Karnataka budget to allot funds for drinking water project to drought-prone districts

Politics

BS Yediyurappa is set to present the state budget in the Legislative Assembly on March 2.

IANS

PTI/REPRESENTATION PHOT

Bolstered by the Supreme Court's interim nod for the gazette notification of the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal award by the Central government, Karnataka decided to allot funds for the drinking water project in the state's northwest region, an official said on Saturday. "Funds will be allotted in the state budget for fiscal 2020-21 to complete the Kalasa-Banduri project across the Mahadayi river for supplying drinking water to the four drought-prone northern districts in the state," the official of the water resources department told IANS on anonymity. As Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa also holds the finance portfolio, he has agreed to allocate funds for the project, held up for years in the legal battle with the neighbouring Goa and Maharashtra over the sharing of the river water among the three coastal states. Yediyurappa is slated to present the state budget for the ensuing fiscal in the legislative assembly on March 2. "We will resume the project work once the Centre notifies the award though it will be binding on the final outcome of the apex court's hearing the review petitions of Goa and Maharashtra against the Tribunal award," the official noted. A division bench of Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Hemant Gupta on Thursday passed an interim order on the Tribunal award, allowing the central water resources ministry to notify it for implementation and posted the case for final hearing in July. The Tribunal on August 14, 2018 allocated 13.42 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of the river water to the southern state for irrigation and drinking water supply to towns and villages across Bagalkot, Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag districts, which are in the arid region of the Deccan plateau. The four districts are about 400-550 km northwest of Bengaluru in the southern state. Of the 13.42 tmcft water, 5.5 tmcft will be used in the river basin and for diversion into the depleted Malaprabha reservoir while the balance 7.92 tmcft will be utilized for hydel power generation instead of allowing the water to go into the Arabian Sea on the state's west coast through Goa. Goa, which opposed Karnataka's demand for 36.66 tmcft, was allocated 24 tmcft, while Maharashtra got 1.3 tmcft. The Tribunal assessed that 188.06 tmc feet water is available at 75 per cent dependability. The three-member Tribunal is headed by Chairman Justice J.M. Panchal, Justice Viney Mittal and Justice P.S. Naayana. The Union government had set up the inter-state Tribunal on November 16, 2010 for the djudication of the Mahadayi basin water allocation among the three riparian and contiguous states. Goa and Maharashtra claimed 122.6 tmc feet and 6.35 tmc feet of the river water respectively. The Tribunal, which commenced sittings on September 6, 2012, held 1,209 sittings for over 6 years. Supreme Court senior counsel F.S. Nariman represented the state before the Tribunal to present its case. The Tribunal's chairman and two members inspected the river basin area across the three coastal states from December 12-24, 2013. The 77km-long Mahadayi or Mandovi river originates at Bhimgad in the Western Ghats in Belagavi district and flows into the neighbouring Goa through Maharashtra and joins the Arabian Sea off the west coast. Though the river flows 29 km in Karnataka and 52 km in Goa, its catchment area is spread over 2,032 km in the southern state as against 1,580 km in the western state (Goa).

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Manipal lab that detected Nipah virus removed from ICMR list, contests move

Health

Manipal Institute of Virology was earlier praised for detecting and containing the outbreak of Nipah virus in Kerala in 2018.

