections. Though the party lost in the 2013 assembly elections to the Congress, it bounced back in the parliamentary polls in 2014, winning 17 seats, as against 9 by the Congress and only 2 by the JD-S. In the May 2018 assembly elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 104 of the 224 seats, with Congress 80 and JD-S 37. As the BJP fell 9 less of the simple majority (113) in the assembly, its Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa bowed out on May 19, three days after forming the government for the second time in the state. "As the ruling allies have little presence in our strongholds across the coastal and north-interior areas, a combined candidate of the allies will not dent our prospects of retaining and winning more seats," asserted Vamanacharya. Although Congress and JD-S fought against each other in all the assembly and Lok Sabha elections over the last 3 decades, they decided to field a common candidate this time to consolidate their "secular votes" and deny the BJP the benefit of division of their votes. "Even after coming together, the combined 30 per cent vote of the minorities and Scheduled Castes (SCs) in northern districts like Kalaburagi will not affect our vote share, admitted Vamanacharya. Congress leader in the outgoing Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge won from the Kalaburgi reserved (SC) constituency, about 600km north of the state. Forming a post-poll alliance soon after the assembly results threw a hung verdict in May 2018, ostensibly to keep the BJP out of power, the rival 'secular' parties have decided to field joint candidates in the Lok Sabha polls by sharing the seats on the basis of winning prospects and their strength in the state. "It's a joke if the ruling allies claim to win 22 of the 28 seats by fielding a joint candidate against our party, as our presence is stronger in three of the four regions, barring the old Mysuru region," mocked Vamanacharya. Admitting that the BJP's prospects in Ballari reserved (Scheduled Tribes) seat in the state's northwest region would depend on its legislative member B. Sriramulu contesting, the party official said its chances in the Mysuru region's Mandya and Hassan seats were slim due to lack of its presence and cadres. In Mandya, (100km southwest of Bengaluru), the situation is very fluid due to the imminent threat of secular votes dividing if the JD-S fields its own candidate and Sumalatha, widow of late Congress leader M.H. Ambareesh contests even as an independent, owing to the latter's popularity. Ambareesh, the 66-year-old legendary rebel star of Kannada films from Mandya, died on November 24, 2018 after a brief illness. According to the BJP's reading, the Congress may win 10 seats and the JD-S 2. "Together, they cannot win more than that (10+212)," added Vamanacharya. The coordination committee of the ruling allies have been brain-storming on seat-sharing to field a common candidate against the BJP and others. (Bhavana Akella can be reached at bhavana.a@ians.in & Fakir Balaji at fakir.b@ians.in)  

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FDA chief’s legacy unfinished and at risk

Scott Gottlieb's exit leaves some efforts on vaping, drugs and food in limbo.

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Modimattome vs Modimosa: Hashtag battle after PM accuses K’taka govt of betraying farmers

Politics

“Before ridiculing the initiatives of Govt of Karnataka for farmers, look into your own Govt at how the existing schemes are inaccessible to the needy,” hit back the K’taka CM on Twitter.

