Probe ordered after insects found in rice meant for Bengaluru anganwadis

Health

Officials confirmed that at least three anganwadi centres in Bengaluru were stocking food which had insects in them.

Soumya Chatterjee

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While the controversy over Akshaya Patra refusing to serve food cooked with onion and garlic in their midday meals in schools continues, the midday meal programme for anganwadis in Bengaluru has now made news for the wrong reasons. Bugs and insects have been found breeding in pulses and rice grains kept in the godowns and anganwadi centres in North Bengaluru.  “Lakshmannagara Centre in Okkalipura and two other centres in Yehalanka had insects in the food. We will be replacing all the food materials which are unfit for consumption. Our department will issue a notice to the MSNPC. This might have occurred due to the sudden change of weather, and some of the food was left unused as there were summer holidays in May,”  Meenakshi, Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) Central told TNM. The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) in Karnataka has now instituted a high-level inquiry into the quality of food stocked in the state government’s Mahila Supplementary Nutrition Production and Training Centres (MSNPC). Food stocked in these godowns is supplied to anganwadis. While top officials of the department including the minister’s office remained tightlipped, the WCD Ministry’s Director Arundathi Chandrashekar visited anganwadis in the city to check the quality of food supplies. Officials who did not wish to be identified confirmed that the Director has filed her inquiry report citing multiple irregularities. “Immediate, firm action against the errant officials will be taken for causing this blunder,” an officer in the WCD department said. The officials tasked with making arrangements have been asked to reply by June 22 explaining the reasons how the bugs were found in the foodgrains.  “Today, our supervisor visited more than 70 centres and none of them had any problem with the food,” Meenakshi added. Started as part of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) in 1978 by the union government, anganwadis guarantee nutrition, basic healthcare and immunisation programmes for children under the age of six across India. Over the years, anganwadis had expanded to cater to other social development schemes like providing midday meals to pregnant women from economically weak backgrounds in Karnataka. The WCD Minister Jayamala and Food & Civil Supplies Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, could not be reached for comment. Officials confirmed that the situation was not the same throughout the city. An ICDS supervisor on condition of anonymity said that schools in her cluster were receiving the standard quality of food.

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'I am in pain everyday': CM Kumaraswamy on leading coalition govt in Karnataka

Politics

This is not the first time Kumaraswamy has complained about the internal struggles affecting the functioning of the coalition government.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has once again bemoaned that he is ‘in pain’ as he ensures that the coalition government in Karnataka continues to function. Speaking at an event in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy said, "The pain that I have felt, I don't speak out. I may be the Chief Minister but I am experiencing pain every day. If I tell you that, people will ask, ‘who will solve the problems of the state?’ For that reason, I should tell officials that this government is secure and give confidence that this government will function. These responsibilities have fallen upon me.” This is not the first time Kumaraswamy has spoken up about the internal struggles affecting the functioning of the coalition government. However, he refused to be drawn into a discussion over it. Earlier in July 2018, Kumaraswamy had broken down while speaking about the 'pain' of heading a coalition government in Bengaluru. He had compared his predicament to Lord Shiva and claimed that he was swallowing the pain of the government. His latest complaint comes at a time the future of the alliance government in Karnataka has been questioned. The coalition government has had to withstand efforts from the BJP to topple it. Kumaraswamy had also alleged that the BJP had offered Rs. 10 crore to a JD(S) MLA to jump ship and withdraw support to the coalition government. In his one year as the head of the coalition government in Karnataka, Kumaraswamy has also repeatedly clashed with the media and has accused media personnel of misreporting and misquoting him. He has also vowed to discontinue speaking to television reporters.

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Karnataka Pradesh Congress dissolved: What the revamp means for the party

Politics

The AICC has dissolved the present committee of the KPCC, with only President Dinesh Gundu Rap and Working President Eshwar Khandre remaining unchanged.

