'Thurthu Nirgamana': Director and cast on what makes this Kannada fantasy film unique

Sandalwood

What would you do if you were given a chance to go back three days in time after your death? That's the subject of the film.

Ikyatha Yerasala

What would you do if you were given a chance to go back three days in time after your death? Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? Hemanth Kumar’s solo debut directorial Thurthu Nirgamana explores this fascinating subject with actor Sunil Raoh in the lead. The unconventional yet mainstream Kannada film, which will see Sunil grace the big screen after 10 years, also stars Raj B Shetty, Samyuktha Hegde, Sudha Rani, Achyutha Kumar and Hitha Chandrashekar. Talking about how Thurthu Nirgamana was born, Hemanth Kumar, who had earlier co-directed Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu with Hemanth Rao, says, “The movie portrays what one could do when they get back to the last three days of their life. How do you get this chance, what would you do and what’s the meaning of these three days – these are the metaphors in this film. It’s been narrated in a simple way without getting preachy. It mocks life and death in certain places and suggests that one shouldn’t take life too seriously. The concept was born through my personal experiences.” Hemanth Kumar The project, produced by Kumar and Kumar films and Shylaja Pictures, has visual effects that cinema buffs should watch out for.  “When writing it, I didn’t think of it as a ‘VFX’ film, but the VFX is one of the highlights of this movie. When you watch it, you will feel like this can happen to you. There’s surreal stuff in the film and the special effects are such that they should be watched only on the big screen! Technically, it’s been quite a learning experience, as we didn’t have a reference point,” reveals Hemanth, who had initially picked another actor before Sunil Raoh. “When I watched the Loose Connection teaser, I wanted to hire him. It was a hard decision as I’d already confirmed another actor, but thankfully, he was good enough to let go of it. I spoke to Sunil who jumped into it,” shares the filmmaker. For Sunil, who’s back to Kannada cinema after a decade, Thurthu was the perfect comeback choice. “The concept is whacky as revealed in the teaser. On one hand, you have my character Vikram, who’s very laidback and doesn’t value time and life, but these three days make him realise the value of time.  His interpersonal relationships, how he realises the importance of these things, his interactions with his mum and sister etc., are some things that appealed to me and will definitely interest the audiences too,” says the actor, who wanted to pick something really out-of-the-box for his comeback. Sunil Raoh As for his director Hemanth, he says, “I was impressed by his clarity and confidence. He’s surprisingly composed for a first-timer and is quite sure-footed. He has a good team that knows its craft well. He’s open to new things and to different ways of thinking.” For actor Samyuktha Hegde, who plays an 18-year-old college student in the flick, the idea of the film was fascinating. And the fact that she got to play yet another character similar to her personality was a plus point for the outspoken artiste. “I love the fact that they’re experimenting with a new genre. My character is really cool, just like myself and loves playing cricket! She’s similar to Arya in Kirik Party. She’s a fun-loving girl who makes sure people are seen and heard,” says the actor, who praises her director for earnestly putting in great effort into the film. Samyuktha Hegde Ask them why the audiences should watch Thurthu Nirgamana and the film’s lead actor instantly replies, “Sunil Raoh! Also, apart from what’s shown in the teaser, there’s so much more in the film in terms of technical stuff and hitting the right notes at the emotional and intellectual level. It’s a neatly made film which has content and entertainment. We’ve also tried things that are quite new to our industry. And the cast is so versatile – from Sudha Rani to Achyutha Kumar playing never-seen-before roles. Raj Shetty will be seen in a totally different avatar too. There’s also some zing factor in terms of visuals and we’ve tried some novel things as well.” Thurthu Nirgamana aka Emergency Exit hits theatres at the end of February.

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Bengaluru wants to impose 2% cess on property tax to increase revenue, residents miffed

Taxes

This proposal has been passed by the BBMP council and now waits for a nod from the Urban Development Department.

