Lokayukta drops steel bridge case filed against Siddaramaiah by Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Politics

The BJP MP alleged that the case was dropped as Siddaramaiah had diluted the powers of Lokayukta.

TNM Staff

PTI/ File image

The controversial steel flyover project in Bengaluru which was proposed and scrapped has again made news with former CM Siddaramaiah tweeting a Lokayukta order on a complaint filed by Bengaluru-based BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar . On Saturday, SIddaramiah called it a “great win for us to show our people that we had no corrupt intention” as he shared the order stating the complaint filed against him, others can be closed as prescribed under Section 9(5)(b) of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act. Hon. Lokayukta has recommended to close the complaint filed by @rajeev_mp alleging mala fide practices in Steel flyover project. It is a great win for us to show our people that we had no corrupt intension in initiating the project.#FalseSteelBridgeCase 1/3 pic.twitter.com/rLH1LpEazo — Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) January 18, 2020 The said section 9(5)(b) reads—-  The Lokayukta or the Upalokayukta may, in his discretion, refuse to investigate or cease to investigate any complaint involving a grievance or an allegation, if, in his opinion, there are no sufficient grounds for investigating or, as the case may be, for continuing the investigation. It may be recalled that the MP had petitioned the anti-corruption ombudsman to probe purported corruption charges against then CM Siddaramiah and others in early 2017 for the flyover planned to be built between Hebbal and Chalukya Circle. The project first proposed during the SIddaramaiah regime was scrapped in March, 2017 following wide scale civil society protests and litigations at the High Court and the National Green Tribunal, it was resurrected by the Kumaraswamy government. Later again the state government in June, 2019 told the Karnataka High Court that the project has again been scrapped. In a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah said the steel bridge case was one of the many allegations made by the BJP to influence the electoral mandate and he is open to investigations to probe on other allegations as well. He insisted in those cases too, he and his colleagues would come out clean. He further said that “people have made a wrong choice”. SteelBridge Case is one of many allegations made by @BJP4Karnataka leaders aimed at influencing electoral mandate. We are open to investigation in other allegations as well. The outcome will be same. Public was misled to make wrong the choice!!#FalseSteelBridgeCase 3/3 pic.twitter.com/TIFYowy2sw — Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) January 18, 2020 Responding to this, Rajeev Chandrasekhar retorted strongly and claimed that project was shutdown by courts.He also insisted that the Lokayukta was closing the case due to lack of evidence only which was a result of SIddaramaiah’s decision to dilute the powers of the Lokayukta during his chief ministership. So @siddaramaiah avare - u n ur #10percentSarkara have much to answer for includng the #StealFlyoverDiary n u shall answer. I wudnt celebrate if I were u - just bcoz ur strategy of defanging LokAyukta ur corruption will be held to account. Hv no doubt at all — Rajeev Chandrasekhar (@rajeev_mp) January 18, 2020 SIddaramiah in 2016 had diminished the authority of the Lokayukta by introducing the Anti-Corruption Bureau in 2016. After ACB’s introduction, the Lokayukta lost the power to file cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act on its own or conduct raids. Lokayakuta can, as a result, probe cases based on complaints addressed to them, and only after the permission of the state government. Incidentally, the BJP like the Congress and the JD(S) had promised in their manifesto to restore the powers of Lokayukta but none have walked the talk.  

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2v6tqpD
via IFTTT

Bengaluru ODI: Smith ton takes Australia to 286/9 vs India

Sports

Smith and Labuschagne shared a 127-run stand for the third wicket which formed the visitors' bedrock after electing to bat first.

