Remove Hindi signs on Metro or include all 22 languages: KDA demands

Language

The KDA made certain recommendations to the BMRCL in a meeting held on Thursday.

Theja Ram

The Kannada Development Authority on Thursday demanded that Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) remove the three-language sign boards in metro rails and stations and use only Kannada and English sign boards.  The KDA also demanded that only Kannadigas be appointed for all blue collar jobs in Namma Metro, especially in the cleaning and security sections. The KDA made these demands in a meeting to review the implementation of Kannada language in Namma Metro held on Thursday.  Speaking to TNM, TS Nagabharana, Chairman of the KDA, said, “During the meeting, I told metro officials that as proponents of the rich culture and heritage of the state, metro should also ensure that Kannadigas are given priority. Most of the cleaning and security staff are from other states. When people from our own state are in desperate need of jobs, should they not be given preference?” He further stated that one of the primary demands made was that all sign boards across all metro stations and trains be changed. He said that the state government does not adhere to a three-language policy but uses the two-language policy.  “I advised him that only Kannada and English sign boards be used. If Hindi should be used so should all 22 official languages of our country, Why should Hindi be given preference? Our neighbours are Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra and Kerala. We have so many of our brothers from these states living here, then should their languages not be given preference too?” he questioned.  He further stated that the KDA has put forth two options before BMRCL regarding sign boards: One is to use only Kannada and English in sign boards and the second was to use all 22 languages in all sign boards. “Why should there be discrimination? If just one language apart from Kannada is being used then it will be unfair,” he added. Ajay Seth, Managing Director of BMRCL said that he promised the KDA to take their recommendations into consideration and that necessary action would be taken by November and a report would also be submitted regarding the same. 

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SC refuses to stay tax evasion case case against DK Shivakumar

Court

The Supreme Court granted the I-T Department four weeks to reply.

TNM Staff

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to stay the Income Tax Department’s tax evasion case against Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar. A bench comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramaniun granted the I-T Department four weeks time to file their reply to Shvakumar’s allegations against it.  According to LiveLaw, the apex court refused to stay the criminal proceedings initiated by the I-T Department after the raids at several of his properties conducted in August 2017. The Supreme Court was hearing the case after DK Shivakumar filed a Special Leave Petition in November 2019 seeking relief from the I-T Department’s case.  In November last year, the Karnataka High Court had dismissed DK Shivakumar’s plea, seeking to quash the I-T Department’s case against him. Shivakumar had appealed to the High Court after the Bengaluru sessions court had dismissed his plea.  The Special Leave Petition filed by Shivakumar argues that an amount found during the course of a search cannot be treated as undisclosed income without waiting for the assessee to file return of income, LiveLaw reported.  DK Shivakumar’s counsel argued that the money found could be considered as undisclosed only if conditions of section 69A of the Income Tax Act were met.  According to section 69 of the I-T Act, in any financial year, if any money, bullion, jewellery or other valuable articles are found unrecorded by an assessing officer, and the assessee does not offer a valid explanation for not declaring such an income, then the assessing officer can declare the asset(s) as income of the assessee. However, in Shivakumar’s case, his lawyers argued that even if the money is found to be income under section 69A, in DK Shivakumar’s case, he could not be charged with concealing income. The petition states that Shivakumar haad not filed for return of income when the search and seizure operation was conducted by the Income Tax Department.  Hence, his lawyers argued that only if Shivakumar had filed for return of income and had not included the money found by the I-T Department in it, could he be charged with concealing income. His counsel stated that Shivakumar had time till September 30, 2018 and that the assessment conducted by the Income tax Department was not appropriate.  “Consequently, the sanction for the prosecution would also have been vitiated by non-application of mind,” LiveLaw quoted the Special Leave Petition as stating. 

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Amendment to Land Reforms Act may bring back Zamindari system: Siddaramaiah to PM Modi

Lad Reforms

Siddaramaiah wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to direct the Karnataka government to withhold the implementation of the Land Reforms (Amendment) Ordinance 2020.