Prajwal Bhat

Image for representation : Manipal Centre for Virus Research

It has been a testing week for Dr. G Arunkumar, who heads the Manipal Institute of Virology (MIV). The Indian government's decision to strike off MIV's laboratory from the list of Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories came as a rude shock to Dr. Arunkumar and his counterparts in Manipal. MIV was praised for detecting and containing the outbreak of Nipah virus in Kerala in 2018. "This decision has been taken through no fault of ours. We are unsure what has led to this decision," says Dr. Arunkumar speaking in his office in Manipal.   A news report published earlier this month stated that MIV was accused by ICMR of storing pathogens of Nipah virus, considered a Risk Group (RG) 4 virus, and studying it despite not having the required biological safety level 4 (BSL4) certification. The report also stated that the Indian government also asked the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop funding any research in India without the government's approval.  This comes in the wake of a review of research into biological weapons grade pathogens in India amid the coronavirus outbreak. However, the government's actions were strongly contested by MIV.  In a statement released to the media, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) stated, "As per the direction from DG ICMR, all Nipah virus positive clinical samples were handed over to NIV, Pune on 12th July 2018 and receipt obtained.  No biological samples or Nipah virus positive samples were transferred into or out of India, and this study has no connection with vaccine development or research." MIV, a private laboratory, was started alongside 3 other virus laboratories in 2010 after years of planning following the SARS outbreak. The three others were ICMR's regional centers in Bhubaneswar and Port Blair, and King George Medical University in Lucknow. The Ministry of Health funded the consumables used in the laboratory and covered the expenses of its personnel till 2016. After that, government funds for the laboratory was reduced in a phased manner before it became a fully self sustained facility in March 2019.   ICMR signed an MoU with Manipal in 2011 and the laboratory was government funded till 2016. After that, in a staggered manner, government funds for consumables and personnel was reduced, and the facility became fully self sustained in March 2019. It was on May 18 2018 that the first case of Nipah virus in Kerala was detected by MIV after Dr. AS Anoop Kumar, a physician at Baby Memorial Hospital in Kozhikode turned to Dr. G Arunkumar, a virologist in MIV, Manipal to diagnose a cluster of what appeared to be cases of encephalitis. Both Dr. Arunkumar and doctors at Baby Memorial Hospital ruled out encephalitis and zeroed in on the cause of the deaths to be Nipah virus.  MIV was perfectly placed to detect the virus since in 2017, the team at the virology institute, was trained by the US CDC to test for Nipah virus. The laboratory in Manipal was one of only two facilities in India authorized to test for Nipah virus, the other one being Pune's National Institute of Virology (NIV). After MIV had identified it to be Nipah virus, the laboratory notified the NIV in Pune for a second round of testing to be doubly sure. "We informed the authorities in Kerala that we were dealing with a deadly virus but we did not reveal its name," Dr Arunkumar recalls. Virologists in NIV isolated the virus and confirmed the case of Nipah on May 20, 2018. In evidence of the coordination between ICMR and MIV, on May 27 2018, ICMR, in a letter to the Virology institute in Manipal, sanctioned Rs 15.8 lakh for the outbreak investigation of the Nipah virus. Dr. Arunkumar, MIV In July that year, the outbreak of Nipah virus was deemed to be over and a team of officials from NIV, Pune travelled to Manipal to collect samples of Nipah virus stored in the laboratory.  According to communication between MIV and NIV Pune, which TNM has accessed, 18 samples which tested positive and 367 samples which tested negative for Nipah virus were transported to Pune on July 12. A receipt was handed over to MIV and the transport of the samples was further acknowledged by officials in Pune. In November 2018, officials from IMCR arrived in Manipal once again to review "aspects related to the collection of Nipah virus samples".  Dr. Arunkumar assumed that this was the end of the matter but over the past year, he says, the ICMR's correspondence with MIV changed noticeably. Even though fresh Nipah virus cases emerged in 2019, MIV was not listed as a designated laboratory in this year. In April 2019, an official in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare wrote to MIV stating that it was not eligible to store Nipah virus samples. In the letter, the official further accused MIV of collecting samples of Nipah virus despite being directed to transfer all samples to NIV. MIV's foreign collaboration with the US CDC was also questioned at this time. The Acute Febrile Illness programme carried out by MIV along with the US CDC was stopped in May 2019 following the letter.  However, Dr. Arunkumar states that MIV did not store or collect Nipah virus samples at this time and replied to ICMR's letter stating the same. "We realised something was amiss only In July 2019 when we were no longer able to enter results in the portal on ICMR VRDL," he adds.  The tussle between ICMR and Manipal's virus research facility has become public knowledge this month at a time India is closely following developments in China after the outbreak of coronavirus. However, the health ministry is yet to clarify if any further action will be taken on MIV after already making serious charges against the laboratory and revoking its inclusion in the list of Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories.  "We will fight these claims and ensure that all the issues are resolved," Dr. Arunkumar adds.  

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‘Student protesters should meet Gauri Lankesh’s fate’: Sri Rama Sene member

Siddalinga Swami’s statement comes days after he offered Rs 3 lakh for anyone who cuts off the tongues of three Kashmiri students booked for sedition in Hubballi.

