Bengaluru mayor criticised for carrying plastic-wrapped gift, pays fine

Administration

Mayor Ganagambike Malikarjun was photographed with a plastic-wrapped basket of dry fruits being gifted to Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa

TNM Staff

Bengaluru Mayor Ganagambike Malikarjun, who has been actively campaigning against the use of plastic, committed a faux pas by giving a plastic wrap basket of dry fruits to Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on July 30. She acknowledged her mistake and took a step to make amends after she was called out.  A video of her presenting the basket to the CM during her courtesy visit went viral and was criticised by environmentalists. The mayor sought to rectify the error by voluntarily paying the mandated fine of Rs 500.  Speaking to Deccan Herald on the issue on Friday, the mayor said, “I don't know who bought the dry fruits basket wrapped in plastic. Nevertheless, I admit to my mistake and am willing to be punished. Being the mayor of the city, I should set an example to the others. On Saturday, I'll pay a fine of Rs 500 to the special commissioner (Solid Waste Management)," she told DH.  "We're in the process of amending the KMC Act, enabling the collection of fines for using plastic. Let it start from me," she added. A photograph of the mayor’s fine receipt is also doing the rounds on social media.  In June 2018, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) decided to slap a Rs 500 fine on consumers if spotted carrying plastic bags in the city. For subsequent violations, users will be fined Rs 1,000. The mayor and other top officials of the BBMP had been part of several workshops that were organised across the city to educate street vendors, caterers and other large-scale producers to stop the usage of plastic. Since Saturday evening, a photograph of the Mayor’s fine receipt has been doing the rounds on social media. Deccan Chronicle quoted her saying, “.., I did not wish to set a wrong example. I voluntarily approached the BBMP Health Wing and paid a fine of Rs 500.”  This drew her appreciation and praise on social media for being upfront about her mistake.

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IMA scam probe: IPS officer Ajay Hillori appears before SIT for questioning

IMA scam

The SIT has been probing senior police officers in Bengaluru for allegedly helping Mansoor Khan when his company had come under the RBI’s scanner.

TNM Staff

IPS officer Ajay Hillori on Saturday appeared before the Special Investigation Team probing the multi-crore I Monetary Advisory ponzi scheme scam. Former Bengaluru DCP East Ajay Hillori and ACP Ramesh Kumar have been accused of helping IMA founder Mansoor Khan get a clean chit. The SIT has been probing senior police officers in Bengaluru for allegedly helping Mansoor Khan when his company had come under the RBI’s scanner. Earlier this week, the SIT probing the case searched the office of Inspector General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department and Economic Offences. The SIT’s search operation was conducted to obtain evidence against the current Inspector General of Police of Anti-Corruption Bureau, Hemanth Nimbalkar. His previous office in CID headquarters was searched as he had served as the IGP of CID’s Economic Offences Wing when Mansoor Khan was given a clean chit. SIT sources had told TNM that Hemanth was allegedly heading the probe into the functioning of IMA run by Mohammed Mansoor Khan, after the state police had asked the CID to look into the matter following a notice it had received about IMA’s alleged illegal dealings from the RBI. In the search operation, SIT sources had told TNM that they have recovered allegedly tampered documents pertaining to the CID’s investigation into IMA. SIT is also on the lookout for CID DySP Shridhar, who was also part of the investigation team looking into IMA. The SIT source added that several bureaucrats and politicians too are suspected to be involved and that Mansoor Khan has confessed to the Enforcement Directorate about certain political links, which the SIT will be questioning him about. Meanwhile, on Thursday, Mansoor Khan was remanded to 14-day judicial custody by a Bengaluru court. Khan has been accused of duping thousands of people to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore in the IMA ponzi scheme scam.

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Coffee king VG Siddhartha death: Preliminary postmortem suggests ‘no foul play’

Crime

However, police officials probing the matter are yet to officially react until all the results are out. 

TNM Staff

PTI/File

The preliminary post-mortem report of coffee czar and Coffee Day Enterprise founder VG Siddhartha has ruled out any foul play and has indicated suicide.  Doctors at the Wenlock District Hospital handed over primary findings to the police on Friday evening. The analysis of viscera samples and other test results are still awaited. “There are physical changes. This happens when a body starts to decompose; it’s a natural process. The preliminary postmortem, as of now, does not indicate foul play. It appears to be a case of suicide,” an officer who accessed the report told The Times of India. However, police officials probing the matter are yet to officially react until all the results are out.  “The matter is under investigation and information will be given in an appropriate time. The concerned authorities will give the information in the right time," The Mint quoted Deputy Commissioner of Police Hanumantharaya (Law and order), Mangalore city as saying. He added, “It is more or less confirmed that Siddhartha indeed died of drowning, as the water found to be present in his lungs indicates that, so there is no foul play. However, there is a second report which is based on the chemical analysis of the samples taken from his body, which is yet to be generated by the forensic labs as the process takes a long time."  It might be recalled that Siddhartha who was reported missing from Monday evening was found dead on Wednesday, 9 km away from the spot from where he had allegedly jumped off into the Nethravathi river in Mangaluru.

