Bengaluru civic body fines Bescom Rs 25 lakh for illegally digging up new road

Civic Issues

This is reportedly the first time that the BBMP has taken action against a government agency as until now, only private firms were penalised for damaging roads.

TNM Staff

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bengaluru’s civic body, has imposed a penalty of Rs 25 lakh on power utility Bescom for illegally digging up a newly laid road and a sidewalk.  This incident happened near the Marathahalli police station on a stretch which runs along the Outer Ring Road and is a part of the tech corridor.  “We have issued a fine of Rs 25 lakh. The action was initiated as per directions issued by the chief secretary. The amount does not include the road restoration charge of Rs 4.7 lakh which will be levied separately on Bescom,” BBMP chief engineer S Somashekhar told the Times of India.  This is reportedly the first time that the BBMP has taken action against a government agency as until now, only private firms were penalised for damaging roads.  Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar, who was reportedly livid when he came to know about the alleged damage caused by Bescom, said that if Bescom has taken approval, then BBMP should restore it promptly, otherwise, penalty should be imposed in addition to the full restoration charge and (registration of) an FIR.  He has directed BBMP to initiate action on Wednesday.  Irked with the unplanned digging, especially on newly laid roads, residents and activists have been complaining for long, the ToI report adds.  TV Mohandas Pai, who is the chairman of Aarin Capital, has called for prosecution of Bescom and suspension of officials. “They must pay the penalty personally; we cannot have this adjust madi attitude with taxpayers’ money,” he wrote. Pointing out the rampant illegal digging, KB Rathnakar Reddy, a consultant for Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) told ToI that parts of Hennur Road, which also serves as an alternative path to the Kempegowda International Airport, have been dug up over five times in about a year. 

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Karnataka crisis live blog: Trust vote to decide fate of Cong-JD(S) coalition

Politics

The trust vote will most likely happen after a discussion in the legislative assembly.

TNM Staff

The crucial trust vote that will determine the future of the Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka, is likely to take place in the Karnataka assembly on Thursday. The trust vote will most likely happen after a discussion in the legislative assembly. However, the Supreme Court's decision on Wednesday that the rebel MLAs cannot be forced to follow a whip and appear for the trust vote has stacked the numbers heavily against the ruling coalition. HD Kumaraswamy and the Congress were banking on the Speaker to disqualify the MLAs, but with the SC's intervention, which many have criticised as going against the Anti-Defection Bill, the coalition is even likely to delay the vote. Currently, the ruling coalition has 102 legislators in its kitty. The BJP has 107 MLAs on its side including 105 MLAs and the two independents. (Note: Please wait for a few moments for the live blog to load. If it doesn't, disable your Adblocker.)   

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Congress says SC ruling on Karnataka crisis 'terrible judicial precedent'

Political Crisis

Meanwhile, Karnataka's BJP unit on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court verdict on the joint petitions of the Congress-JD-S rebel legislators.

IANS

The Congress on Wednesday described the Supreme Court order stating that 15 party Karnataka MLAs who have tendered their resignation cannot be compelled to participate in the proceedings of the House as a "terrible judicial precedent". Congress media in-charge and spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, in a series of tweets said, "Supreme Court's order nullifying the Whip and by extension, operation of Constitution's Xth Schedule to punish MLAs betraying the public mandate, sets a terrible judicial precedent! Blanket protection to MLA's, who are driven not by ideology but by far baser concerns, is unheard-of." Questioning the Supreme Court ruling, the Congress leader said, "Does this mean Court can interfere with the working of the State Legislature by deciding when a Whip will be enforced? And abandonment of the Basic Structure doctrine of Separation of Powers?" "Tragic that Supreme Court didn't appreciate the context and designed history of defections to subvert democratic mandates by Modi government over last 5 years. Supreme Court should recall own judgement of May 2016 striking down the illegal attempt of BJP in Uttarakhand to form government," Surjewala added. His remarks came soon after the Supreme Court ruled that 15 Congress MLAs, who have tendered their resignations, cannot be compelled to participate in the proceedings of the House. The top court also said the Speaker is free to decide on the resignation of the MLAs as per the Constitution. According to the order, the MLAs are free to skip the trust vote in the Karnataka Assembly slated for Thursday. Meanwhile, a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party's Karnataka unit on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court verdict on the joint petitions of the Congress-JD-S rebel legislators for directing the Assembly Speaker to decide on their resignations and allowing them to skip the session on Thursday for the trust vote, to be moved by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy. "We welcome the verdict, which is a victory for democracy and the Constitution. It is better Kumaraswamy resigns forthwith than seek a trust vote in the Assembly when his coalition government has no numbers to prove majority," BJP's state unit president BS Yeddyurappa told reporters in Bengaluru. In view of the apex court's order leaving the choice of attending the Assembly to the rebels and that they cannot be compelled to participate in the trust vote, Yeddyurappa said even if the ruling allies (Congress and JD-S) issue a whip to be present in the House and vote in favour of the confidence motion, it will not apply to the 15 rebels who sought the top court's permission to abstain. "The whip won't apply to the 15 MLAs who have resigned. They can't be coerced into attending the Assembly session," asserted Yeddyurappa.

