Tight security in place ahead of PM Modi's two-day visit to Karnataka

Security

According to the tour itinerary, the Prime Minister will reach Bengaluru on January 2 and fly to Tumakuru by a helicopter to visit Sri Siddaganga Math.

PTI

Elaborate security arrangements have been made in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Karnataka on January 2 and 3, officials said. The Special Protection Group officials had a meeting with state government officials, especially the police regarding the security arrangements. During his stay in Tumakuru, drones will not be allowed and anybody violating the direction will face stringent action, said a notification issued by Deputy Commissioner of the district Dr Rakesh Kumar. According to the tour itinerary, the Prime Minister will reach Bengaluru on January 2 and fly to Tumakuru by a helicopter to visit Sri Siddaganga Math. Modi will later take part in the Krishi Karman Awards function at the Junior College grounds where he will address a gathering and distribute fishing equipment, a government press release said. The same evening, he will return to Bengaluru to visit the Defence Research and Development Organisation. He will stay at the Raj Bhavan. The next day, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the 107th Indian Science Congress at the Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra Campus at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru, before flying to New Delhi in the afternoon. To oversee the arrangements, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa visited Tumakuru on Tuesday and held a meeting with officials. Speaking to reporters later, Yediyurappa said Modi will reach Siddaganga Math at 2.15 p.m where he will pay his obeisance to the seer there. He will be in the town till 5.30 p.m on January 2, he added. "Later, he will take part in the Krishi Karman and Krishi Samman Awards function which about 1.5 lakh people are likely to attend. He is going to give awards to 28 progressive farmers from 21 states," said the Chief Minister. The chief ministers of Manipur and Jharkhand and the Governor of Uttarakhand will also attend the event. "It will be grand event. Since 1.5 lakh people will take part, we have made arrangements for loudspeakers and LED screens everywhere to avoid any inconvenience to the people," Yediyurappa said.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/35cAJIH
via IFTTT

Power bills in Bengaluru, 7 other Karnataka districts to go down in Jan 2020

Electricity

Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission has said that Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) has to slash its Fuel Adjustment Charges (FAC) by more than 50%.

TNM Staff

It will be a happy new year for Bengalureans and other neighbouring districts as far as their power bill is considered as electricity charges are likely to get slashed starting from January, 2020. A recent order by the  Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has said that Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) has to slash its Fuel Adjustment Charges (FAC) by more than 50%. This order will be valid from January to March. The previous FAC component was 29p/unit while now it has been made to 12 p/unit.  BESCOM facilitates electricity supply in eight districts of Karnataka – Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapura, Kolar, Davanagere, Tumakuru, Chitradurga and Ramanagara. Similar reductions have been made for areas served by other state-owned utility companies including in Mangaluru (4p/unit), Gulbarga (6p/unit) among others, The order states, “In accordance with the provisions of the KERC (Fuel Cost Adjustment Charges) Regulations, 2013 and amendments thereon, the Commission, having recognized the increase in fuel cost adjustment charges along with the increase In overall power purchase cost during the second quarter of FY20, decides to allow the ESCOMs to collect fuel cost adjustment charges per unit of sales, in all the energy bills, to be issued to their consumers, during the billing quarter from 1 January, 2020 to 31 March, 2020, at the following rates” Previously in May 2019 a hike of 33 paise per unit  in electricity prices were announced by Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM). It meant  expenses towards electricity for households increased by 5% on average for domestic users. Bescom had sought a hike of Rs 1.01 per unit but this was faced with a lot of public opposition. There was also outrage about the frequent power outages affecting the city.  During public hearing meetings, BESCOM officials maintained that a hike was necessary to keep up with purchase and transmission costs.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2Q9WqET
via IFTTT

The biggest crimes and scams of 2019 in Karnataka

Crime

Here are some of the crime headlines that rocked the state this year.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Representational image