Soumya Chatterjee

The Bengaluru civic body on Tuesday passed a resolution to impose a 2% ‘road transport cess’ on property tax. The BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) council currently led by Mayor M Goutham Kumar passed the resolution on Tuesday – and while the move still has to be approved by the Urban Development Department of the state government, it is likely that the approval will be given, since both the government and the BBMP council are led by the same party – the BJP.  The cess is planned to be used for road, street and drain maintenance, officials said. A sum of Rs 150 crore is expected to be collected through this, as the BBMP has been facing the heat in the High Court over pothole ridden roads and related accidents. However, residents in the city are miffed with the proposal and say this is effectively punishing those who pay their taxes properly.  This 2% additional cess has been proposed by two previous Mayors too, but was opposed by BJP corporators in the council who were in a majority. A proposal to hike the property tax itself – of residential properties by 20% and that of commercial buildings by 25% – mooted by the then Congress mayor in June 2019, had also failed to get passed by the Council. But sources said with both the government and the BBMP council led by the same party, these deliberations were worked on beforehand and the state government's assent for the same is now only a matter of formality. While BBMP officials say that this financial boost is necessary for the upkeep of road infrastructure, civic activists say BBMP should be looking to improve tax compliance instead of increasing taxes.  “This is a big joke,” said Srikanth Narshiman, co-founder of Bengaluru Nava Nirmana Party, a recently formed party that plants to contest the upcoming civic polls in the city. “First they haven’t been able to collect property tax from all the properties that exist. This move is like making those who actually pay tax, pay more and more. What about the people who are not paying the property tax at all?” he asked. “Let us not even expect 100% collection, they can at least collect 90%,” he added. BBMP currently sees a property tax compliance rate of a little over 80%.   “Secondly, BBMP accounts are not internally-audited on time and there is no transparency in ward wise spendings. So when there is a basic lack of accountability, how can they think of adding on tax?” Srikanth asked.  Tara Krishnaswamy, co-founder of Citizens for Bengaluru, (CfB) called this an attempt by the BBMP to shore up its revenue despite its inefficiency in collection of taxes and money management. “Every year, they spend only about half of what they budget for,” she said. But she said a major part of the BBMP’s financial problem still is not a result of the BBMP’s wrongdoing. “For example whatever revenue is collected in Bengaluru, there should be some proportion of what goes back to Bengaluru. The State Finance Commission has not published a formula on how funds are devolved unlike the Central FInance Commission. What is worse is that you don't know how much money each ward will get and it entirely depends on whether the ward is run by a ruling party corporator or not,” Tara said. “So it is safe to say Bengaluru generates 80% of the state’s revenue but in turn does not get even 10% of it back. So if the state budget is Rs 2 lakh crore, then Bengaluru should get Rs 20,000 crore, but the budget is only around half of it. So the issue of fund shortage in BBMP is a genuine issue,” she explained.  Tara however objected to property owners being made to pay the cess for road transport; she instead suggested that a cess should be collected on vehicle usage like in Punjab, where a road cess is collected for fuel.  Srinivas Alavilli, also a co-founder of CfB concurred saying, “As long as BBMP does not get its own funds from the state government by the way of allocations from state finance commission all these cess won’t do justice to city finances. I think property tax is too low and further their collection rate is abysmally low. Fix that first before any of this.” He added, “If the cess is used for making public transport free, then I will welcome it.” Incidentally over the last four fiscals, BBMP had failed to meet even 90% of its property tax collection target with the FY 2016-17 being the most successful with 86% collection. In the last two fiscals, the Palike has managed to collect only around 82% of its target for property tax. Even this year with just two months to go for the FY to end, BBMP has collected only Rs 2425.3 crore (till January 15) out of target of Rs 3,500 crore. TNM could not reach Ramanna Reddy, the Additional Chief Secretary heading the UDD, for a comment.

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Study confirms what Bengaluru always knew: City has world's worst traffic congestion

Traffic

A report which looks at traffic data from 416 cities in 57 countries named Bengaluru as the number one city for the worst traffic in the world.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Ten days and 3 hours — if you live in Bengaluru, that’s how much time you probably spent in rush hour traffic in a year, according to a new report by Tomtom traffic index. In that time, you could have knitted 61 hats and 11 sweaters, watched 215 episodes of Game of Thrones and completed 49 500-piece jigsaw puzzles.  Bengaluru’s traffic has put the city on the global map, becoming the number one city for the worst traffic congestion. According to a report by Tomtom traffic index, which looks at traffic data from 416 cities in 57 countries around the world, Bengaluru had 71% traffic congestion last year. Comparatively, Mumbai had 65% congestion, Pune had 59% congestion, and Delhi is at 56%: an improvement of 2 percentage points from the previous year. Bengaluru’s traffic is a constant headache for its motorists and residents, with social media becoming an outlet for jokes to cope. The traffic in the city has even previously foiled a terrorist attack. The report noted that Bengaluru’s worst traffic day was August 20, 2019 and its best day was April 6 of the same year. From a weekly perspective, Fridays between 7 pm and 8 pm are the worst for rush hour traffic, with congestion reaching 100 to 120%.  The second most traffic congested city in the world is Manila, in the Philippines. The remaining top five include Bogotá in Colombia, Mumbai, and Pune. While Manila also has 71% congestion, Bengaluru was higher on the list because of its 107% daily congestion, beating out Manila by a slight margin. Citizens and activists from Bengaluru have been demanding better public transportation in the city to combat the chronic traffic troubles in the city. The buses in the city from BMTC hardly caters to the needs of the population in Bengaluru, estimated at 12.9 million people, with only around 6,500 buses in operation. The Karnataka government has announced that they plan to add another 6,000 buses to the bus fleet in a phased manner. Read: Bengaluru set to add 6,000 buses in phased manner, will double fleet Only recently did the Karnataka government announce that the city would have a suburban railways system, after an extended citizens’ campaign for it, “Chuku Buku Beku”. The proposed project will have 81 stations to connect the city through the already existing railway lines in the city. Read: K'taka govt approves suburban rail project for Bengaluru, will have 81 stations The Bengaluru metro is also being constructed and expanded across the city, which is expected to bring down the traffic in the city considerably. However, the metro has consistently missed deadlines to complete the projects in the city, making the affair more expensive and adding to the congestion in the city, even as many major roads are affected by metro construction activities. Bengaluru currently has two metro lines, at a total reach of 42 kms, along with 40 stations. Meanwhile, the metro authority in the city, BMRCL, put out a proposed master plan recently, which includes the controversial elevated corridor project. Experts and activists have repeatedly pointed out that building more flyovers only increases the traffic rather than reduce it, because of ‘induced demand’; which is a phenomenon where private vehicular traffic only increases due to the existence of infrastructure to support it. Read: Bengaluru Comprehensive Mobility Plan a 'backdoor’ to elevated corridor?  