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High-security alert at Bengaluru airport ahead of I-Day, leave early to avoid delays

Security

With the alert in place, frisking of passengers and luggage checking has been intensified by the security personnel.

TNM Staff

PTI/Representational Image

The Kempegowda International Airport for Bengaluru city has been put under a high-security alert with Independence Day less than two weeks away. This might mean that security screening for those boarding national and international flights might take more time than usual. “The high-security alert at the #BLRAirport might result in some additional wait time, queues and delays. Passenger security is our first priority. Please plan your travel accordingly. Apologies for any inconveniences,” Bangalore International Airport Limited, the operator of the airport tweeted on Friday. With this, frisking of passengers and luggage checking has been intensified by the Central Industrial Security Force, said media reports. Reports said that while the heightened alert ahead of Independence Day is routine, the enhanced security measures assume added significance in view of the deadly Pulwama terror attack following which a nationwide alert was issued.   Kempegowda International Airport is currently the busiest airport in south India and the third largest in the country behind the airports in Delhi and Mumbai. The airport saw a footfall of 33.3 million passengers in 2017-18. Security has been beefed up at Bengaluru’s major railway stations.  New Indian Express quoted one railway police official as saying, “It is a regular practice that a fortnight before important occasions like Independence Day or Republic Day vigil is intensified. We have not received any specific alert notice.” The Kempegowda International Airport for Bengaluru city has been put under a high-security alert with Independence Day less than two weeks away. This might mean that security screening for those boarding national and international flights might take more time than usual. “The high-security alert at the #BLRAirport might result in some additional wait time, queues and delays. Passenger security is our first priority. Please plan your travel accordingly. Apologies for any inconveniences,” Bangalore International Airport Limited, the operator of the airport tweeted on Friday. With this, frisking of passengers and luggage checking has been intensified by the Central Industrial Security Force, said media reports. Reports said that while the heightened alert ahead of Independence Day is routine, the enhanced security measures assume added significance in view of the deadly Pulwama terror attack following which a nationwide alert was issued.   Kempegowda International Airport is currently the busiest airport in south India and the third largest in the country behind the airports in Delhi and Mumbai. The airport saw a footfall of 33.3 million passengers in 2017-18. Security has been beefed up at Bengaluru’s major railway stations.  New Indian Express quoted one railway police official as saying, “It is a regular practice that a fortnight before important occasions like Independence Day or Republic Day vigil is intensified. We have not received any specific alert notice.” 

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‘Save Every Drop’ campaign launched in association with Astral Pipes at B’luru fest

Water Conservation

The year-long campaign aims to create awareness about the ongoing water crisis and encourage necessary actions to address this issue.

TNM Staff

Image for representation

With an objective of highlighting the ongoing water crisis, a campaign called “Save Every Drop” was launched on Friday at the 6th Edition of Nature InFocus Festival in collaboration with Astral Pipes, one of India’s leading plumbing and drainage systems manufacturers. The year-long campaign aims to create awareness about the ongoing water crisis and encourage necessary actions to address this issue. The Nature InFocus Festival is being held from August 2-4, 2019 at Chamara Vajra, Bengaluru. Three key ideas of the "Save Every Drop" campaign are- Recognition of individuals and organisations working on water conservation and providing innovative solutions. Increasing awareness among the general public, using compelling social media posts created by eminent artists and illustrators. A year-long contest inviting ideas on effective water conservation. The best idea will be recognised and funded by Astral Pipes at the end of the campaign. With a mission to go beyond water management solutions, Astral Pipes supplies drinking water and sanitation facilities in remote villages. The “Save Every Drop” campaign is part of their larger goal to contribute to the social development of the society they operate in. Speaking about the campaign, Sandeep Engineer, Managing Director, Astral Pipes said, “Today, India is facing a grave challenge of water scarcity, and Astral Pipes understands the need to work on this issue on an urgent basis. Through this campaign, we are showing our commitment to create awareness about this crisis and encourage conservation measures.” The Nature inFocus digital platform and the annual festival draws a crowd of like-minded people interested in understanding the natural world and the pressing issues of our planet.  Rohit Varma, co-founder of Nature inFocus said, “The water crisis is a pressing issue, but what we need now is to go beyond awareness and act on it. Through this campaign we hope people will find ways to do their bit, before it's too late.” Currently, about 600 million people in India face acute water shortage, and rural areas are severely affected by the lack of clean water supply. This is India’s worst water crisis in history, but the future looks equally grim, if not more. A total of 21 cities are predicted to run out of groundwater by 2020. With 80% of the water supply being used in agriculture, this water crisis will have a significant impact on food security as well.