TNM Staff

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Karnataka’s Gulbarga district on Wednesday turned out to be another occasion for accusations and counter-accusations by the Centre and state on farm loan waivers and other farmer-related policies. PM Modi said that 12 crore farmers of the country who have 5 acres or less land all over the country will get the benefit of the recently launched Prime Minister Kisan Adhikar Nidhi. Attacking the JD(S)-Congress combine in Karnataka over the issue of not implementing central government schemes, the PM said, “This attitude of the Congress and its supporters against the schemes for the people of the country has caused great damage.” Prime Minister Modi also blamed the Karnataka government for farmers not getting the central government drought relief. Prime Minister Modi said that the delay in depositing the funds to farmers’ accounts directly from the Centre was only because the Karnataka government has not submitted a list of eligible candidates for the Prime Minister Kisan Adhikar Scheme. “There are some such governments (referring to non-BJP-ruled states). They think by transferring money into the accounts of farmers, Modi will hog all limelight. To avoid this, this Karnataka government has stabbed the backs of people. This power-intoxicated Congress and remote-controlled Chief Minister (HD Kumaraswamy) so far has not given the list of eligible farmers to us. They are depriving the farmers of their right. They know that there are no middlemen as the money is to be directly credited to farmers' accounts." He added, “Today the Jandhan account, Aadhaar number and your mobile have created such a trinity that all paths of corruption have been closed. It is now certain that if the central government sends 100 paise then the whole of 100 paise reaches the poor man’s account.” Pitching for his party, the PM called for the re-election of the BJP government saying, “Karnataka has a 'Mazboor' government but I hope you don't want such a government in the Centre. Sometimes we have to pay a heavy price for a small mistake. The people of Karnataka must be experiencing the same.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi's accusations come in the backdrop of Chief Minister Kumaraswamy's blaming the Union government for not providing any relief to farmers, whereas the state government has already waived farm loans of thousands of farmers across the state. Over the last few months, Congress and JD(S) leaders have actively campaigned against Modi and the BJP by alleging that the Prime Minister has let down farmers of Karnataka. Chief Minister Kumaraswamy and former CM Siddaramaiah have also targeted Modi for not creating employment in the state as promised. Modi's speech on Wednesday, political party insiders say, was a counter to his critics.    Within hours of the speech, #ModiMattome (Modi once again) trended on Twitter, while the Congress was quick to counter using #ModiMosa (Liar Modi). The Congress accused the BJP of failing to provide any further relief to the historically backward Hyderabad-Karnataka region. They pointed out that it was the previous Congress government that had given special status to the region through Article 371J. .@INCIndia led UPA gave special status to Hyd-Kar region by including Art 371J in the constitution, thereby providing additional reservation & fund allocation for overall development of the region.Whereas, @BJP4India has failed miserably to provide any relief. #ModiMosa pic.twitter.com/ydty9VYr4q— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) March 6, 2019 The Karnataka Congress in response to the “remote control CM jibe” accused the PM to be remote controlled by rich businessmen. ನೀವು ಶ್ರೀಮಂತ ಉದ್ಯಮಿಗಳ ರಿಮೋಟ್ ಕಂಟ್ರೋಲ್ ಪ್ರಧಾನಿಯೇ @narendramodi ಯವರೆ?ರೈತರ ಸಾಲ ಮನ್ನಾ ಮಾಡಲಿಲ್ಲ,ಉದ್ಯೋಗ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿ ಮಾಡಲೇ ಇಲ್ಲ,ಕೆಲವೇ ಕೆಲವು ಅತಿ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಉದ್ಯಮಿಗಳ ₹ ೩.೫ ಲಕ್ಷ ಕೋಟಿಗೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಸಾಲ ಮನ್ನಾ ಮಾಡಿರುವಿರಿಮೋದಿಯವರೆ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ಗೋಮುಖ ಕಳಚಿ ಬಿದ್ದಿದ್ದು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಬಣ್ಣ ಬಯಲಾಗಿದೆ. #ModiMosa— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) March 6, 2019 Taking to Twitter, Karnataka Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge also questioned the PM over pending payments of MNREGA workers, import policy of Tur and the disparity of funds for drought relief for Maharashtra and Karnataka. He also called Wednesday's rally a damp squib. Besides sloganeering & the regular #ModiMosa stuff, the #Kalaburagi rally turns out to be a damp squib. The most disappointed people will be the new entrants of BJP as they had expected a lot.— Priyank Kharge (@PriyankKharge) March 6, 2019 PM @narendramodi please tell #Kalaburagi :-Why MNREGA state payments of close to 3000 Cr is pending?-Why is Tur being imported when it hurts the farmers of Kalaburagi?-Why Maharashtra gets 4000 Cr & Karnataka gets 800 Cr for drought?-Why aren’t you waiving farmers loans?— Priyank Kharge (@PriyankKharge) March 6, 2019   The official handle of the Karnataka CM also accused the PM of not speaking the truth. In subsequent tweets, he said, “Respected Prime Minister, I expected you to speak the truth while addressing the people at Kalyana Karnataka, the land of Sharanas who advocated Kayaka Tatva.” He added, “Before ridiculing the initiatives of Govt of Karnataka for farmers, look into your own Govt at how the existing schemes are inaccessible to the needy. The Government of Karnataka has paid the wages of MGNREGA from December 2018, with advances from the state fund. Such pending amount, including that of previous years from Government of India, has crossed Rs. 2000 crore. Hon'ble Prime Minister should be aware that GoK has released a waiver list for 15.1 Lakh farmers for about Rs 6076 crore under the loan waiver scheme, which is being implemented transparently.” Before ridiculing the initiatives of Govt of Karnataka for farmers, look into your own Govt at how the existing schemes are inaccessible to the needy. GoK has paid the wages of MGNREGA from Dec. 2018, with advances from the State fund.— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) March 6, 2019