The crimes that made waves in Karnataka this year included the gruesome murder of a model by her cab driver in the state capital to the police firing on peaceful protesters in Mangaluru. There was the case of a student’s suicide in a Bengaluru college that took many twists and turns, and the match fixing scandal in the Karnataka Premier League. Here are some of the most appalling crimes that shook Karnataka in 2019.   1. When a cab driver killed a model The murder of Pooja Singh De, 32, a model-cum-event manager from Kolkata, while on her way to the airport, allegedly by her cab driver, shocked Bengaluru in July. The model was found with head injuries and multiple stab injuries. On investigation by the police, the cab driver was caught and confessed that he had killed Pooja while trying to rob her to pay for his vehicle EMIs. When he found that the victim didn’t have much money with her, he allegedly decided to kill her and dispose of the body.  Murder of Kolkata model in Bengaluru: Ola driver arrested for crime   2. When college authorities were booked in a student’s suicide Bengaluru’s Amrita Engineering College made headlines in October when a student from the college, Sri Harsha, took his own life citing harassment by the college authorities. The college was allegedly pressuring Harsha to confess to a vandalism incident in the college, even though another person had confessed to it and had stated that Harsha was not involved. Students gathered in protest and demanded justice. Later, the police booked 10 staff members for tampering with evidence and abetment to suicide. One of the staff booked had also been named in a 2012 case of abetment to suicide in the college.  Amrita Engineering college student in Bengaluru kills self, students protest alleging harassment  Student death in Bengaluru: Students demand Amritanandamayi should address their issues  Amrita student suicide: 10 staff members booked for allegedly tampering with crime scene   3. When wild mongooses were killed for illegal paintbrushes Thousands of mongooses are killed to make brushes for artists, who believe that natural bristles hold colour better than synthetic bristles. However, the mongoose is a protected animal and killing it for fur is illegal. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau seized 54,352 brushes made of mongoose hair and arrested 43 people across six states, including Karnataka, in connection with the crime in October.  In major drive, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau seizes illegal mongoose hair brushes   4. When a scandal broke out in the state premier league Betting in cricket is not new in India. The Chennai Super Kings team had been given a two-year suspension by the Indian Premier League (IPL) starting July 2015 for the alleged involvement of their owners in the 2013 IPL betting case. The crime seems to have moved to state-level games now. Four players from various teams of the Karnataka Premier League were held in a case of alleged betting and match fixing. The Central Crime Branch is now investigating the case.  Crime Branch probes alleged fixing in Karnataka Premier League, 4 players questioned   5. When small-time Muslim investors were defrauded to the tune of crores The IMA scam lost a politician his seat, hundreds of investors their money, and prompted the founder of the company to flee to the Gulf. TNM reported that the company’s books were cooked to show large profits, which lured investors into making large deposits into the company. However, it turned out to be nothing more than a pyramid scheme. When all was revealed, many investors took to the streets to demand the return of their money. The fact that MLA Roshan Baig’s name was brought up in the scam also resulted in him not being brought into the BJP fold when he rebelled and left the Congress.  IMA scam: Mansoor Khan accused of inflating company’s revenue to lure investors IMA scam: SIT detains K’taka Congress MLA Roshan Baig at Bengaluru airport   6. When a rape-accused ‘godman’ fled to an undisclosed location TNM broke a lot of stories on the escapades of the controversial self-styled godman and rape-accused Nithyananda in 2019. Whether it was reports on his whereabouts or the fact that he had registered a new country called ‘Kailaasa’ in his name, there was no end to the news that Nithyananda produced. His Gujarat ashram was recently razed to the ground after several allegations of child abuse, rape and fraud, especially after the mysterious death that occurred in the ashram. Meanwhile, Nithyananda is absconding and the international law enforcement community is on the lookout for him.  Where is Nithyananda? Whistleblowers say he may be in Ecuador or hiding in India Nithyananda ashram raided, managers arrested on allegations of child abuse, kidnap Wondering what rape-accused Nithyananda has been up to? He’s founded a ‘country’ While we were laughing at his videos, how Nithyananda's dangerous cult kept growing Union Home Ministry advises K'taka govt to procure red corner notice against Nithyananda   7. When activists attacked a doctor over language The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) is infamous for its protests against Hindi imposition and its fight for Kannada in public spaces in the state. However, its activism might have gone a step too far when its members attacked a doctor in Bengaluru last month for speaking in English instead of Kannada. Charges were filed against the involved members under sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 506 (criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult), 149 (unlawful assembly), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant), and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt).  KRV members allegedly assault Bengaluru hospital doctor for not speaking in Kannada

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/37qtXAt
via IFTTT

Belagavi dispute explained: Why Karnataka and Maharashtra are fighting over one district

Explainer

The dispute between the two states over the district of Belgavi is not new and it keeps reappearing every few years. Here’s an explainer on what the dispute is.

