K’taka CM promises Bengaluru suburban rail in 3 yrs, officials say it may take 6 yrs

The Karnataka Chief Minister made the announcement after the government announced that suburban rail project in Bengaluru will cost Rs 18,600 crores.

TNM Staff

File photo of a suburban train

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday announced that the long-awaited suburban rail project in Bengaluru, with 56 stations across the city, would be completed in the next three years. However, the government agency in charge of the project, KRIDE (Rail Infrastructure Development Company-Karnataka) has said that the suburban rail project may take a total of six years to complete. The Chief Minister made this announcement at a press conference in Bengaluru, alongside the Union minister for Railways, Suresh Angadi. Yediyurappa said that the project will be undertaken on a priority basis, as it is a long pending one and is the dream of the late BJP MP HN Ananth Kumar, TOI reported. Meanwhile, KRIDE also issued a press release, stating that the project will take a total of six years from the date of sanction. However, the release noted that the stretch from Bengaluru city railway station (KSR) to the airport would be undertaken on a priority basis and that this would be completed within three years, The Hindu reported.  According to Deccan Herald, the suburban rail has been delayed due to the clashes between the state and Centre, as well as the fact that the railway line was clashing with the metro line. However, it was later proposed that the railway line will take a different route, which stops short of the airport, and will have a frequent shuttle bus for last-mile connectivity to the airport. The railway connection is supposed to completed by March this year. Chief Minister Yediyurappa’s announcement came after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the suburban rail project in Bengaluru will cost Rs 18,600 crores and added that the government will hold 20% equity after contributing 60% of the project cost.  READ: Budget 2020: Bengaluru suburban rail finds mention yet again, but will it kick-off soon?

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Watch: Animal rescuer in Mangaluru saves stray dog stuck in well

Human Interest

Rajani Damodar Shetty has been feeding stray dogs for almost a decade. She takes care of 14 stray dogs at home and feeds hundreds of other stray dogs living in her neighbourhood.

TNM Staff

A woman is seen at the bottom of a deep well. Even as she holds on to a rope tied to her waist, she manouevres herself, hovering inches above the water, and ties the rope onto a dog stuck in the well. The dog is pulled up and rescued and the woman pulls herself up and out of the well. The visual is from Mangaluru and the woman is 40-year-old animal rescue Rajani Damodar Shetty.  Ambassador of #Humanity Salute to this woman Rajani Shetty from Mangalore who went down in the well & saved a stray dog.@D_Roopa_IPS @ParveenKaswan @RandeepHooda @ARanganathan72 @anandmahindra @Iyervval @YRDeshmukh @ActorMadhavan @PawanKalyan @TandonRaveena @ShefVaidya @ndcnn pic.twitter.com/e5uKoZkV5k — IMShubham (@shubham_jain999) February 1, 2020 On Thursday, Rajani was alerted by children playing near an old well near Ballalbagh in Mangaluru that a stray dog was stuck inside the well, which was 30 feet deep. Despite not knowing to swim, Rajani decided to enter the well to rescue the dog. With the help of a rope tied to her, Rajani entered the well and tried to cajole the stray dog stuck in one corner of the well. Rajani said that the dog was scared and even tried to bite her but after a few attempts, she managed to tie a rope around the dog. "I was a bit nervous but at the same time, I knew I could not allow the dog to die. I did not want to take a second chance," Rajani told Times of India.  ' The dog was pulled up by a group of people standing on the edge of the boundary of the well. Rajani then pulled herself up and out of the well.  Rajani's efforts to save the stray daug were lauded on social media with many describing her act as heroic. Meet Rajani Damodar Shetty, from #Mangaluru who rescued a dog that fell into 30 ft well. She didn't knew how to swim, still this dog lover tied rope & rescued the dog. Happy to see that humanity is still alive.@Iyervval @amritabhinder @PetaIndia @AartiTikoo @BeautifulBluru pic.twitter.com/hE2yHuxoKT — Farah Khan (@FaraaahKhan) January 31, 2020 Brave lady with a heart of gold, from Mangaluru rescues a dog which fell in the well. pic.twitter.com/6veLtwmQwp — Vibhinna Ideas (@Vibhinnaideas) February 2, 2020 This brave woman, Rajani Shetty of Mangaluru, deserves an award for risking her life to rescue a dog from a well. https://t.co/zPRUXicyA5 — Gautham Machaiah (@GauthamMachaiah) January 31, 2020 Rajani has been feeding stray dogs for almost a decade. She takes care of 14 stray dogs at home and feeds hundreds of other stray dogs living in her neighbourhood. 