TNM Staff

Sri Rama Sene leader and head of Karuneshwara mutt Siddalinga Swami on Saturday courted fresh controversy when he suggested that student protesters should “meet the same fate” as the slain journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh. He was speaking at an event by the Yuva Viveka Bharata Sangha and a video of the event emerged on Saturday.  "(They are) only 14-15 years, they are talking bad words about Modi and Shah. I think soon they should be made to go where Gauri Lankesh is," Siddalinga Swami said, as the crowd is heard cheering him on. His statement comes just days after he offered Rs 3 lakh for anyone who cuts off the tongues of three Kashmiri students studying in an engineering institute in Hubballi after they were charged with sedition for allegedly saying pro-Pakistan slogans.  Gauri Lankesh, a senior Karnataka journalist and editor of the Gauri Lankesh Patrike, was shot dead at her residence in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017. Known to be a staunch critic of the right-wing, 55-year-old Gauri’s murder had shocked India. The case is still under investigation, with 18 people having been arrested by the CBI Special Investigation Team in connection with the crime. The latest development was the arrest of Rushikesh Devdikar, a key suspect who was absconding, in January 2020. Siddalinga Swami is reportedly the honorary president of pro-Hindutva outfit Shri Rama Sene. One of the key arrests made in the Gauri Lankesh case was that of Parashuram Waghmore in 2018. SIT sources said the Waghmore was linked to Shri Rama Sene with its chief Pramod Muthalik being spotted in a photograph with Waghmore. However, Muthalik has denied that he knew Waghmore.

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Bengaluru student activists rally around Ardra, detained for holding a 'liberation’ poster

CAA

Pro-Hindutva activists allege that Ardra shouted pro-Pakistan slogans, but police say there is no evidence of it.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Ardra's arrest, screengrab

Bengaluru’s student activists are rallying around Ardra, the student protester who was picked up by the SJ Park police near Bengaluru’s Town Hall for holding a liberation poster.  Members of the Hindu Jagrana Vedike, a pro-Hindutva organisation, allege that Arda shouted pro-Pakistan slogans. However, Deputy Commissioner for Police (West) Chetan Rathore, said that there was no evidence that such slogans had been shouted. Ardra, whose preferred pronouns are they/their, had held a poster that said, "Muslim, Dalit, Kashmiri, Bahujan Adivasi, Trans liberation now," in Kannada and English. Police took a suo motu case, and booked the protester under sections 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups either spoken or written, or by signs) and 153B (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) of the IPC (Indian Penal Code), for holding up the poster. The above offences are non-bailable, and Arda must be produced in the court before a plea for bail is processed. The protester was questioned by the SJ Park police on Friday afternoon, and is currently in judicial custody. Meanwhile, many activists have defended Ardra’s right to freedom and expression. Twitter user @SashaRanganath said, “My dear friend Ardra has done nothing wrong. They held up a placard demanding Dalit, Muslim and Kashmir freedom, exercising their right to dissent. What the Bengaluru police has done is absolutely unacceptable. #FreeArdra And media, STOP MISGENDERING AND DEADNAMING THEM!!!”   My dear friend Ardra has done nothing wrong. They held up a placard demanding Dalit, Muslim and Kashmir freedom, exercising their right to dissent. What the Bengaluru police has done is absolutely unacceptable. #FreeArdra And media, STOP MISGENDERING AND DEADNAMING THEM!!! — existence is political. (@SashaRanganath) February 22, 2020   “This is the poster that Ardra held up. Damn us all if it doesn't resound across protests everywhere. Would be a sin to not also centre Kashmiri youth of ALL genders being hunted down, transported, treated with special vengeance.”   This is the poster that Ardra held up. Damn us all if it doesn't resound across protests everywhere. Would be a sin to not also centre Kashmiri youth of ALL genders being hunted down, transported, treated with special vengeance. #FreeSharjeel pic.twitter.com/6Mhl6K2bOK — Nidhi Kinhal (@nidhikinhal) February 22, 2020   Ardra is especially affected by the arrest due to medical complications. Teresa Braggs, another student activist, told TNM that Ardra suffers from chronic pain due to severe arthritis. “Arda's parents are in front of the jail where they are being held, to pass on medication for their rheumatoid arthritis. But the parents are speaking to the lawyers and hoping that Ardra can take the medication soon, as the pain flares up with stress and anxiety.” The court was closed due to the extended weekend, with Friday being Mahashivrathri. Saturday and Sunday are also court holidays. Student activist Teresa Braggs said that they would approach the court on Monday seeking bail for Ardra. Police Inspector of SJ Park, Tanveer Ahmed, said that the case would be heard by the court on March 5. The police on Friday took witness statements in connection with Ardra’s case from about 10 members of Sri Rama Sene, Hindu Jagrana Vedike and Hindu Janajagruthi Samiti, some of whose members are accused of murdering journalist Gauri Lankesh. They were at the Town Hall on Friday to protest against the statements made by Amulya, another student activist, who said “Pakistan Zindabad”. Many of Amulya’s friends say that the slogan “Pakistan Zindabad” was misconstrued, and that putting a charge of sedition was an extremely harsh move. They cite Amulya’s Facebook post on February 16, in which she says in Kannada, “..Whichever country it is - Zindabad to all countries. I don’t become a part of a different nation just because I say Zindabad to that nation. As per law, I am an Indian citizen. It is my duty to respect my nation and work for the people of the country…”