Sanyukta Dharmadhikari

Shiv Sena leaders protest in Maharashtra

Tension and protests on both sides of the Maharashtra-Karnataka border around Belagavi over the past few days have brought back into focus the long-standing dispute between the two states over Belagavi district. On December 29, bus services from Kolhapur district in Maharashtra to Karnataka were suspended. On Sunday, Shiv Sena activists stopped the screening of a Kannada movie in Maharashtra and in Karnataka, effigies of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray were burnt. On Monday, Karnataka Chief Minister hit out at his Maharashtra counterpart, accusing him of raking up the issue again, and maintained that 'not even an inch’ of Karnataka’s land will be given away. Every few years, this 50-year-old dispute resurfaces. What is this long-standing issue and why is it suddenly in the news again? Here’s an explainer.  The over 50-year-old dispute Belagavi is a district in Karnataka, which borders Maharashtra’s Kohlapur district and the people living in Belagavi, also known as Belgaum, comprises both Kannada and Marathi speakers.  After India became independent of the British rule, these areas around Belagavi became a part of Karnataka, when the state was formed in 1956. Belagavi disrtict marked in red (Wikimedia Commons) The area has been under dispute since then. In 1948, the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (Ekikaran in Marathi means unification) was formed to push for the demands of the region to be merged with Maharashtra. The MES has been fighting for a merger of 800-odd villages in Karnataka with Maharashtra. After Belagavi was included in Karnataka, Senapati Bapat, a leader from Maharashtra, sat on a hunger strike seeking that a commission be formed to address the dispute. The state of Maharashtra then petitioned the Centre, which in 1966 constituted the Mahajan Commission led by a retired judge which in 1967 recommended that 262 villages that are under Karnataka — including Karwar and 300 other villages in Karwar, Haliyal and Supa taluks, be given to Maharashtra. However, it left the city of Belagavi, then known as Belgaum, out.  The Maharashtra government was not happy and called the report ‘illogical and biased.’ Karnataka, however, has since then sought that the commission report be implemented, but that has not happened yet. Cut to 2005 — in December, the Congress government at the Centre raked up discussions again and in 2007, the Maharashtra government moved the Supreme Court. In its petition, the Maharashtra government claimed that the Marathi speaking population in Karnataka was being sidelined and there was a feeling of ‘insecurity among them.’ Maharashtra asked that 814 villages in Belgaum, Karwar, Bidar and Gulbarga districts in Karnataka be moved under their jurisdiction since it had a majority of Marathi speaking people. That case is still being heard by the Supreme Court. In 2012, in order to reiterate its claim over Belagavi, Karnataka government inaugurated a new Assembly building, called the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, and is now the designated location for the winter session of the legislative assembly.  The recent events Earlier this month, shortly after being sworn in as Maharashtra Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray appointed ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Eknath Shinde as co-coordinators to oversee his government's efforts to expedite the case relating to the boundary dispute. The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) also submitted a memorandum of their demands to Uddhav Thackeray. Thackeray also recently alleged in the Maharashtra Assembly that the BJP-led central government was siding with Karnataka and was ignoring Maharashtra in the Supreme Court case over the dispute. According to reports, a few days ago, Bhimashankar Patil leader of the Karnataka Navnirman Sena, a pro-Kannada group in Karnataka, claimed that leaders of the MES should be “shot dead” on the border between the two states. Following this, members of the Shiv Sena held massive protests in several towns bordering Karnataka and had shouted slogans against Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. They also barged into Apsara Theatre in Kolhapur and stopped the screening of Kannada film ‘Avane Srimannarayana’, starring Rakshith Shetty. They also blackened the boards which had names of restaurants written in Kannada. Protests by the Shiv Sena On Tuesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Yediyurappa accused Maharashtra Chief Minister of trying to create a rift between Marathi and Kannada people.  "Our people should maintain peace and brotherhood, there is no question of giving away even an inch of Karnataka's land. Just because someone made a statement there is no need to create confusion. I appeal to our people to maintain peace," he told the media. "It has been decided in the Mahajan report what has to go to Maharashtra and Karnataka. For political benefit the Chief Minister there is trying to create confusion. I condemn it. There is no question of giving away even an inch of land," Yediyurappa added. Meanwhile, police deployment has been increased around the border areas of Belagavi, in order to make sure that no untoward incidents take place.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2ZIQ1DF
via IFTTT