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Bengaluru manual scavenging case: Contractor who tried to save worker dies

Manual Scavenging

Marianna, a labour contractor, died after being put on a ventilator at Bowring Hospital for three days

Prajwal Bhat

Image for representation

After the death of a young man employed in manual scavenging work in Bengaluru on January 25, his contractor who entered the sewage chamber for rescuing him also succumbed on Tuesday. Marianna, a labour contractor, was suffering from hypoxia and surviving on a ventilator at Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru. He died on Tuesday evening, around 4 pm, officials at Bowring Hospital confirmed. His family lives in Sarjapur and were informed about his death by Nagaraj, inspector at Commercial Street Police Station.  Read: 17-yr-old dead after being made to clean sewage chamber in Bengaluru Marianna had approached Siddappa and hired him to clear debris at a building managed by SSBS Jain Sangh Trust on Infantry road. Siddappa was promised Rs 600 as wages for the job. But once he reached the place, he was instead asked to clean a sewage chamber, against the law banning manual scavenging work in India. After Siddappa didn't come out of the sewage chamber, Marianna followed him into the chamber to rescue him. But he fell unconscious and was rescued by construction workers who were working in a nearby building. Doctors declared Siddappa as brought dead while Marianna was critical and received treatment in the ICU.  Siddappa died of asphyxiation and his family members told TNM that he was 17 years old. However,  an FIR registered at Commercial Street police station identifies him as a 20-year-old. Police officials are yet to make an arrest in the case but an FIR was registered against managers, trustees and other responsible persons of SSBS Jain Trust. A protest was held on Monday in which workers, activists and citizens came together to register their dissent. Siddappa belonged to the Adi Karnataka community, categorised as a Scheduled Caste in Karnataka. Read : Never ending tragedy: Bengaluru blue collar workers protest manual scavenging deaths

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IMA scam: Karnataka govt gives CBI nod to indict 2 IPS officers accused of corruption

Crime

The CBI allegedly found that the CID gave a clean chit to the company and its promoter-director Mohammed Mansoor Khan.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka government has granted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) permission to indict two IPS officers in connection with the I, Monetary Advisory (IMA) scam. The CBI had accused two IPS officers — Hemanth Nimbalkar, the former IGP of Economic Offences, and former Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Ajay Hilory —  of colluding with IMA owner Mansoor Ali Khan. In a letter dated January 7, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa granted permission to the CBI. “On due examination of facts and circumstances of the case and the proposal of the investigating agency, with regard to said allegations, prima facie, a case has been made out against the two officers and they should be investigated for said offences,” the letter states. In December 2019, the CBI had written to the Chief Minister, asking him to sanction their request to prosecute Hemanth Nimbalkar and Ajay Hilory. The CBI had filed a preliminary chargesheet in August 2019 but had not named the two officers in it as the state government had not granted permission for the same. In a letter submitted to the state government, the CBI had said, “Investigation of CBI also discloses that the evidence collected so far has prima facie disclosed that these public servants allegedly committed offences under section 7 and 11 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2018, in discharge of their official functions and duties as public servants,” the CBI’s letter said. Besides, the CBI has also sought similar sanction for the then Deputy Superintendent of Police CID EB Sridhara, Inspector and SHO (station house officer) Commercial Street Police Station M Ramesh and sub-inspector of the station P Gowrishankar and the then Assistant Commissioner Bengaluru North Sub Division LC Nagaraj. Sridhara was the inquiry officer and Hemant Nimbalkar was the supervisory officer in the inquiry done by CID’s Economic Offences Wing into activities of IMA group entities. The CBI found that so far, more than Rs 4,000 crore of deposits were illegally raised from lakhs of investors of IMA and that the CID gave a clean chit to the company and its promoter-director Mohammed Mansoor Khan. As a result, activities of the IMA group continued unhindered, which facilitated the collection of hundreds of crore from thousands of investors. This was revealed during the Special Investigation Team’s probe into the matter before the CBI took over the case earlier in 2019. LC Nagaraj also inquired into the affairs of IMA and gave a clean chit without conducting a proper probe, CBI sources said. The clean chit was given on the grounds that no unauthorised deposits were collected and investments of partners, limited liability, partnership are exempted under the Karnataka Protection of Interest of Depositors in Financial Establishments Act, 2004 or KPID Act. The agency probe revealed that Hilori, who allegedly directly supervised Ramesh and Gowrishankar, had failed to register cases in spite of receiving several written complaints from the Revenue Department officials and social activists, the sources said.    