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Sri Rama Sene man announces Rs 10 lakh bounty for killing student activist Amulya Leona

CAA

This comes a day after another Sri Rama Sene leader offered a Rs 3 lakh reward for the tongues of the three Kashmiri students who were accused of sedition.

TNM Staff

Sanjeev Maradi, screengrab

In a shocking statement, a Sri Rama Sene member on Friday offered Rs 10 lakh as reward to anyone who kills student protester Amulya Leona. In a video that has emerged from Ballari, the man who introduces himself as a Sri Rama Sene leader says this kind of 'anti-national' activity is spreading like cancer. "Amulya Leona, a student, has said Pakistan Zindabad. I request the state government, that she should not be released on bail. If she is released, we will do an encounter on her (kill her), or we will give Rs 10 lakh reward to those who do it," Sanjeev Maradi told mediapersons in Ballari. Though he says he is from Sri Rama Sene, Maradi and a man next to him can be seen wearing a sash with BJP written on it. However, the Ballari BJP president says that Sanjeev Maradi is not a BJP worker. The announcement was met with hoots from the people surrounding Sanjeev Maradi as he made the statement to the media. Amulya Leona, a 19-year-old journalism student from a Bengaluru college, was arrested on charges of sedition on Thursday for saying 'Pakistan Zindabad' in a public meeting in the presence of All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaddudin Owaisi. She then went on to chant 'Hindustan Zindabad' and also added, 'the difference between Pakistan Zindabad and Hindustan Zindabad is....", but was dragged off the stage before she could complete the sentence. A Sri Rama Sene member, Siddalinga Swamy, had offered Rs 3 lakh as bounty for the tongues of three Kashmiri students in Hubballi who were arrested on charges of sedition. The statement was made in Gadag, during a program commemorating Shivaji Jayanti. Siddalinga had said, “We will pay Rs 1 lakh for each tongue which is cut.” Watch: Rama Sene leader offers Rs 3 lakh on tongues of sedition accused Kashmiri students In another incident, a student were made to urinate on a poster of Amulya Leona as part of right-wing protests against the student in Yadgir. This was also met with shouts of approval. The men surrounding the boy wore saffron sashes and shouted “Jai Shree Ram, Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” and shouted enthusiastically.

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Woman cop starts initiative in Bengaluru to help women reclaim public spaces

Women

The Bengaluru police’s South East division has identified eight public spaces where women will be encouraged to spend time after dark.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