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Bhaskar Rao appointed Bengaluru Police Commissioner, Alok Kumar transferred

Administration

Bhaskar Rao has been the Commissioner of Transport and Road Safety and the Director of the KSRTC in the past.

TNM Staff

In another reshuffle in IPS ranks in Karnataka, Alok Kumar has been transferred out as the top cop in Bengaluru and 1990-batch officer Bhaskar Rao has been appointed the Police Commissioner. He was serving as the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Karnataka State Reserve Police. He has been accorded the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2017 and the President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2008.  He was also accorded the United nation’s Medal for the Services rendered in International Peacekeeping in a warzone (Kosovo, Yugoslavia) in 2000. Before his posting in Reserve Police, he was ADGP Crimes, Technical Services, Forensic lab, ADGP Canine squad, he ADGP Directorate Civil Rights Enforcement and Mysuru Police Commissioner among other .  His other postings include the Commissioner of Transport and Road Safety and the Director of the Karanataka State Transport Corporation. Rao is a known advocate of public and non-motorised transport and is a known cycling enthusiast. Alok Kumar who was only appointed as the Bengaluru Police Commissioner in mid-June only has been shifted to the State Reserve Police in a like-for-like transfer.  Friday’s transfer orders come after more than 10 changes were made in the state’s IPS hierarchy made on Thursday. The changes include the transfer of two top police officers probing the death of coffee czar and Coffee Day Enterprise founder VG Siddhartha.  Other major reshuffles include: Amar Kumar Pandey, previously ADGP, Karnataka State Human Rights Commission, who has now been posted as the ADGP, Law and Order. Existing ADGP, Law and Order, Kamal Pant is the new chief of State Intelligence. Pant will replace B Dayanand, who will now be posted as the chief of the State Reserve Police. Transfers of this scale are common with a new government taking shape. BS Yediyurappa took oath as the Chief Minister for the fourth time last month..

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K’taka Forest Dept asks govt to give pay hike for staff in line with police officials

Administration

The call for an increase in pay for the lower rung forest staff has also resulted in an online petition which has seen close to 6000 signatures in a week.

Soumya Chatterjee

The top brass of the Karnataka Forest Department has approached the state government to increase the pay of mid and lower-ranked forest staff in the state who have threatened to go on strike. Hundreds of (non-IFS) forest department officials below the rank of RFOs (Range Forest Officer) in Karnataka are threatening to go on leave en masse demanding a pay hike similar to what was given to the police department recently. The call for an increase in pay for the lower rung forest staff has also got support from wildlife enthusiasts. An online petition for the cause has seen close to 6,000 people supporting it within a week.  Speaking to TNM, Chief of Staff and Head of the Forest Department, Sridhar Punnati said, “We have taken up the matter with the government. We are for pay parity of forest staff compared to the police department. We have requested Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) to hold a meeting regarding this.”   A mid-rank forest official said, “There are around 8,000 forest staff across the state who will go for a strike if the situation does not improve. These include staff starting from forest watchers, forest guards to deputy range officers. In the case of the foresters, the pay that a DRFO (deputy range forest officer) is getting is equal to a constable whereas in rank and responsibility they are equal to police sub-inspector. This lack of parity has hurt them very much. That is why they are pressurising PCCF (Principal Chief Conservator of Forests) and the government to make an equivalent post and pay to that of sub-inspector.”  The state government on June 16 during the last Kumaraswamy regime had approved an increase of 12.5% in the salaries of police staff below the rank of sub-inspector.  “We have already acted on their request. Especially the Deputy Range Officers had given a request which we had already sent to the government long back. And in the previous government, then Forest Minister Satish Jarkiholi had a meeting with the Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) in this regard. In that meeting, it was decided that the cabinet sub-committee will hold a meeting for this purpose and take a decision. Even Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) had written to ACS (Finance) to convene a meeting for the same,” a top source in the department told TNM.

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