Karnataka CM conducts aerial survey of flood-hit districts, assures more aid

Floods

The state government had released Rs 86 crore last week for rescue and relief operations in about 12 districts.

IANS

CMO Karnataka

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit districts in the state's northern region and assured the affected people of more funds. "The chief minister undertook aerial survey of Kalaburagi, Yadgir and Raichur in the state's northern region and Belagavi, Bagalkote and Vijayapura in the northwest region and assured the affected people of releasing more funds for their relief and rehabilitation," an official told IANS. The state government released Rs 86 crore last week for rescue and relief operations in about dozen districts, which were battered by heavy rains and flash floods, resulting in huge loss of houses, crops and infrastructure. "As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured the state of all help, including financial aid to rehabilitate the affected people, more funds will soon be released to compensate them for losses they suffered," the official asserted. State Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chauhan and State Disaster Management Authority Commissioner Manoj Rajan accompanied the CM in the aerial survey of the worst-hit districts. The affected districts are Bagalkot, Ballari, Belagavi, Bidar, Gadag, Kalaburagi, Kodagu, Koppal, Raichur, Yadgir, Vijayapura and Udupi across the state's north, northwest, coastal and southern regions. Besides torrential rain, flash floods were caused due to discharge of excess water from the dams in neighbouring Maharashtra into Krishna and Bheema rivers in the state. "The excess water turned the rivers into spate and inundated villages and towns in Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Bagalkot and Vijayapura districts. Normal life was disrupted as roads and bridges were submerged and power lines were snapped due to strong surface winds," the official said. "A central team will soon visit the affected districts and assess the damage caused to crops, houses and public infrastructure to prepare a report and for releasing financial aid from the national disaster relief fund," said the official. Incessant rains and flooding have damaged the red gram (tur dal) crops in hundreds of hectares in Kalaburagi, Bidar and Yadgir districts before they could be harvested in October and November. According to the state’s red gram growers' association, the loss from the damaged pulses crop is estimated to be about Rs 500 crore for kharif season. The state agriculture department is surveying the rain-affected crop areas to assess the damage for compensation and insurance claims. As the southwest monsoon was timely and excess in the region, sowing was undertaken in 7.6-lakh hectares of agricultural lands for growing cash crops such as a variety of pulses, cotton, jowar, bajra, maize, sunflower, sugarcane and groundnuts since July. "Excess rains and flash floods have damaged about 50 per cent of the standing crops in the affected districts, resulting in heavy loss to farmers," added the official. About 37,600 farmers have insured their crops this year, while the area insured is over 51,500 hectares in the northern districts.

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Bengaluru FC's new kit now features colours of the Karnataka flag

Sports

The fans of the club have also welcomed the design of the team's new away kit.

TNM Staff

Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru FC unveiled its new away kit for the 2020-21 season which features red and yellow seams on its sleeves and collar as a homage to Karnataka. “After seven years of living here, the city and the state feel like home. It is a matter of pride for me to wear these colours and especially this season, when we are in Goa, I believe this kit will make us feel closer to Bengaluru and Karnataka,” said Bengaluru FC captain Sunil Chhetri, who was part of the launch. Red and yellow are the colours seen on the flag of Karnataka. Fans of the club expressed their approval of the club's new away kit design. "It just symbolises wearing your heart on your sleeve. It will remind the boys even though they are away, they will have the entire state in their heart," says Akshay Balachandra, a consultant based in Bengaluru and an ardent supporter of the club. “Like we already say about our kits - it's not just a kit, it's our second skin, it's our identity.” The PUMA kit, priced at Rs 1,499, is available for purchase on the club’s online shop with fans being given the option to customise their order. The new season of the Indian Super League begins in November and the Blues slated to travel to Goa for the tournament. The club recently signed Kristian Opseth and Fran Gonzalez on season long loan deals, and the duo will replace Raphael Augusto and Aberto Serran in the squad.  Opseth previously played in Norway and Turkey before a stint with A-League team Adelaide United. Fran Gonzalez, a 31-year-old midfielder, was signed from Mohun Bagan. The club recently added on-call mental health experts to its team, a move that was welcomed by members of the squad.  Bengaluru FC goes into the 2020-21 Indian Super League season that is set to kick off on November 20 on the back of a disappointing campaign in 2019-20. The club ended the season without a trophy after starting the season as defending champions.

Body 2: 

The history of Hampi, the mist at Jog falls, the Palace lights in Mysore and the echoes that ring around the Kanteerava. It is the essence of Karnataka that makes us who we are.

Get the all-new 2020-21 BFC @PUMA Away Kit now: https://t.co/bv9ra2Plqa#ನಮ್ಮನಾಡುನಮ್ಮಹೆಮ್ಮೆ pic.twitter.com/XO9mJvvhHP

— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc) October 21, 2020

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'Yatnal a nobody, time for high command to support CM': Yediyurappa camp

Politics

Support for Yediyurappa has come not just from party colleagues but many seers too have reportedly called him to express their solidarity.