File photo

In a move to make parts of the city safer for women and reclaim public spaces, Isha Pant, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of the South West division of the Bengaluru police, launched a campaign where women will be encouraged to spend time in public spaces after dark. The campaign will be held from February 24 to March 8 (International Women’s Day). The DCP has announced eight specific places where women have been asked to spend time in the evening — from 7 pm to 10 pm.  The spots include Silk board, Diary circle, Koramangala BDA complex, Koramangala passport office, Madiwala market, Spurthy hospital Taverekere, Grape garden Koramangala 6th block, and Veera Yodhya Udhyanavana, Koramangala 4th block. Isha Pant tweeted that this campaign has been launched to make spaces more inclusive. “Eight different places have been identified where women feel uncomfortable at night. The goal is to make these places safe. Come join us for a fortnight from 24/02 to 8/3 every evening from 7 pm to 10 pm,” the DCP tweeted.   We're starting a campaign to make Bengaluru more inclusive. 8 diff places hv been identified where women feel uncomfortable at night.The goal is to make these places safe.Come join us for a fortnight from 24/02 to 8/3 every evening from 7 pm to 10 pm. #Betogetherbangalore pic.twitter.com/b1NZeYVSbO — Isha Pant, IPS (@DCPSEBCP) February 20, 2020   The move is an attempt to reclaim public spaces, which are rendered unsafe due to "anti-social” elements and poor lighting.  The initiative is being launched in association with Bengaluru-based NGO, Durga India, which works towards the deterrence of crimes against women, according to information available on their website, durgaindia.org. Isha Pant had announced earlier this month that she would work towards making the city inclusive for women who feel unsafe in public spaces and had invited suggestions from the public to identify such places. “After fixing the infrastructural issues, we will have women from different age groups and professions come and spend a couple of hours there. Seeing more women in such places will encourage other women to visit these places too. The idea is to make women feel safe and comfortable in public places,” she had tweeted. This is a pilot project which is only being undertaken in the South East division in Bengaluru in the city.  While many have hailed the initiative, activists say there is a larger question of safety that also needs to be addressed. They have also questioned the time slot for the initiative, which is 7 pm to 10 pm. "It's an experiment for about a fortnight and it's good that people are having conversations about it. However, such a move would not eliminate the problem, but we should keep having such projects to speak about it in the future,” says women's rights activist and artist Indu Anthony.

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Bengaluru bus rights group seeks reduction in BMTC fares, opposes elevated corridor

Transport

The Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBVP) recently met with various MLAs and ministers in this regard.

TNM Staff

The Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBVP), a group that bats for the rights of people who travel on the bus, recently met with various MLAs and ministers, and have asked them to reduce BMTC (Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation) bus fares. Rizwan Arshad and Akhanda Srinivas Murthy, both of whom are Congress MLAs, agreed to write to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. Additionally, S Suresh Kumar, BJP MLA and Karnataka Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Labour and Sakala, said he would write to Chief Minister Yediyurappa about reducing bus fares and increasing the bus fleet in the Bengaluru Budget. This comes even as news that the elevated corridor project has been put back on the table. BBVP has opposed the move strongly. In their letter to the various ministers, they said that instead of pushing for the Elevated Corridor at a cost of Rs 9300 crore, it would be far easier and more cost-effective to spend the same money on improving the public transportation in the city, and using the balance for better causes that urgently need the state government’s budgetary attention. They wrote, “6000 buses at the cost of Rs 30 lakh each (Rs 1800 crore), Rs 2000 crore for the stabilisation of bus fares, and (the remaining) Rs 5500 crore for education, health, farmer income stabilisation, and flood relief.” Mr Gopalaiah (Minister and MLA, Mahalakshmi Layout) promised to look into the matter. On the first day, the news of elevated corridor being revived by a group of Bangalore MLAs was not yet out. Yesterday, we raised our concerns about elevated corridor too with many MLAs. (2/n) pic.twitter.com/ChXDejFMo7 — BusPrayanikaraVedike (@BBPVedike) February 21, 2020 The current BMTC bus fares start from Rs 12 going up to Rs 21, for normal buses. The Volvo bus fares are more expensive, starting at Rs 15 and going up to Rs 80. Chief Minister Yediyurappa had previously promised to focus on public transportation instead of promoting private vehicles. He had promised to buy a new fleet of 6000 buses to nearly double the existing fleet of buses, and reduce the bus fares, back in November last year. However, the BJP seems to have gone back on their promises, and have brought back the elevated corridor, which they had opposed fiercely when the JD(S)-Congress coalition had proposed the much-contested project. Read: U-turn by BJP: After protesting Bengaluru elevated corridor, govt likely to okay project? Additionally, another minister Byrathi Basavaraj, had spoken about introducing a new 12 km flyover from the Indiranagar BDA complex to Medahalli, after KR Puram, at a cost of Rs 200 crore. However, transport experts have maintained that Bengaluru needs better public transport facilities and not additional flyovers or elevated corridors to solve the city's traffic woes. 

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