EC probing cash-for-votes charge against Karnataka Min DK Shivakumar

Politics

In its complaint, the BJP alleged that Shivakumar was distributing cash to local influential leaders to distribute to voters on the day of bye-polls in Kundgol.

IANS

The Election Commission (EC) has ordered an inquiry into a charge by the BJP that Karnataka Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar distributed cash to voters ahead of the May 19 by-election in the Kundagola Assembly segment in Dharwad, an official said on Tuesday. "We have asked our District Electoral Officer M. Deepa to inquire into the allegation that the Minister was distributing cash to voters and community leaders," Karnataka's Additional Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K.G. Jagadeesha told IANS here. In a complaint to the state CEO on Monday, BJP legal cell member M. Vinod Kumar alleged that Shivakumar, staying at Hotel Cotton County near Hubli airport and campaigning for Congress candidate Kusumavati Channabasappa, was distributing cash to also local influential leaders to distribute it to the voters ahead of the polling day. "As the BJP complaint was without audio or video evidence, we have asked the DEO to crosscheck with our flying squads and observers deployed in the Assembly segment to prevent any malpractice or violation of the model code of conduct," said Jagadeesha. The party candidate (Kusumavati) is the widow of Congress Minister for Municipalities C.S. Shivalli, whose death on March 22 necessitated the bye-poll. The BJP had fielded S.I. Chikkanagoudar, who lost to Shivalli by just 633 votes in Assembly elections in May 2018.

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5 key questions about the country's first public option

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Karnataka government launches district-wise call centres for water scarcity complaints

Water

To avail this service, people have to dial their district code followed by 10771.

Harshitha AB

The Karnataka government has introduced district-wise call centres for citizens to file complaints of water scarcity in their districts. This comes at a time when 3122 taluks of the state are facing scarcity of water. A state-level call centre exists, but district-level call centres have been established in order to ensure swift action by district administrations. To use this service, people have to dial their district code followed by 10771. Commenting on the process of filing complaints and how these complaints are addressed, K Nagesh, a geologist at the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, said, “Once the complaint is filed, the Executive Officer in charge of that particular village is given directions to examine the water problems in the village of the complainant. They then produce reports to the Panchayat Development officer to supply water to the same. One single complaint from the resident of a village is enough to demand action. It is not necessary for a large number of people to file complaints.” Villages with private borewells nearby are connected via pipelines, while other areas receive drinking water through tankers. Somashekhar, a statistical officer at State Emergency Operation System of Revenue Department (Disaster Management) stated that water was being supplied to 27 districts, where 1365 villages receive water through 2184 tankers. He added that for supplying water to 1256 villages, 1652 private borewells have been hired. “We are using part of the Calamity Relief Fund for this purpose. For the implementation of this policy, we have already released Rs 2 crore for each drought-affected taluk,” he added. According to Nagesh, the district-wise call centre facility is a temporary measure in order to combat drought problems in the state. “It is just an alternative measure which will continue to operate until rainfall increases the groundwater level,” he said.

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Mangaluru man assaulted by mob for ‘being gay’: 3 arrested

Crime

Videos shared widely on social media showed the mob assaulting the victim and forcibly cutting his hair with a sickle.