Theja Ram

The All India Congress Committee on Wednesday dissolved the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). The AICC has decided to disband all structures within the KPCC including the district and block Congress committees. The move comes weeks after the drubbing in the Lok Sabha Election, where the ruling JD(S)-Congress combine managed to win only one constituency each out of the 28 seats in the state.  AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal on Wednesday issued a press statement stating the same. “The AICC has decided to dissolve the present committee of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. The President and Working President [Dinesh Gundu Rao and Eshwar Khandre] remain unchanged," the press statement said. Speaking to TNM, KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao said, "Congress President gave approval. Now we have to reorganise the party at district and block levels also. It is going to be a total revamp of the party at all levels."  Sources in the Congress reveal that the blunders made by the existing heads of various committees in Karnataka and the growing failures of state leaders, has led the AICC to make this decision. The decision is seen as a move to clean up disorganised party structures and rooting out non-performers to bring in a new team. Speaking to TNM, a Congress functionary says that in the heels of the massive set back in the Lok Sabha Elections, the leaders in New Delhi decided to clean up the party and restructure it, and Karnataka is where they plan to start. The non-performing seniors The last three to four years of the Karnataka Congress has witnessed the party spiral down due to a multitude of reasons including strategies going awry; senior leaders clinging on to power, unwilling to allow those capable a chance to prove themselves; and most importantly the factionalism, which has left a gaping hole in the party’s unity. Congress insiders say that the move to dissolve the KPCC is seen as the high command’s decision to warn senior leaders and their loyalists that infighting and lack of unity would inadvertently have consequences. “For over 10 years, most of the District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents and the members of these district committees have been those who support Dr G Parameshwara. They have been around the block since he was the KPCC President. The national leaders wanted to change them ahead of the Assembly and Lok Sabha Elections but Parameshwara convinced the high command not to do so. They did not deliver in the key constituencies, where Congress could have won easily. This decision is a way to tell Parameshwara that he must concentrate on being the Deputy CM and forget about managing party affairs,” a Congress functionary said. Clipping Siddaramaiah’s wings Known as a strategist and a mass leader, Siddaramaiah, who was always looked upon as an outsider due to his previous role in the JD(S), was accepted by several key figures in the Congress after he became the Chief Minister. However, his detractors were a constant reminder that he could easily be overpowered if he did not keep his cards close and more importantly, a tight grip over the workings of both the party and the government. “Siddaramaiah began making a series of bad decisions. The first was alienating the huge Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Kodava and other communities in Karnataka when he started the Kannada pride movement,” a Congress leader alleged. Although it was not such a big blunder, the second was the separate Lingayat religion movement, which drove a deep wedge, enough to bring down the party’s credibility in the northern and central parts of Karnataka. The third big mistake, sources say, are the digs he took at former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch Deve Gowda during the 2018 Assembly Elections, which lowered the party’s image in the eyes of the Vokkaliga community. “When he became the CM, many leaders had advised the high command that Parameshwara must become Deputy CM and DK Shivakumar must be named the KPCC President. Siddaramaiah did not allow that to happen. Over the years, especially during the Assembly Elections in 2018, he began making bad decisions one after another and he was never held accountable,” the source alleged. The last straw, a senior Congress leader says, was when Siddaramaiah began controlling the appointments in the KPCC whilst favouring only those from the Kuruba community. “From an Ahinda leader, he became a Kuruba leader. Communities that felt alienated moved to the BJP but Siddaramaiah refused to change his stance,” the source alleged. Congress insiders say that the national leaders are now driven to hold Siddaramaiah accountable for his actions and ensure that the decisions he makes henceforth are for the benefit of the party and not for personal gains or for the benefit of his followers. Sources indicated that in the coming days, Siddaramaiah mY be removed from the post of the Chairman of Coalition Co-ordination Committee.    

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Jindal land row: Yeddyurappa says CM Kumaraswamy is either 'lying or ignorant or both'

Politics

Meanwhile, two more Congress MLAs have publicly opposed the controversial land deal.

TNM Staff

In the latest development on the controversial Jindal (JSW Steel Ltd) land deal in Ballari, BJP state President BS Yeddyurappa on Tuesday accused Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of “lying or being ignorant”. BS Yeddyurappa on Tuesday tweeted, “Either the @CMofKarnataka is lying or ignorant or both. It a well-known fact that CBI Court cleared me & my family members of blatantly false, politically motivated charges that were heaped on us.” “Failing to have answers to the daylight robbery of our farmer's lands, a panicked CM is trying to mislead the people with more lies and false accusations,” he added. Either the @CMofKarnataka is lying or ignorant or both. It a well-known fact that CBI Court cleared me & my family members of blatantly false, politically motivated charges that were heaped on us. pic.twitter.com/uNsD6Mz0Bj— B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) June 18, 2019 The statements from Yeddyurappa came in response to the CM accusing him of receiving kickbacks from Jindal in the tune of Rs 20 crore. The CM’s allegations came as it became apparent that Yeddyurappa wouldn't accept the CM’s offer to discuss the issue. "Why did Jindal give him Rs 20 crore cheque? Whether it was Yeddyurappa or who did the lease-cum-sale for Jindal? Who signed it? So I invited them, let's not discuss on streets, come let's discuss. Still, my government is open (for discussion)," the CM told reporters on Monday. Although Yeddyurappa was indicted by the Lokayukta, a special court had acquitted him and his family members of all charges. Meanwhile, in addition to senior Congress MLA HK Patil, two more Congress MLAs Anand Singh and Anil Lad have objected to the government’s proposal to go ahead with the absolute sale deed of iron-rich land in Ballari to Jindal’s JSW Limited at a throwaway price. Echoing the BJP line, Anand Singh in a press conference flanked by Anil Lad, said, “The government should stop giving lands to companies through lease cum sale deed. If such decisions were taken in the past, the government should annul it." The controversy In 2006, the state government had allotted 2,000 acres of land to Jindal on a lease-and-sale agreement for six years at a rate of Rs 90,000 per acre, in addition to another 1,700 acres for 10 years at Rs 1.22 lakh per acre. Accordingly, these two land parcels were to be sanctioned for sale based on conditions of employment generation. In the cabinet meeting on May 27, the cabinet gave a nod to the sale deal, setting the price at Rs 1.22 lakh per acre for the first parcel of land and Rs 1.5 lakh per acre for the second parcel of land triggering protests from the BJP. Even senior Congress MLA HK Patil publicly opposed the decision and met the Chief Minister on the issue. He also claimed that JSW Steel Ltd owed Rs 1,200 crore to Mysore Minerals Ltd as of May 27. According to activists opposing the deal, the price of the land at the present rate is around Rs 1 crore per acre. Since the government’s announcement of the same, the BJP had opposed it and even held a three-day protest on the issue. Under pressure, HD Kumaraswamy who was initially silent on the issue chose to refer the matter again to a cabinet sub-committee.