IANS

Steve Smith slammed a magnificient century as Australia put up 286/9 in 50 overs against India in the third and series-deciding final one day international here on Sunday. Former captain Smith brought up his ninth 100 in 117 balls, third against India and got out on 131 from 132 deliveries as he tried to change gears and was caught at deep midwicket by Shyreyas Iyer off Mohammed Shami who was India's best bowler. Smith had hit 14 fours and a six in his innings. Despite restricting Australia to a score below 300 on what is generally a batsman-friendly track in Bengaluru, India had given away as many as 27 extras. Shami (4/63) came back for his second spell in the end and picked up four wickets to shave off Australia's tail and rein in on their scoring to not allow them to get to 300. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was brilliant too although he went wicketless, giving away just 38 runs in 10 overs. Besides Smith, fast-rising Marnus Labuschagne notched up his maiden ODI fifty as he scored 54 from 64 balls (5x4). Smith and Labuschagne shared a 127-run stand for the third wicket which formed the visitors' bedrock after electing to bat first. India were dealt a blow early on as senior opener Shikhar Dhawan had to go for an x-ray with a call on whether he will take any further part to be taken once he is assessed. Dhawan was taken off the field after he hurt his left shoulder in the series-deciding tie after he dived to save an Aaron Finch shot in the cover region before hurting his left shoulder in the fifth over. India made early inroads as Mohammed Shami found David Warner's outside edge to wicketkeeper KL Rahul who was played ahead of fit-again Rishabh Pant. Warner was gone for just three with his captain Finch (19) following suit soon, albeit in frustrating manner as he was run out due to indecision on Smith's part while taking a single in the 9th over. A livid Finch stormed out of the ground with the visitors in a spot of bother at 46/2. But as has been the case so often of late in Test cricket, Smith and Labuschagne joined hands to bring the team on track. Similar in their playing style, the pair used square of the wicket a lot to score runs and punished the bad ball although Labuschagne was lucky not to get run out after Kuldeep Yadav failed to collect a Yuzvendra Chahal throw from the deep. Smith got to 53 in 63 balls as he looked as consistent as ever with Labuschagne also notching up his maiden half century in 50-over cricket as he got to 53 in 60 deliveries. It took a breathtaking catch from Indian captain Virat Kohli to break the stand as Labuschagne looked to accelerate in the 32nd over. The 25-year old played an inside out drive off Ravindra Jadeja which Kohli plucked inches off the grass diving low to his right. Mitchell Starc was sent to bat at No.5 in a bid to up the ante and score briskly, but the experiment failed as Jadeja had him caught at deep mid-wicket fence by substitute Chahal to complete a two-wicket maiden 32nd over. Alex Carey (35) and Smith associated for a quickfire 58-run partnership before Kuldeep got a timely breakthrough as Carey holed out to Shreyas Iyer at deep cover. Bumrah followed it up with a near-perfect 43rd over, just conceding one run off the final delivery as Ashton Turner huffed and puffed at the crease. Smith brought up his hundred by running a Navdeep Saini delivery down to third man but his celebration said it all as the Aussies fell behind in their run-scoring with Turner struggling to eventually get out caught behind in the same over. Shami then removed Smith, Pat Cummins (0) and Adam Zampa (1) with toe-crushing yorkers as India ended on a high. Ashton Agar was not out on 11. Australia made one change to the side, bringing in Josh Hazlewood for Kane Richardson while India named the same team. Brief scores: Australia 286/9 in 50 overs (Steve Smith 131, Marnus Labuschagne 54; Mohammed Shami 4/63) vs India.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3aqtAbx
via IFTTT

Karnataka to get four new airports in the next two years: Aviation Secretary

Aviation

Karnataka’s 8th airport, Bidar, will become operational on Jan 26.

TNM Staff

Image for representation

Bengaluru has the potential to become the aviation capital of the country, said Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola on Friday at the Wings India Summit, organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.  Bidar will be the next operational airport and is expected to start operations on January 26. The first flight will be from Bidar to Bengaluru.  “We have airports in all directions of the State now. A couple of months ago, the Gulbarga (Kalaburagi) airport was made operational. Aviation has become an engine of economic growth,” the secretary said at the summit.  The aviation secretary further said that five airports will become operational in Karnataka in the next two years — Vijayapura, Shivamogga, Karwar, Chikkamagaluru and Bidar.  “We have operationalised nearly 40 airports in the last five years and the target in the next five years is to double the number of operational airports and helipads in the country,” the aviation secretary further said.  Kapil Mohan, the Principal Secretary of Infrastructure Development told the Hindu that a Gulbarga Airport Development Authority is being considered. “We launched the Kalaburagi airport with the Airports Authority of India, and the response has been very good. To improve regional connectivity, there will be developments regarding Vijayapura, Shivamogga, Karwar, Hassan or Chikkamagluru airports in the next two years,” he said. The state government has proposed to complete airport projects in Vijayapura, Shivamogga, Karwar and Chikkamagaluru over the next two years, as Kapil Mohan, Principal Secretary of the State Infrastructure Development Department informed. These new airports are part of the Centre’s UDAN scheme. 13 flights will be operating out of Belagavi. TruJet has already started flight operations from Belagavi to Tirupati, Mysuru and Hyderabad daily. Flights operate to destinations such as Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Jodhpur and others.   UDAN airports have already seen some success, and Belagavi and Hubballi airports were two out of five of India’s busiest UDAN airports in 2019. The other three are Prayagraj, Kishangarh and Jharsuguda.  As of December 7, 2019, 44 UDAN airports (including new and under-served airports) were operational in the country.  This will take the number of functional civilian airports in Karnataka to eight — Bengaluru, Kalaburagi, Mangaluru, Hubballi, Mysuru, Belagavi, Bidar and Bellary. 