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Sanders swipes at rivals, makes a case for 'Medicare for All'

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Sanders calls on Democratic rivals to reject drug, insurance industry donations

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Relief for HD Kumaraswamy, MLA Ramalinga Reddy to support him in trust vote

Politics

Ramalinga Reddy said he has decided to stay with the Congress.

TNM Staff

Veteran Congress leader and MLA from BTM Layout in Bengaluru Ramalinga Reddy on Wednesday evening announced that he would continue with the Congress party. It is also confirmed that Reddy has assured the Congress that he will vote in favour of the trust vote. Reddy, who was one among the rebel legislators, had tendered his resignation to the Speaker on July 6 along with 11 other MLAs. In a statement to the media, Ramalinga Reddy said that after several rounds of talks with the Congress leaders and the high command, he had decided to stay with the Congress. “Due to several occurrences within the Congress party, I had resigned on July 6, 2018 as the MLA of BTM Layout. I have never sought or demanded a ministerial post. I have been with the Congress party for the last 45 years and I have been an MLA seven times. I had only resigned as an MLA but I had never said I would move away from the Congress,” Ramalinga Reddy’s statement reads. The veteran leader and former Home Minister of the state also said that he had received several pleas from party workers requesting him to withdraw his resignation. However, Reddy did not specify whether he would withdraw his resignation. “I have received numerous letters and pleas from party workers who have asked me to withdraw my resignation. Several leaders from the party have also asked me to do the same. In light of these developments, I would like to say that I will continue with the Congress party,” the statement said. Speaking to the media, Ramalinga Reddy said that he would not make any announcement about his resignation to the media and that he would first discuss it with the Speaker. “I tendered my resignation to the Speaker. I will not talk about whether I am withdrawing my resignation or not. I will discuss it with the Speaker and then make an announcement,” Ramalinga Reddy added. Unlike the other rebels who resigned and flew to Mumbai stay at Renaissance Hotel, Ramalinga Reddy had remained in Bengaluru and persisted that he was with the Congress party. Currently Congress MLAs including Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak), Byrathi Basavaraj (KR Puram), ST Somashekhar (Yeshwanthpura), BC Patil (Hirekerur), Shivaram Hebbar (Yellapur), Prathapgouda Patil (Maski), MTB Nagaraj (Hoskote) and Mahesh Kumathalli (Athani) are in Mumbai’s Renaissance Hotel along with JD(S) MLAs K Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout), AH Vishwanath (Hunasuru) and Narayana Gowda (Krishanarajapete) However, Congress rebels including Munirathna Naidu (RR Nagar), Roshan Baig (Shivajinagar), K Sudhakar (Chikkaballapura) and Anand Singh (Vijayanagara) have remained in Karnataka but have refused to withdraw their resignations.    

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Environmentalists protest against Karnataka CM for transferring Bannerghatta forest official

Environment

This is the second time in a year, that the CM is facing protests from the greens against the transfer of forest officers.

Soumya Chatterjee

Environmentalists in and around Bengaluru are angry with Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy for transferring out popular IFS officer RFO Ganesh Rao amid the ongoing political crisis. Rao who was posted as the Range Forest Officer in Bannerghatta has now been ordered to serve at the Karnataka Rubber Board office in Sulia. They urged the Chief Minister to immediately withdraw the transfer order. To pressurise the CM, they have started an email campaign requesting the CM to revoke his transfer order. Ganesh could not be reached for comment. While Ganesh was known for his uprightness and stood up to political pressures with regards to encroachments and other illegalities, he has not even served the minimum six months’ period in his current position. Activists allege this prompt transfer order by the CM has been issued at the behest of the greedy encroachment and the mining mafia. They say even within a short span of time he was successful in gaining the confidence of the communities living along the forest and reducing man- animal conflicts. Speaking on this, urban conservationist Vijay Nishanth, alleged, “Everybody knows him to be a very good officer. All the activists are sure that pressure has come from the encroachment and quarrying mafia. Whoever is working good for the environment, he or she is getting transferred.” Arun Prasad, another activist, alleged, “This kind of transfer is unacceptable. The CM’s supporters call him the ‘son of the soil’ then why is he supporting the act of miners and industrialists and not the people. If this transfer order is not revoked we will go for protests.” This development comes after October 2018 when there was a similar drive against the transfer order for then Assistant Conservator of Forest Bengaluru Urban Division, Ravindra Kumar. Like Ganesh, Ravindra Kumar was a favourite among environmentalists in the city as he had recovered 130 acres of Turahalli forest land during his brief tenure and initiated action against 60 encroachers irrespective of their political influence. Documents accessed by TNM show that the order was requested by two influential politicians. According to the activists, the officer was in the process of recovering another 30 acres of forest land from the grip of influential encroachers. Even though the protests did not result in the reappointment of the officer, environmentalists threatened to go to court to prevent further such political interventions in the Forest Department.  

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