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Karnataka High Court cites CAA, grants bail to Bangladeshi woman

CAA

Archona was arrested in November 2019 and denied bail by a sessions court in December 2019 before the CAA came into effect.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday granted bail to a 37-year-old Christian Bangladeshi woman citing the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019. Archona Prunima Pramanik is a Bangladeshi national and a Christian. She was arrested in November 2019 under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Foreigners Act after she was alleged to have entered India illegally. She had obtained Indian documents like PAN Card, Aadhaar Card and even a Indian passport, LiveLaw reported.   While granting bail, the High Court cited Section 2 of the amended Citizenship Act 1955, according to which minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014 should not be treated as illegal immigrants.  Archona claims to be staying in India since 2003. She was asked to furnish a bail bond for Rs 2 lakh and cooperate with the investigation against her, Times of India reported. Archona was arrested based on a complaint by the assistant passport officer. Earlier in April, Archona had applied for a visa to Bangladesh for herself and her son. During the journey, they were detained at the Kolkata airport and later released. However, the regional passport office issued a notice revoking Archona's passport and she was arrested in November.   Her bail petition was initially dismissed by a sessions court on December 4 2019. The CAA came into effect on January 10, 2020 after which, Archona was granted bail on Tuesday.  She is a native of Rajshahi district of Bangladesh and came to India to pursue a career in nursing. After obtaining a diploma in nursing from Ranchi, she worked at a number of hospitals. In 2010, she married Rajashekaran Krishnamurthy in Ranchi and has a son. 

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Four people under observation for Coronavirus in Bengaluru

The death toll has climbed to 132 people in China as of Wednesday, according to reports.

TNM Staff

Four persons have been put under observation for the Coronavirus infection by the Karnataka Family Health and Welfare Department, an official said on Tuesday. "We are observing four people and we had quarantined 11 people till January 28 for Coronavirus," Family Health and Welfare Department's Joint Secretary, Communicable Diseases, BT Prakash Kumar said. In an eight-day period from January 20 to 28, as many as 3,275 passengers were subjected to thermal screening at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in the city. On Tuesday, 224 passengers were screened at the airport. Kumar said no passenger tested positive for the virus at the airport. Of the 3,275 passengers screened at the airport, only three had a history of visiting China's Wuhan — the epicentre of the disease outbreak — in the last 14 days. However, no Coronavirus case has been confirmed so far by the department, Kumar said. As many as six people have been quarantined at their residences, while one patient has been discharged after testing negative for the virus.  Meanwhile, the State Health and Family Welfare Department has also asked private hospitals in the city to set aside 10 beds exclusively for cases of the Coronavirus. The department also organised an orientation programme for doctors in government and private hospitals about the virus. The government on Tuesday began preparations to evacuate Indian nationals stranded in Wuhan City. Air India has kept a 423-seater jumbo plane ready as the airline awaits necessary approvals to operate the special flight. According to reports, the death toll is now at 132 people because of the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus and close to 6,000 people have been diagnosed. Wuhan City has been placed on lockdown and airports around the world have been screening passengers arriving from Wuhan and other parts of China. While cases of the infection have been reported in multiple countries, including the United States, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, cases of death have only been reported in China.  The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed the outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus called ‘novel coronavirus’ or ‘2019-nCoV’ in a person with pneumonia-like symptoms in China’s Wuhan city in Hubei Province on January 9. After this, the health body encouraged countries to "continue preparedness activities" to ensure that the disease does not spread. The virus causes respiratory problems and accordingly, countries have been told to increase surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and any unusual patterns of SARI or pneumonia cases. 

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