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Lok Sabha seat sharing: Why Congress is reluctant to give JD(S) 10 tickets

Lok Sabha 2019

The Congress and JD(S) in Karnataka, which have decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections as coalition partners seem to be at an impasse over the issue of seat sharing.

Theja Ram

Former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Wednesday told the media that he has asked Congress President Rahul Gandhi to allot 10 tickets to the JD(S). Although the JD(S) had expected the Congress chief to make a decision on the seat sharing, several complaints made by state Congress leaders to the High Command have deterred Rahul Gandhi from taking a call on the issue, Congress sources say. Why is the deal being delayed? The JD(S), which had earlier demanded 12 tickets is now willing to settle for 10. However, Congress leaders in Karnataka are not willing to give JD(S) more than six tickets, Congress insiders say. The primary reason – the Congress has everything to lose from such an agreement, while the JD(S) would have strategically made inroads into Congress strongholds. The JD(S)'s calculation The JD(S)' demand is simple. The state-based party wants nine tickets from South Karnataka and is demanding that Congress face off with the BJP in the northern districts of the state. Some of the seats the JD(S) has demanded are long-time bastions of the Congress, and the party is trying to establish a JD(S) dominance in the region by allying with the party, who was its arch rival in the southern districts in the previous elections. "Except for Mysuru-Kodagu and Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, most of the Old Mysuru-Kodagu districts are bastions of the Congress like Tumakuru and Kolar-Chikkaballapura. Why would Veerappa Moily or Muddahanumegowda want to give up their seats? These are veterans and the party cannot ignore them. Besides, JD(S) is trying take over Congress strongholds by taking advantage of the seat sharing. The JD(S) party workers are ready to support Pratap Simha indirectly if Congress does not give up that segment. This has made many Congress seniors unhappy," a Congress source said. Congress sources said that former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM Parameshwara, and former Union Minister Veerappa Moily are blocking the JD(S)'s request to pick all the seats from Old Mysuru-Kodagu region. Sources said that Siddaramaiah wants to avenge himself by getting a Congress candidate to win from Mysuru-Kodagu, especially since he lost the Chamundeshwari segment to JD(S) leader GT Devegowda in the 2018 Assembly polls. "Losing from his home segment was an insult and he will not give up Mysuru-Kodagu. If the JD(S) puts up a strong candidate in Mysuru, then Rahul Gandhi will have no option but to give the seat away. That is why the party workers want Deve Gowda himself to contest from Mysuru-Kodagu," a JD(S) leader said. What is the Congress offering? Sources in the JD(S) say that the Congress is willing to concede the Shivamogga, Bijapur and Uttara Kannada segments to the JD(S) instead of Mysuru-Kodagu, Tumkur and Kolar-Chikkaballapura. The primary reason being that the JD(S) has not put forth any strong candidates in that region and the party does not want its seniors to be disappointed. "If we give up all our strongholds then we will get tickets to contest from only those segments where the BJP has a strong presence. But these are also the areas where the JD(S) is a non-actor in the political scene. The JD(S) calculation will weaken the Congress in areas where we are strong. Why would anyone agree to such an arrangement?" the Congress source added. Congress President Rahul Gandhi has now appointed KC Venugopal and Danish Ali to decide on which tickets the JD(S) can be given. The state Congress leaders, however, are of the opinion that its coalition partner is not capable of winning more than five seats and giving the JD(S) 10 tickets would be counterproductive. "Deve Gowda will finally agree to six tickets. Congress must be persistent," the Congress source added.    

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JD(S) will contest 10 seats in LS polls: Deve Gowda after meeting with Rahul Gandhi

Politics

According to reports, JD(S) agreed to bring down the number of seats from 12 to 10 after the Congress insisted they will not give up their current seats.