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Court tells media houses to refrain from using Kumaraswamy’s 'mini-mini powder' remark

Law

This comes after social media users posted memes and puns, jeering at HD Kumaraswamy after he referred to the substance used by Mangaluru airport suspect to ‘mini mini powder’.

Prajwal Bhat

Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's use of a colloquial Kannada phrase — 'mini mini powder' — triggered a series of memes and puns on the phrase on social media. He used the term to describe the white powdery substance, which was retrieved from the bank locker of Aditya Rao, the man who is suspected to have planted a bomb at the Mangaluru airport on January 20. However, it looks like the memes have not gone down well with the JD(S) leader or his supporters. Based on an injection suit filed by advocate Ismail Zabiulla, the City Civil and Sessions court in Bengaluru issued an order directing media houses that Kumaraswamy should not be mocked for his statement.  The interim order was issued on February 1 against Vijayavani newspaper and 46 other media houses. It restrains the publications from "defaming, derogating and disparaging the image name and reputation of (Kumaraswamy)”. Any reference of words ‘mini-mini powder’, which links Kumaraswamy, is barred under the law — either by writing, airing, printing or uploading any article or morphed and distorted images or videos and making sarcastic remarks, memes, jokes, comic ads or reckless statements, said the order.   Akshit Suvarna, a member of the JD(S) in Dakshina Kannada, had filed a complaint in the Cyber Crime police station over the issue. "We submitted a complaint to the Commissioner and the Cyber Crime police about how social media pages and individuals were poking fun at what Kumaraswamy said and making it viral," Akshit told TNM. Kumaraswamy made the now-infamous remark during a press conference over the bomb scare in Mangaluru. Aditya Rao, a resident of the city, was arrested after he surrendered, claiming he had planted an explosive in the Mangaluru International Airport. At the press meet, the former CM was trying to make a point that it was not a bomb but a firecracker, which had “mini-mini powder”.  The usage of the remark was ridiculed by social media users, with many posts making references to talcum powder.  Taking to Twitter, Kumaraswamy said, "'Mini mini' is an expression used for anything that glimmers in Kannada in rural areas. If the BJP is making fun of that word, it is insulting Kannada and rural parts of the state.” ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೊಳೆಯುವ ಪದಾರ್ಥಕ್ಕೆ ಮಿಣಿಮಿಣಿ ಎನ್ನಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅದು ಶುದ್ಧ ಕನ್ನಡ, ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಪದ. ಅದನ್ನೇ ಅಪಮಾನಕ್ಕೆ ಬಳಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ ಎಂದರೆ ಅದು ಕನ್ನಡಕ್ಕೆ, ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕಕ್ಕೆ ಮಾಡಿದ ಅಪಮಾನ. ಎಷ್ಟೇ ಆಗಲಿ ಬಿಜೆಪಿಗರ ಜೀನ್ ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದ್ದಲ್ಲವೇ. ಅದಕ್ಕೇ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಕನ್ನಡದ ಪದಗಳು ತಾತ್ಸಾರ. 4/4 — H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) January 28, 2020 This is not the first time the JD(S) leader has been the target of ridicule for something he has said. During the audio release of his son's movie, he had remarked: "Nikhil Yellidyappa" (where are you, Nikhil?). This became the subject of many social media memes and puns in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, as Nikhil was one of the candidates from the party.