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Ambulance driver involved in accident that killed 5 on B'luru airport road denied bail

Crime

The ambulance driver, driving a government-run ambulance of the National Ambulance Service, jumped the median of the Ballari road elevated expressway and hit a car coming in the opposite direction on May 27.

TNM Staff

A Bengaluru sessions court denied bail to an ambulance driver who was arrested earlier this month after his vehicle hit a car coming from the opposite direction killing a family of five near Yelahanka, according to reports.  The ambulance driver, driving a government-run ambulance of the National Ambulance Service, jumped the median of the Ballari road elevated expressway and hit a car coming in the opposite direction on May 27. The ambulance was heading towards the airport.  Channabasappa, the 30-year-old ambulance driver, told the sessions court that he was attending an emergency case when the accident took place. He also said that he swerved towards the median to avoid hitting another vehicle which had suddenly braked.  However, a probe into the incident found that even though Channabasappa was on official duty, he was heading to his residence in Devanahalli.  The sessions court cited the famous Alister Anthony Pereira case of 2012 in its judgement. In the case, Alister was accused of mowing down seven persons in Mumbai's Carter Road and the Supreme Court, in its decision, noted that his negligent driving amounted to culpable homicide not amounting to murder. "Here is a case where the accused being a responsible government servant and having knowledge of the consequences of his act of driving, drove his vehicle in a rash and negligent manner, crossed the divider and hit an oncoming vehicle which resulted in the death of five innocent lives. Hence the act of the investigating officer in pressing section IPC 304 at this stage is valid," said K Narayana Prasad, 55th additional city, civil and sessions judge, as per Times of India. The force of the accident was such that the car was mangled following the incident and firemen had to be brought in to lift the bodies out of the car.  Dipankar Dey (46); his wife, Swagata Chaudhury (42); their son, Dhruva Dey (14); Swagata’s sister, Sujaya (45) and their mother Jayanthi (65) lost their lives in the accident, as per The Hindu. 

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Congress suspends Bengaluru MLA Roshan Baig for 'anti-party' activities

Politics

He had recently criticised senior Congress leaders over the poor results in the Lok Sabha elections and was also linked to a Ponzi scheme in his constituency involving IMA Jewels.

TNM Staff

Congress leader and former minister Roshan Baig, who recently criticised senior Congress leaders over poor results in the Lok Sabha elections and has been linked to a Ponzi scheme in his constituency, was suspended by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Tuesday. He was suspended for indulging in 'anti-party' activities. "All India Congress Committee has approved the proposal sent by KPCC to take action against Roshan Baig on account of his anti-party activities. He has been suspended from the party with immediate effect on the basis of an inquiry conducted on the matter," according to a release by the party. Baig had criticised All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader and Karnataka in-charge KC Venugopal, KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. In particular, he had termed Siddaramaiah as 'arrogant' and Dinesh as 'immature' in an outburst against the party's functioning.  He had also hinted at leaving the party and reports had suggested he was joining the BJP. Congress had given him a showcause notice to which he had not responded.  Roshan is a seven-time MLA in the Congress and he had also expressed his unhappiness at being left out of the coalition cabinet under Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy  Recently, he has been linked to a Ponzi scheme in his Shivajinagar constituency run by the founder of IMA Jewels, who allegedly defrauded hundreds of investors, mostly Muslims, in Bengaluru.  Even though Roshan dismissed his link to the scheme, senior Congress leaders have said that Roshan had approached them along with Mansoor Khan, the founder and owner of IMA Jewels. Mansoor, in a widely circulated audio clip, claimed that he had paid Rs 400 crore to Roshan Baig which had not been returned to him, an allegation denied by Roshan. KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday said that Roshan's links to the scam will be brought to the notice of the AICC.  A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is currently probing the case and the number of complaints from investors has risen to more than 38,000.   

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‘2 teams with two visions’: Health friction worsens between Trump aides and HHS

Despite the tensions, Alex Azar is not perceived to be at risk of losing his job.

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