No plan to subsidise alcohol for the poor: Karnataka Excise Minister refutes reports

Politics

H Nagesh told TNM that he had made no such statement and that his words were taken out of context.

Theja Ram

Karnataka Excise Minister H Nagesh on Tuesday denied that the state government had proposed subsidising alcohol for the poor. Nagesh's statement came soon after local media reported that the Excise Minister had said that the state government was planning to subsidise alcohol for the poor. Citing H Nagesh’s press conference on Tuesday, Local media reports claimed that the Karnataka government was hashing out several logistical issues related to the proposal to subsidise alcohol for the poor. Reports also falsely claimed that the government was mooting selling the subsidised liquor through the public distribution system. Refuting the allegations, Excise Minister H Nagesh told TNM that he had made no such statement and that his words were taken out of context. “During the press conference, one of the reporters asked me whether a proposal to subsidise alcohol was on the cards. I informed him that such a proposal was not new and that it had first been proposed during the Siddaramaiah government in 2013,” he said. The Minister said that the Excise Department officials had considered a proposal for subsidizing alcohol in 2013. However, the plan was shelved as doing so would mean that the government was encouraging people to drink more alcohol. “It would have become a public health issue. I told the media today that even though such a proposal was there, our government was not going to take any step to subsidise alcohol,” he said. Earlier in September, Minister Nagesh had been involved in a controversy after he said that the government was mulling over a proposal to deliver alcohol to homes. He had also spoken about a system of mobile liquor shops in the thandas (colonies) of Adivasi communities. The proposal stemmed from concerns over how people were travelling 10-15 km to find a liquor shop in some remote areas of the state.  Within 24 hours, the Minister had recanted his statement and had said that the government had no such proposal. “There are no such proposals (of starting mobile liquor shop and online liquor sale) before the state government. My statement has been misinterpreted,” he had said.     

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2tf3zL4
via IFTTT

Education 101: Bengaluru’s ‘School Expo’ to connect parents with education experts

Education

The event is being organised at Nimhans Convention Centre, Bengaluru for schools, educators, students and educational services to come together under one roof.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

As a parent, have you ever wondered what the difference is between an ICSE school and a CBSE school? Or wondered which school you should send your child to? What are the options besides mainstream schools and how effective is home-schooling in India? “Bangalore Schools”, a Facebook community group, is organising a 'Schools expo' where parents can get answers to questions just like this, and more.  The Facebook group was started seven years ago by Swetha Sharan who works as a journalist. It was for parents in Bengaluru who felt that there is a need for a school review system, to know which school should send their children and what curriculum they should study. And now, an expo is being organised on January 4 and 5, 2020 at Nimhans Convention Centre for schools, educators, students and educational services to come together under one roof. Manoj Thelakkat, one of the group’s admins, says that on the group itself, there is a lot of engagement on the group, with over 83% of the members being active members of the group. There are currently over 42,000 members in the group. Swetha says, "All the admins are all parents themselves, and we keep an engaging discussion going in the community." Manoj says that the event was organised after several requests from the group. “The group members have been requesting some offline engagements, besides the social media posts that we make and discuss,” he says. Manoj adds that the group spent two years researching the types of educational expos that were being held in the city. They found that they were only 2 kinds of expos: School B2Bs (business-to-business), and admissions expos. ‘Bangalore Schools’ felt that there was a need for improvement. “We wanted all the pillars of education to come together under one platform,” says Manoj.  The expo has several groups involved: with private schools, parents, students, and educational services coming together for an exhibition, school admissions, and events. The events include ‘Hoop-ex talks’ which talks about the change-making that schools and individuals have brought about; a spelling bee, a ‘Family quiz’ of a team consisting of a parent and child, and ‘Educators speak’, a platform for teachers and principals to give a presentation on issues that are important to the field. In addition to this, there are panel discussions from people in the education sector, who will speak to parents on questions that plague all parents, like the choice of school or syllabus.  Meanwhile, the Facebook community continues to thrive. “We have done a lot of work for the school community, with our group initiating the refunding of admission fees and the removal of admission tests, both of which are illegal. Our group members are keen about the safety in school buses, reporting any infractions by bus-drivers to the group, which prompts the schools involved to take action,” Manoj added.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2Fageli
via IFTTT