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/30B4Qsv
via IFTTT

Bengaluru metro: Green Line gets four more six-car trains

Transport

With this, the Green Line (Nagasandra-Yelachenahalli) has a total of 18 six-car trains.

TNM Staff

Screengrab

Starting Monday, a total of 18 six-car trains will run on the Nagasandra-Yelachenahalli route or the Green Line of Bengaluru Metro as four more trains have been added to the fleet. With this, the metro rail authorities said that 97% of all 88 round trips during weekdays on the Green Line will be met by six-coach trains. Until June 2018, all Namma Metro trains plying in the city consisted of three coaches with a total capacity of 975 passengers at a given time. The six-car train, in comparison, can accommodate as many as 2,000 passengers. The addition of bigger trains will bring much-needed relief to the commuters of the Green Line, especially during the peak hours.  The Purple Line (Baiyappanahalli to Mysuru Road) has been running 18 six-car trains since September 2019.  Metro authorities added they are likely to meet the March 2020 deadline to ready 12 more six-car trains for the two lines. The first compartment is reserved for women in all six-car trains. The additional capacity is also expected to increase the average daily ridership of the Bengaluru metro, which is now below the 5 lakh mark across the Purple and Green Lines. According to a section of activists, there was a delay in deploying six-car trains due to improper planning by the metro authority as cost estimates were only made accounting for three-car trains in the initial stage. While the initial cost was borne by the state and Union government equally, the additional expenditure to acquire more six-car trains or upgrade existing the rakes to six-car trains were only provided by the state government, which led to the delay. This delay has partially arrested the ridership growth of the metro, they argue.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/362zA6M
via IFTTT

‘Tagaru’ Siddaramaiah vs ‘Kanakapura bande’ DKS: Cong high command caught in a bind

Politics

“The party high command has to make appointments from top to bottom without displeasing anyone. It's a complicated exercise and a Catch 22 situation for the party bosses,” sources said.

Naheed Ataulla

DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah

The Congress high command had perhaps not expected that choosing a president for the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and opposition-cum-party-legislature leader to the state Legislative Assembly would become a daunting task. But right now, the party is in a bind – it has to please two influential leaders – Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar – who are both contenders for the posts. Rumours were doing the rounds that the announcement would be made of the auspicious day of Makara Sankranti – January 18 – but the date came and went and there is no announcement yet. Indications are that the exercise is likely to be delayed further, as AICC president Sonia Gandhi along with other party leaders are looking at several options to ensure the final decision does not lead to fresh dissensions. Karnataka is the sole state down south, which has stood by the party at all times. The party's bosses in New Delhi are aware that not everything has been lost and if things are managed properly, they stand a chance to regain power. According to Congress sources, former minister DK Shivakumar has reportedly been assured of the KPCC president's post. However, the catch seems to lie in the options which Siddaramaiah is said to have placed during his discussions with Sonia and former party president Rahul Gandhi recently. It's a known fact that there is no love lost between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar though the latter is trying to mend fences with foes within the party, and has been paying them house visits – including Siddaramaiah. Siddaramaiah's original candidate for the KPCC chief's post was former minister M B Patil. But now, to cut Shivakumar from getting overarching powers, Siddaramaiah is said to have suggested a formula of four working presidents, each in charge of a regional division. The high command seems to be considering this – they have adopted a similar strategy in Maharashtra. However, Shivakumar, who is popularly called Kanakapura'bande (Kanakapura is the constituency he represents and bande means rock) is not open to having four deputies going by past experience. He was the working president, when former minister RV Deshpande was the KPCC president from 2008 to 2010, which had resulted in two parallel power centres in the organisation. On the other hand, Siddaramaiah himself is trying to consolidate his position by ensuring that the Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) posts are not split. Siddaramaiah had resigned along with KPCC president Dinesh Gundurao from both the posts after the Congress won just two of the 15 seats in the assembly bypolls in December. AICC observer Madhusudan Mistry, who was in Bengaluru in December to elicit opinion on the party's revamp, is said to have suggested bifurcating the two posts. Former minister HK Patil, who has earlier served as opposition leader in the Legislative Council is said to be an aspirant for the CLP leader's post, if it is split. “The CLP leader will be on the lines of what Sonia is as Congress Parliamentary leader and is above the LoP. The CLP leader is not a constitutionally recognised post and has no perks unlike the LoP which is of Cabinet rank,'' sources said. Siddaramaiah is said to be lobbying against the splitting of the two posts for reasons that if he is continued as LoP, he will have to work under the new CLP leader. “As a former Chief Minister, how can I work under a person who was junior to me?” he is said to have told some of his aides. The Congress high command seems to be caught in a bind in the shadow boxing between the Kanakapura bande and ‘Tagaru' as Siddaramaiah is referred to – meaning a ram. “In this confrontation between the two leaders, the party has not appointed chief whips in both Houses of the Karnataka legislature, posts which are of Cabinet rank. Once a decision is taken on the top posts, caste equations will be worked out for the chief whips’ appointments,'' sources said. While the KPCC chief and LoP posts have been vacant since December 9, AICC general secretary and Karnataka in-charge KC Venugopal has also resigned after he was elevated in the AICC. “The party high command has to make appointments from top to bottom without displeasing anyone. It's a complicated exercise and a Catch 22 situation for the party bosses, which is the reason for deadlines being missed,'' sources stated. Naheed Ataulla is a journalist who has covered Karnataka politics for over two decades, and is a former Political Editor of The Times of India. Views expressed are the author's own. 