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13 new ministers for Karnataka on February 6, including 10 rebels

Politics

Thirteen MLAs, including 10 rebels from Congress and the JD(S), will take oath on February 6.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday said that the Cabinet expansion will take place on February 6, with 13 MLAs taking oath of office as ministers. "The cabinet expansion will take place on February 6 with the oath-taking ceremony at the Raj Bhavan at 10.30 AM," he told reporters in Bengaluru on Sunday. Thirteen MLAs, including the 10 rebel MLAs who had joined the BJP from Congress and the JD(S), will take oath, he said. The Cabinet expansion has been on the cards for nearly two months, ever since the BJP won the maximum number of seats in the December 5, 2019 bye-polls and got a majority in the Karnataka Assembly. In the bye-elections held in December 2019, 12 BJP candidates won seats in 15 constituencies. Among the 12 winners, 11 candidates were former MLAs of the Congress and JD(S) who resigned and paved the way for the BJP to take power in the state in 2019. Arun Kumar, who won from the Ranebennur constituency, contested in place of R Shankar of the KPJP. Shankar had also resigned as an MLA in 2019. This means that all rebel leaders, barring one, will be made a minister when the Cabinet expansion takes place. The Assembly session is set to begin in Karnataka on February 5.  The date for the Cabinet expansion was announced after Yediyurappa held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Friday.  Sources privy to the meeting stated that Amit Shah had cleared the list of BJP leaders recommended by Yediyurappa for a place in the Cabinet. The same was reiterated by Yediyurappa in a press conference on Saturday. 

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Fact check: 19 people not affected by Coronavirus in Bengaluru’s Wilson Garden

Coronavirus

A viral message claimed 19 people in Bengaluru have tested positive for Coronavirus, but officials confirmed to TNM that the message is false.

TNM Staff

There have been two confirmed cases of Coronavirus in India so far — both in Kerala, but panic has spread fast. A message is now doing the rounds on messaging apps as well as social media stating that 19 people from Wilson Garden in Bengaluru have tested positive for the virus.  “Today's breaking news now...19 ppl r affected with CORONA VIRUS only in WILSON GARDEN Surrounding areas ...pls friends kindly update it to family and friends too.....all of us take care.....” the message read. This message is fake. Speaking to TNM Dr Prakasha, Bengaluru DHO, stated that there have been no such cases from Wilson Garden. “There have been no such cases reported from Wilson Garden. The situation is being monitored and any potentially affected individuals are being screened. Such forwards are being circulated and are causing a lot of panic. Please don’t believe them.” she said.  From January 20 and January 31, 4,367 travellers were screened at the Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport. This included three travellers with a history of travelling to Wuhan in the past two weeks. None of the travellers tested positive on the thermal scanner.  20 people with a travel history of visiting China recently also tested negative for the Coronavirus in Bengaluru. Only one man's test results are awaited and the patient is currently in an isolation ward in RGICD. On Friday, a Bengaluru family of five was tested, after neighbours alerted authorities that the family had returned from China. The family did not visit Wuhan, but another province in China.   According to Dr Deepak UG, the nodal officer at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, the family was screened at the airport. "When they visited the hospital, they were asymptomatic and did not have fever or chest pain. They had gastrointestinal problems. Their blood and sputum samples were collected and their test results are awaited," Dr Deepak told TNM.  The Karnataka government has identified four private hospitals where suspected persons with travel history are quarantined. Their blood and sputum samples will be sent to either a lab at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) or a branch of the National Institute of Virology located near RGICD as they are the only two centres authorised for testing.