Karnataka CM asks ministers to exercise caution while speaking about Jesus statue

Politics

Sources say Chief Minister Yediyurappa has instructed his colleagues to not oppose the construction of the statue, and to only speak about any irregularities in its construction.

Theja Ram

The 114-ft Jesus statue, which Kanakapura MLA DK Shivakumar wants to build has been shrouded in controversy since he laid the foundation stone for its construction on December 25. BJP leaders have slammed DK Shivakumar accusing him of trying to consolidate a vote bank. However, this has reportedly made Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa uneasy, sources close to him say. In the cabinet meeting held on Monday, Yediyurappa’s associates say that the Chief Minister instructed his cabinet colleagues to not target Congress leader DK Shivakumar regarding the construction of the statue on religious grounds. “Yediyurappa instructed his cabinet members to avoid making comments that could hurt the Christian community. Several ministers like KS Eshwarappa have taken jibes at Shivakumar because of this issue. He has instructed the cabinet ministers to only speak about any irregularities in the construction of the statue and to not oppose the construction of a statue,” the source said. This is because Yediyurappa fears that Shivakumar could consolidate a vote bank, which is currently not antagonistic towards the BJP. “Shivakumar is trying to consolidate several vote banks so he can prove to the Congress high command that he can become the KPCC President. By making remarks against another community, the BJP would lose the opportunity to tap into that voter base,” the source said. DK Shivakumar, however, refuted claims that he was bent on getting the statue erected due to political reasons. “People had told me they wanted a statue of Jesus Christ in Harobele as there was no statue of Christ in the area. The Kumaraswamy government had sanctioned the land. I had promised that I will help and I have done my job. It is not for politics or power. One has to do some things for self-satisfaction in life,” he said.    Controversy over alleged irregularities in land allocation A controversy, however, erupted when BJP leaders claimed that the statue being built at Kapala Betta in Kanakapura is gomala land. Gomala land is government land reserved as pastures for animals. Gomala land cannot be diverted as a grant to erect statues under the Karnataka Land Revenue Act 1964. According to Section 71 of the Act, lands described in revenue records, as Devarakadu, Urduve, Gunduthop, Tankbed, Phut Kharab halla, gomala, burial grounds and such lands, which in the opinion of the Government is required for, public purpose, shall not be granted for non-agricultural purposes. Revenue Department officials say that the land was granted for erecting the statue based on the Karnataka High Court judgment in 2002. In the St Anne’s Educational Society versus the State of Karnataka, the High Court had held that gomala land does not bear the rigours of section 71 of the KLA Act. “But gomala land can be allotted only if the land to cattle ratio is more than 50%. In this case, the ratio is close to 50% and the approval should not have been given. This ratio must be strictly maintained as the pasture land is to ensure that cattle get enough fodder,” the official said. Meanwhile, Revenue Minister R Ashok on Monday said that Kapala Betta comes under the Karnataka Ministry of Environment and Forests and that the land chosen for erecting the statue is unviable. “We are not opposed to constructing the statue. We need to see on whose land the statue is coming up. I have asked the Ramanagara Deputy Commissioner to submit a report and a decision will be made soon,” he said.    

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/35dKsy6
via IFTTT