TNM Staff

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to direct the state government to withhold the Land Reforms (Amendment) Ordinance 2020. The ordinance, which received Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala’s nod, came into effect on August 19.  “The decision taken by the government is unilateral, without taking the farming community into confidence. The amendment, which can have a very high impact, needs to be debated in the Assembly, before being implemented. I strongly urge you, in the interest of millions of farmers, to direct the Chief Minister of Karnataka to withhold the ordinance,” Siddaramaiah’s letter states.  My letter to Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi urging him, in the interest of farmers, to direct @CMofKarnataka @BSYBJP to revoke Land Reforms (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. pic.twitter.com/v1QyT8x3Sz — Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) August 27, 2020 The amendment has diluted several sections of the Land Reforms Act and now allows non-agriculturalists to own agricultural land. Some of the crucial sections of the Land Reforms Act, which were meant to check the land mafia from taking over agricultural properties were also repealed by the BS Yediyirappa-led BJP government in the state.  The former Chief Minister states that implementation of the new ordinance will bring back the Zamindari system, which was the primary reason for backwardness in rural areas. He also states that the new reforms will help Bengaluru land mafia to procure more land and make huge profits.  “KIABD (Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board) already has 36,000 acres of undeveloped land, which can be utilised for industrial development and is instead eyeing the productive lands of farmers. Farmers and their families will be adversely affected and many will be forced to become labourers in the lands of industrialists or big farmers,” Siddaramaiah’s letter states.  In his letter to PM Modi, Siddaramaiah states that if the new ordinance is not put on hold, the historical legislation, which paved the way for the tiller to be the land owner, will come undone and lead to an era of the rich owning all the land.  “The land reforms of 1961 and 1974 enabled marginalised sections, Dalits and other backward classes to be the owner of the land. It broke the shackles of poverty and bonded labour… Land gave social status to the marginalised and the confidence to fight against socio-economic and political injustices.However, with the amendment, farmers are again vulnerable at the hands of the wealthy and powerful,” Siddaramaiah’s letter states.  The state government had said that the amendments were brought in as a way to check the bureaucratic corruption. Siddaramaiah, in his letter, accuses the government of being incapable of dealing with corruption.  Karnataka Govt under @BSYBJP-avaru is pandering to land sharks and real estate mafia with this ordinance. It will undo decades of land reforms in Karnataka, directly impacting farmers from marginalised communities. It must be revoked immediately as demanded by @siddaramaiah-avaru https://t.co/4FhdGbnrC6 — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 27, 2020 Congress MP Jairam Ramesh tweeted in support of Siddaramaiah’s demand and accused Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa of pandering to the demands of the land mafia. “BS Yediyurappa is pandering to land sharks and real estate mafia with this ordinance. It will undo decades of land reforms in Karnataka, directly impacting farmers from marginalised communities. It must be revoked immediately,” he tweeted. 

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Bengaluru civic body to be revamped: What this means

Civic Infrastructure

The state government has formed a committee of MLAs and MLCs to submit a report regarding a proposal to restructure Bengaluru’s civic management system.