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Karnataka CM Yediyurappa hails pro-farmer budget, suburban rail allocation

Budget

Former CM Siddaramaiah has criticised the allocation for the agriculture sector in the budget, which is 2.5%.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa hailed the Union Budget 2020 as "pro-people, pro-farmer and pro-poor" on Saturday.  "For the first time in the history of the country, priority has been given to farmers, poor and rural areas. This is a boon to the farmers. The programmes announced for the farming sector compliment the Prime Minister's vision to double the income of farmers," said Yediyurappa. He recognized that agriculture has been discussed in such detail for the first time in the Budget. "Providing Rs 2.83 lakh crore to the agriculture sector is a major deviation from the routine budgetary allocations. Kisan Rail and Kisan Udan will facilitate speedy transportation and export of perishable agricultural products and this, in turn, will boost farmers' income," he said. Praising the budget plan to undertake water conservation measures in 100 water-stressed districts, constituting one-fifth of the country's area will help farmers in those districts where underground water has been almost exhausted, he said. However, the budget was criticised by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. He stated that for growth to be achieved, the agriculture sector needed to get an allocation of at least 10% of the budget. The allocation announced was 2.5%. Siddaramaiah added that the Opposition had sought the waiver of farmer loans in nationalised banks but it was not implemented. However, solar energy production and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan (PM-KUSUM), a scheme to energise pump-sets through solar energy, was announced. The scheme aims to help over 20 lakh farmers. Yediyurappa also welcomed the decision to approve Bengaluru suburban rail whose funding up to 40 per cent will be shared by the state and the Centre, with the balance coming from external assistance. The Finance Minister allocated Rs 18,000 crore for the 148-km-long Bengaluru suburban railway line on Saturday in her Budget speech. "This will boost the infrastructure facilities in Bengaluru which has turned out to be a favourite investment destination for the MNCs. This will help us to eliminate traffic congestion in this investment-friendly city," said Yediyurappa. Joining corporates, the chief minister highlighted that measures to eliminate harassment of taxpayers will be a big relief. He also supported the reduction of income tax rates in almost all slabs. WIth IANS inputs

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Bengaluru family tested for Coronavirus after neighbours complain

Health

According to an official, the family did not travel to Wuhan but visited another province in China before returning to India on January 23.

TNM Staff

A Bengaluru-based family of five living in an apartment on Bannerghatta Road was tested for the Coronavirus after it emerged that the family had visited China recently. On Thursday, the family had shut their doors on a team of doctors from the health and family welfare department who visited to check them for Coronavirus. The family’s neighbours alerted officials that the family had recently returned from China.  However, the family was reportedly unwilling to meet the doctors. On Friday, an ambulance with staffers arrived at the apartment again and the family then agreed to visit the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD), Times of India reported.  According to Dr Deepak UG, nodal officer, coronavirus isolation ward at RGICD, the family did not travel to Wuhan but visited another province in China before returning to India on January 23. The family was also screened at the airport. "When they visited the hospital, they were asymptomatic and did not have fever or chest pain. They had gastrointestinal problems. Their blood and sputum samples were collected and their test results are awaited," Dr Deepak told TNM.  Though in this case the family had come back from China, there have been other instances in Bengaluru where panic is being spread for no reason. One message that is viral on Whatsapp groups says, "Today's breaking news now...19 ppl r affected with CORONA VIRUS only in WILSON GARDEN Surrounding areas ...pls friends kindly update it to family and friends too.....all of us take care...." The District Health Officer confirmed to TNM that this was absolutely false. Meanwhile, 20 people with a travel history of visiting China recently have tested negative for the Coronavirus in Bengaluru. Only one man's test results are awaited and the patient is currently in an isolation ward in RGICD. Between January 20 and 31, 4,367 travellers were screened at the Bengaluru International Airport including three travellers with a history of travelling to Wuhan in the past two weeks. None of the travellers tested positive on the thermal scanner.  The Karnataka government has identified four private hospitals where suspected persons with travel history are quarantined. Their blood and sputum samples will be sent  to either a lab at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) or a branch of the National Institute of Virology located near RGICD as they are the only two authorised for testing. 

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