Arza Safiya

Mangaluru police have arrested three individuals, a day after the police took-up a suo motu case against a mob for attacking Daiva Patri Rajesh*. The mob assaulted Rajesh alleging that he is gay and was in a sexual relationship with another local resident. A Daiva Patri is a performer who invokes holy spirits during rituals.  The arrests were made after police officials at Barke police station in the city took note of videos shared widely on social media of a man being assaulted by a mob and registered a suo-motu case.  According to the police, the allegations by the mob is of little significance since the Supreme Court has struck down provisions of Section 377 in 2018. "The male partner of Rajesh was a major, so no case can be made against him. Whereas, the three individuals have gravely assaulted Rajesh - for which we have taken action," a police official said. In the two videos, one of which was 1:11 minutes and another 4:31 minutes, the mob speaking in Tulu alleged that Rajesh Poojary was indulging in sexual acts with a man and assaulted him. The victim Rajesh Poojary, a Daiva Patri is seen being questioned by the crowd. He was also dragged by the crowd and repeatedly assaulted by them. The crowd while questioning (inaudible) Rajesh, hurled abuses and attempts to tear off his shirt. Taking note of his long hair, the crowd initially brought an ordinary razor blade to shave-off his long hair, usually displayed by Daiva Patris, to which a lone woman (Rajesh’s mother) is seen pleading the crowd to stop. She is heard saying, "Don’t chop his hair”, while blocking her son’s head. However, the crowd paid no heed to her appeals. An unidentified voice in the crowd is heard saying, “You go back, he thinks he can do all that to a boy and get away. What if something had gone wrong". Another voice is heard telling the woman “What if, someone had done something to your own daughter. Go on, cut the hair,” they told each other. The crowd, clearly inexperienced in cutting hair, gave up on the idea of shaving Rajesh’s hair with the ordinary razor blade, then uses a small sickle (used ceremoniously to cut beetle nut) to chop the pony hair, while ordering Rajesh to remove the bangle (worn by a Daiva Patri). Few in the crowd were seen discouraging the angry mob from assaulting Rajesh. Meanwhile, Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sandeep Patil told the media that police are investigating a suo-motu case. “Irrespective of any allegation, nobody authorised to assault another individual. The case has been registered at Barke Police station, investigation will follow,” he said. Story by Story Infinity (Subs and Scribes Media Ventures LLP.)

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Why the Karnataka Medical Council is against online consultation apps

Health

The Karnataka Medical Council has recently denounced the use of such apps, going so far as to say that they should be banned.

Dr Nimeshika Jayachandran

Gone are the days where visiting the doctor for a check-up took a significant amount of time and effort. Recently, several online medical consultation platforms and apps have sprouted up, which allow people to seek medical advice from a doctor with their smartphones. However, the Karnataka Medical Council (KMC) has recently denounced the use of such apps, going so far as to say that they should be banned. “Online consultation using these apps violates ethical medical practice. These apps are unethical and there is no question about it,” states Karnataka Medical Council Vice President Dr Kanchi Prahlad. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has listed a code of medical ethics which all doctors must adhere to, and the KMC feels that providing consultations over online platforms violates this code. The doctor further notes that it is only when consultations are done in person that the patient examined is properly, allowing for any later complications to be avoided. The KMC states that this is the same as “playing with a patient’s life.” However, this view is not shared by all doctors. Many medical practitioners feel that online consultations may save time and allow for more people to access healthcare. Patients, on the other hand, get almost instant access to a doctor who can then prescribe medication or lab tests as deemed necessary. One Bengaluru based physician notes that utilising such a platform has made it easier to reach more people and added that patients might find it easier to approach someone online out of fear of being shamed. Responding to arguments such as this, the KMC has one question: how can the quality of healthcare be effectively assessed? “It can’t be determined properly, that’s the whole point,” adds Dr Kanchi. While the KMC takes cognisance of the role played by technology in the healthcare industry, it dismisses the virtual platforms which give medical advice. The problem doesn’t end there alone. An online presence means that patients have the ability to be relatively more anonymous than in person. This opens up another set of concerns altogether with regard to safety and confidentiality. Dr Sweta Singh, a gynaecologist from NCR, received a really awkward query from a man in November 2016. The 35-year-old patient wanted to know if it was possible that a child he had sexually assaulted could get pregnant. While she took the appropriate action against the man, the process took time as she did not have access to his contact details. The KMC has sought for such apps and platforms to be banned, the outcome of which is yet to be known.

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Thunderstorms with scattered rainfall expected in Bengaluru over next two days

Weather

Besides Bengaluru, coastal and central Karnataka will also get rain.