Pooja Prasanna

File image

BS Yediyurappa is no stranger to infighting within his party. His term as Karnataka Chief Minister between 2008 and 2011 was marred by constant bickering that ended with him being forced to step down. In his latest stint too, discord seems to be close on the heels. The latest example is an outburst by BJP MLA Basanagouda Yatnal saying Yediyurappa will not be CM for long and that the party high command is looking to replace Yediyurappa. But sources close to Yediyurappa say that while support has come in from several state party leaders, with a byelection in the offing, the onus is on the party high command to issue a statement denying the allegations made by Yatnal. So far, BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel, BJP National General secretary CT Ravi, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Revenue Minister R Ashoka, CM’s Political Secretary Renukacharya and BJP MLA Preetham Gowda are some of the leaders who have spoken to the Karnataka CM and expressed their discontentment at Yatnal’s claims. But the entire state unit, including Yediyurappa, are waiting for the high command to see what message they choose to send.  Support for Yediyurappa has come not just from party colleagues but many seers too have reportedly called the Lingayat strongman to express their solidarity with him and reiterated that they will convey the same to BJP senior leaders. At this juncture, despite his age, the BJP high command is not rushing to replace Yediyurappa, sources in Delhi told TNM.  A disgruntled faction further affronted for not being accommodated in the cabinet by Yediyurappa, led by leaders from north Karnataka like Umesh Katti and Murugesh Nirani have been articulate against the CM. But sources in CM’s camp say that Yatnal is a ‘nobody’s man’ and a rebel without a cause who has made several controversial remarks in the past. They also add that it was Yediyurappa who pushed for Yatnal to be brought back to BJP in 2018 despite opposition from leaders like Jagadish Shettar and Prahalad Joshi. While the name of Jagadish Shettar has been making rounds as a possible replacement for Yediyurappa, given that he has experience behind him and is a Lingayat himself, sources close to the BJP high command say that Shettar is not being considered for two reasons. Firstly, because when he was made the CM at Yediyurappa’s insistence in 2012, he failed to assert himself as an administrator or even consolidate his position in the party thereafter. Secondly, despite having played important roles in the government, he has not emerged as a tall leader amongst Lingayats. With these reasons in mind, he was also not made a Deputy Chief Minister in 2019.  Karnataka is facing byelections on November 3 for two seats-RR Nagar and Sira. While the results will not have a bearing on the future or stability of the state government, the Sira seat will have significance in testing whether the party can make further inroads into the Old Mysuru Region where BJP has been historically weak. In light of this, sources say Yatnal’s statement ‘corners and exposes’ the BJP high command more than it does Yediyurappa

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CDC broadens definition of who's at risk of getting coronavirus

The updated guidance defines a “close contact” as anyone who spends at least 15 minutes within six feet of an infected individual over a 24-hour period.

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Why the U.S. doesn’t have an at-home coronavirus test yet

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DOJ to announce $8B-plus settlement with opioid-maker Purdue

The settlement with the opioid manufacturer comes less than two weeks before Election Day.

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Rowdy-sheeter and actor Surendra Bantwal found murdered in his apartment in Dakshina Kannada

Crime

His body was discovered in the afternoon after his friends approached the police.

TNM Staff

Surendra Bantwal

The dead body of rowdy sheeter and Tulu film actor Surendra Bhandari Bantwal was found in his apartment building near BC Road in Bantwal of Dakshina Kannada district on Wednesday. His body was discovered in the afternoon after his friends approached the police raising suspicion over the fact that he was not receiving calls since last night. Police officials from Bantwal Town police station reached his apartment to find that Surendra was dead and have said that it was a case of murder. "We are finding out who was with him last night and we will begin our investigation from there. He was killed with a sharp object," a police official involved in the investigation told TNM. Surendra Bantwal had become infamous in 2018 for wielding a talwar and threatening BJP workers in Bantwal, a video of which had gone viral on social media. Surendra Bantwal was arrested in connection with the incident and released on bail recently.  He was arrested soon after the incident took place in June 2018. He was accused of attacking BJP workers including a Bajrang Dal activist Bhuvith Shetty at a restaurant and abusing them. Two other BJP workers Ganesh and Pushparaj were injured in the incident. Police at the time said that Surendra's attack was in retaliation to an attack by Bhuvith Shetty on one of his relatives. Although Surendra had identified himself with right-wing organisations in the past, he had joined the Congress after personal differences cropped up with leaders in right-wing organisations. He also acted in the Tulu hit film Chali Polilu and a Kannada film - Savarna Deergha Sanghi. 

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