Theja Ram

Representation photo

The Karnataka government has formed a committee of 20 legislators and councilmen from the BJP, Congress and JD(S) parties, to look into the proposal of restructuring Bengaluru’s civic body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Infamous for its inefficient management of civic infrastructure and other related issues, activists and the civil society in Bengaluru have time and again called for a complete overhaul of the civic body’s structure and management.  The committee includes BJP MLAs S Raghu, Ravi Subramanya, M Krishnappa, Satish Reddy, Aravind Limbavali, Uday B Garudachar, SR Vishwanath and Narasimha Nayak; Congress MLAs Ramalinga Reddy, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Krishna Byre Gowda; JD(S) MLAs R Manjunath and K Srinivasa Murthy; and MLCs M Narayanaswamy, K Govinda Raju, P R Ramesh, K A Thippeswamy, N Ravikumar, A Devegowda, and Tejasvini Gowda. On Monday, CV Raman Nagar BJP MLA S Raghu was made in-charge of the panel of legislators and councilmen, who will, in the coming months, discuss various issues related to restructuring BBMP. Speaking to TNM, S Raghu said that one of the primary issues being discussed is the introduction of the Bengaluru Municipal Act, which will be solely to govern the city.  “So far, we have been following the Karnataka Municipal Act, 1976. Considering how our city has grown so fast, we feel the need for separate legislation to govern the city. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Bill was tabled in the Assembly during the budget session (in early March) and it was decided that a committee be formed so that a report could be prepared,” said S Raghu.  The Bill proposes dividing the city into 15 zones, which will each be governed by an IAS officer. There will also be a chief commissioner, who will coordinate with the zonal commissioners and the state government. The bill also proposes to extend the term of office of the Mayor. Currently, the Bengaluru Mayor’s term is one year. The bill proposes to increase it to five years.  “We are considering several past reports, such as the BS Patil report and Kasturirangan report, regarding restructuring Bengaluru’s management. We are consulting with urban development experts, traffic police and mobility experts,” S Raghu added.  He further stated that if the city is divided into 15 smaller zones, it would become easier to create green spaces. “So far, we have enough space to create four more big parks like the Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park in Bengaluru. We need more green spaces, better road infrastructure and decentralised management,” he added.  The committee is mulling over the formation of “area sabhas”. These area sabhas will contain voters from different polling stations or booths. The area sabhas will have a say in the implementation of civic infrastructure projects. “Zonal committees will be formed and will be headed by the zonal commissioners. All zonal commissioners will be answerable to the chief commissioner, who will coordinate between the zonal commissioner and the mayor. The mayor will represent the municipal body and will be answerable to the state government,” S Raghu added.  He said that in the coming days, the committee of legislators and councilmen will hold public consultations, and also take expert opinion before submitting its report. “We want to submit the report before the next BBMP elections are held. This is very crucial to ensure that the city’s management is not compromised,” S Raghu added.   

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Bengaluru reports 3284 new COVID-19 cases, most patients in 30-39 age group

Coronavirus

According to the last update, 39% of the containment zones in Bengaluru are active while 61% have returned to normal status.

TNM Staff

Image for representation/PTI

For the second time this month, Bengaluru has reported more than 3,000 coronavirus cases in a single day. On Wednesday, Bengaluru reported 3,284 new patients, along with 2,630 recoveries and 31 deaths. Earlier on August 15, Bengaluru had reported over 3,400 cases.  The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) did not provide an update on the containment zones, and the number remains the same as Tuesday with 15,723 zones active in the city out of a total of 40,563. Most of the new patients (23%) are from west zone, with south and Bommanhalli zones reporting the second and third highest shares at 17% and 16% respectively. East zone has 14% of the new patients, while RR Nagara, has 10%. Both Mahadevapura and Dasarahalli accounted for 7% of the cases each, followed by Yelahanka with 5%. The highest number of the 3,284 new patients were men between the ages of 30 and 39, followed by men in the 20 to 29 and 40 to 49 age groups respectively. Recoveries followed the same pattern. Deaths, meanwhile, were highest in the males of 50 to 59 age group. While west zone had the most coronavirus positive cases in the last 24 hours, it also had an almost equal number of recoveries (nearly 500). Only Mahadevapura zone has more people who recovered from COVID-19 than those who tested positive on Wednesday. All zones except RR Nagara and Dasarahalli have more containment zones that have returned to normal status than ones that are active. Overall, 39% of the containment zones are active in the city, while 61% have returned to normal status. The active rate in Bengaluru is at 32.8% while the positivity rate is at 15.6%. Recovery rate has gone up to 67.2%.   

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With Rs 300 crore loss, Namma Metro awaits Centre’s nod to resume services

Civic Issues

Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd suspended services when the lockdown began on March 25.