TNM Staff

Officials in the Karnataka Disaster Management Department have warned of thunderstorms along with lightning and scattered rainfall in Bengaluru and rest of south interior Karnataka for the next two days. Thunderstorm activity accompanied with light to moderate rains is also forecast for isolated places in central and coastal Karnataka from Tuesday onwards. However, the northern part of the state is not expected to get any rainfall. At the same time, the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre has warned that maximum temperatures are likely to be above normal at many places in the state during the next 24 to 48 hours.  A note from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) also said, “Thunderstorm with gusty winds speed reaching upto 30-40 kmph and lightning likely to occur at isolated places over Bangalore Rural, Bangalore Urban, Chikkamagaluru, Chamarajanagara, Chikkaballapura, Hassan, Kodagu, Kolar, Mandya, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Ramanagara and Tumakuru.” This comes after all five southern states in India were expected to receive rain and thunderstorms over the weekend due to the current western disturbance and ongoing moisture incursion from the Arabian Sea. Fishermen have been warned not to venture into the sea off the coasts of Karnataka, Kerala and Lakshadweep. For the period of May 13, 8:30 am to May 14, 8:30 am, Maddur in Mandya got the highest rainfall of 66mm.  Anekal in Bengaluru Urban received the highest rainfall of 19.5mm rainfall in Bengaluru district for the same period.  Many parts of south Bengaluru also saw close to 40mm of rain which resulted in inundation of streets and slowing down of traffic on Monday. BTM Layout was one such neighbourhood which was majorly affected. The waterlogging was so severe that Traffic Police closed down the 29th Main Road temporarily, both for vehicles and people on foot, fearing people might drown. Water entered homes in some low lying areas while basements of apartment complexes saw water entering parked cars. Other areas that were affected were Indiranagar, Kengeri, Koramangala and Kodichikkanahalli among others.    

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Private Karnataka schools allege sudden 20% hike in price of textbooks by govt

Education

The Associated Managements of English Medium Schools has demanded that the price be rolled back and the books be delivered on time.

Haripriya Suresh

Image for representation

Private schools in Karnataka were in for a shock, as the textbooks that schools procured for students has seen a sudden hike of 20-22%. According to the Associated Managements of English Medium Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), schools were told to pay one price when they placed the order for books with the Karnataka Textbook Society. Based on this figure, schools collected money from parents for the books for the upcoming academic year. However, when it was time to pay, schools noticed that the amount they had to pay was about 20% higher than they were initially informed. KAMS submitted a complaint to the Commissioner of the Department of Public Instruction to roll back the price and deliver the books on time, failing which legal action could be taken. “At this point of time your Department of Text Book Society who are also private body for no profit registered under the society act has now published new rate list without earlier intimations, this now has caused huge hike of price ranging between 20 % plus,” the complaint states. As per the complaint, it asks on what basis the prices have been hiked, as the price of paper has remained the same. It also states that the books aren’t being delivered on time, and despite this prices have been hiked. School managements have an indent for books needed for the next academic year in December-January, and place an order with the Text Book department accordingly. Private schools buy these books, while it is given for free to government schools. This process now takes place online, and schools ask parents to pay them the fee for the books, which schools then pay online in order to procure them. KAMS says that the price increased by 20% when it was time to pay, whereas parents had paid the lower figure. “When the payments were supposed to be made, we found that there were there was a 20+% rise. Whatever it is, they have not told us and this has happened within two months,” says Shashi Kumar, principal of Blossoms School and general secretary of KAMS, who also filed the complaint. For Class 1, the prices of some books were not raised, some were raised by Rs 1, and some by as much as Rs 10. “Either roll back or come out in public saying we have raised. Because of these people, we will be seen as the culprits. They (parents) think that we have raised.” Shashi Kumar says that the perception is that private schools are the one who take money, but that it was the government’s doing and not theirs. However, speaking to The New Indian Express, HN Gopalkrishna, Director of the Department of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT), said that a statement on the price hike would be shared on Tuesday. "Price revision is an annual exercise. The 20 per cent increase is only for a few books which are printed fewer in numbers. So far, 80 per cent of the orders are printed and 60 per cent is already given out. The distribution will be completed in a week’s time,” he said.

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