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/30FwB35
via IFTTT

Water supply to be disrupted in Bengaluru on Jan 23: List of areas to be affected

Civic

Officials said d Cauvery I, II and III stage pumping stations at Torekadanahalli, Harohalli and Tataguni will be closed.

TNM Staff

Water supply by the Cauvery Water Supply Stations run by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) in the city will be affected for almost half of the city on Thursday, January 23, to facilitate repair works. Officials said Cauvery I, II and III stage pumping stations at Torekadanahalli, Harohalli and Tataguni will be closed. The areas that will be affected are Yeshwantpur, Malleswaram, Mathikere, Gokul Extension, Jayamahal, Vasanthnagar, Muthyalanagar, R T Nagar, Sanjaynagar, Sadashivanagar, Hebbal, Bharathinagar, Sudhamanagar, Palace Gutthalli, Machalibetta, Frazer Town, Wilson Garden, Hombegowda Nagar, Pillanna Garden, Bannappa Park, Shivajinagar, Jeevan Bima Nagar, Chikklalbagh, Gavipuram, Byatarayanapura, Majestic, Kasturba Road, Madiwala, Yelachenahalli, Isro Layout, Poornaprajna Layout, Neelasandra, KR Market, Sampangiramanagar Kumaraswamy Layout, Banashankari, Banashankari 2nd and 3rd stages, Jayanagar, J P Nagar, Banagirinagar, Basavanagudi, Okalipuram, Chamarajpet, Padmanabhanagar, Hoskerehalli, Byrasandra, Lingarajapuram, Janakiram Layout, R S Palya, Johnson Market, Adugodi, Domlur, BTM Layout, CLR, Bapujinagar, Mysuru Road, Srirampuram, Indiranagar 1st Stage, Srinagar, Halasuru, Shanthinagar, Koramangala, Vijayanagar, Cholurplaya Muneshwara Nagar and VV Puram, among others. This large scale water shutdown comes after a similar shutdown was affected in July 2019 due to refurbishing work. At that time, the BWSSB had said they would replace the legacy metering system and also refurbish the surge protection system of these tanks.  That time the outage was for 18 hours from 8 am on Sunday and 2 am on Monday. TNM had then reported demanded due to high demand there was a spike in prices of water supply by private water tankers. While usually 12,000 litres of water is usually supplied at a cost of Rs 1,500, that time the private tankers were charging Rs 2,000 for the same.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3aituTf
via IFTTT

Two Bengaluru men arrested for allegedly raping 19-yr-old after spiking her drink

Crime

The two accused have been sent to Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.

TNM Staff

The police in Bengaluru on Friday arrested two students for allegedly sexually assaulting their friend after they allegedly spiked her drink to knock her unconscious. The police said that according to the complainant, she had met the two accused at a pub in Koramangala on the day of the sexual assault. The two accused have been sent to the Parappana Agrahara Central Prisons after they were produced before a local court. Kodigehalli Police said two accused, one of whom was friends with the woman, had invited her to a pub in Koramangala on Wednesday and offered the 19-year-old survivor drinks that were laced with sedatives. According to the survivor,  the accused had reportedly refused to drop her at her paying guest accommodation as she had consumed alcohol and instead insisted that she spend the night at their place and return the next morning. It was at their house that the accused allegedly took turns to rape her when she was in a semi-conscious state. According to her statement, although she tried to resist the sexual assault, the two men overpowered her. According to police, the young woman narrated that after one of the accused handed her a drink, she felt uneasy and had even vomited. At this point, she wanted to return to her PG. But since one of the accused was a friend and he insisted that she come with them, she did not suspect anything. Once they reached the accused’s home, she was led to a room where she fell asleep. It was after this that the two accused came in turns to sexually assault her. Next morning, she woke up to find the accused sleeping next to her. The police said the survivor, upon reaching her PG accommodation on Thursday morning, discussed the matter with her friends before approaching the police.  

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/362iPso
via IFTTT