Prajwal Bhat

Former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Wednesday said that the party has agreed to lower their demand for 12 Lok Sabha seats to 10 seats in Karnataka as part of the pre-poll arrangement with their alliance, the Congress. This statement comes after JD(S) met with Congress President Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “In Karnataka, we have a coalition with the Congress. While Congress is a national party, mine is a regional party. Earlier, I had demanded 12 seats, but today I have asked National President Rahul Gandhi for 10 seats, in the presence of the Congress National General Secretary KK Venugopal. Venugopal and Danish Ali [Secretary General of JD(S)] will discuss the issue about the constituencies and ultimately, the final decision will be taken by Rahul Gandhi,” Deve Gowda told the media. A source in the Congress party, however, said that a final decision in the seat-sharing is yet to be taken. According to reports, the JD(S) agreed to bring down the number of seats after the Congress maintained that they will not give up any of the seats they currently hold. The bone of contention between the two parties is the Tumkuru and Chikkaballapura seats held by the Congress. JD(S) has insisted that the party wants to field their candidate from the two constituencies.   Congress leaders have previously insisted that the JD(S) has strong candidates in only five or six constituencies in the state. “If the Congress does not give JD(S) tickets in Tumakuru, Chikkaballapura and Mysuru-Kodagu, then the latter will withdraw support to the Congress and indirectly support the BJP,” the Congress source told TNM. According to a source in the JD(S0 party, “Although the two parties have agreed on 10 seats for JDS, they have not agreed on the specific constituencies from where each party will contest. The JD(S) sought 10 seats in all, with nine from south Karnataka and one more from Kodagu.” In the 2014 General Assembly Elections, the BJP had won 16 seats, the Congress 10 and the JD-S had won two. Shortly after Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy won the floor test following the state elections in Karnataka last year, the top brass of the Congress and the JD(S) had decided to forge a pre-poll alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.  

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Rebel Congress MLA Umesh Jadhav joins BJP, to contest against Kharge?

Politics

Umesh joined the BJP at the rally being addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kalaburagi.

TNM Staff

Umesh Jadhav, the Karnataka MLA who submitted his resignation to the Assembly Speaker on Monday, joined the BJP on Wednesday at a rally in Kalaburagi.“I am very happy and very proud to be part of BJP. They have welcomed me very well. I beg you to give me a chance because a nationalist party and Modi have gained world renown,” Umesh reportedly said. He joined the party at the rally being addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kalaburagi. Umesh joined the party in the presence of the BJP’s Karnataka chief BS Yeddyurappa. Umesh, a two-time MLA from Chincholi in Kalaburagi district, submitted his resignation to Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar on March 4. According to political observers, Umesh is likely to contest against Congress heavyweight Mallikarjun Kharge, the current leader of the party in Lok Sabha, from Gulbarga in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Mallikarjun Kharge has won the Assembly elections nine times in a row and has been the MP for two terms now. Umesh has been disgruntled with Mallikarjun Kharge and his son Priyank as he did not get inducted into the cabinet whereas Priyank, a first-time MLA, did. In the 2018 election, he did not get a ministerial position once again. "The Congress has done everything it could with Jadhav. He was power hungry and has been dissenting against the party's leadership. He is an opportunist. We are disappointed with him," Congress state unit president Dinesh Gundu Rao told the media when Umesh submitted his resignation. Umesh was one of the four MLAs whom the Congress top brass wanted to be disqualified for not following the party whip in attending the Budget session of the state Assembly. On Feb 11, a petition was submitted by Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and Dinesh Gundu Rao to the Speaker under the anti-defection law. In a tweet on Tuesday, Siddaramaiah tweeted that Umesh’s resignation cannot be accepted. “We had already petitioned to disqualify 4 MLAs, including Jadav, as per anti-defection law for involving in anti-party activities. Resignation cannot be accepted without deciding our petition. Let us leave it to the speaker to decide,” he tweeted. We had already petitioned to disqualify 4 MLAs, including Jadav, as per anti-defection law for involving in anti-party activities. Resignation cannot be accepted without deciding our petition. Let us leave it to the speaker to decide. 4/4 — Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) March 5, 2019

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