IANS

PTI

The state-run Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) is hopes to resume its services in the tech city amid Covid pandemic, an official said on Wednesday. As a joint venture between the state and Centre, the operator has incurred Rs 300 crore loss over the last five months due to the suspension of its services to contain the pandemic. "We are waiting for the Central government's clearance to resume operations on east-west and north-south routes in compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and guidelines of the Union Health Ministry to ensure the safety of commuters," the official told IANS. Like other state-run transport firms, Namma Metro too suspended its services on March 25 this year, when the lockdown was suddenly enforced and extended, forcing thousands of commuters to switch over to alternative modes of transport. "Though limited bus, train and plane services were allowed to resume gradually during the three-phases of unlocking, regular express/mail passenger trains and metro rail services remained suspended to prevent crowding in public places and the virus spread," said the official. As the most popular transport mode for its punctual, efficient and cleaner service in air-conditioned coaches, the metro has been ferrying more than four lakh commuters on the twin routes, covering 42.3 km across 44 well-lit stations till pre-Covid days. "As social distancing has to be maintained, the guidelines may limit the number of commuters to one-third of the capacity in a six-coach train, that in normal times carries nearly 1,000 people per trip," the official observed. To ensure the commuters are virus-free, they will be screened at the entrance and advised to keep wearing mask throughout the journey for their safety and that of others. "As most of the commuters use smartphones, they will be advised to download the 'Aarogya Setu' application (app) for contact tracing in the event of any of them getting infected by the virus," the official added. All commuters will be advised to use e-tickets in the form of a smart card for entry and exit from the metro stations to minimise contact with tokens. "We are hoping the government to permit resuming metro services in a phased manner under the guidelines to ensure the safety of commuters and the staff as restrictions on inter-state and intra-state travel have been lifted across the country," the official said.

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‘Yediyurappa's son Vijayendra is super CM and corrupt’, claims letter by BJP MLAs to high command

Politics

The six-page letter accuses the CM’s son of sidelining his father and collecting VST-Vijayendra Service Tax’.

Pooja Prasanna

File Photo

Even as Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is trying to douse the fire within his party regarding the cabinet expansion, yet another rebellion is brewing within the BJP in Karnataka. Letters purportedly written by BJP legislators to the party high command, accusing the CM’s son, Vijayendra, of being the ‘super CM’ has rekindled allegations that Yediyurappa has allowed his son to become a parallel power centre in the government. The letter, which reportedly has the signatures of seven BJP MLAs, accuses Vijayendra of running a parallel government and misusing his proximity to the CM to misappropriate crores as kickbacks for clearance of tenders and other contracts. It says that like PM Modi had accused the Siddaramaiah government of taking 10% of all projects as commission, this government is collecting ‘VST-Vijayendra Service Tax’ of 15%.  The letter alleges that Vijayendra has a team of 31 people, holding various positions in the party and the government, former IAS officers, his relatives and even personnel staff of the Chief Minister. It further reads that they have repeatedly broached this issue on several party platforms but have not disclosed it publicly, in the interest of the image of the party.  The six-page letter also claims that Vijayendra has sidelined his father and claiming that he is the next CM of the state, taken administrative decisions bearing adverse effects on the party.  Vijayendra was appointed as one of the Vice Presidents of BJP Karnataka on August 1, 2020.  This is not the first that such a letter has been written by BJP MLAs. Last year too, a similar letter had surfaced. The Congress party has also taken up this issue and in a press conference held in Mysuru by party spokesperson. M Lakshman said the BJP MLAs have exposed what the opposition has been accusing the government of for many months. Stating that the slew of allegations are emerging from within the ruling party, Lakshman demanded a probe into the letter and the accusations made in it.  Taking to Twitter, Vijayendra denied the allegations and claimed it is a political conspiracy against him. “Fabricating stories is an old tactic practiced by the Congress party and one such attempt has been made in a statement coming in from Mysuru. I will not yield to such malicious, politically motivated accusations. My morals cannot be lowered by such rumours”

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