Did you collect fines from Tejasvi, others for not wearing mask? HC asks K'taka govt

Court

The court was hearing a petition which said that celebrities in Karnataka were not pulled up for flouting rules, while ordinary citizens were being fined.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday asked the state government if it had levied fines on Member of Parliament (MP) Tejasvi Surya and other political leaders for not wearing masks during political rallies. Chief Justice Abhay Sreenivas Oka and Justice Vishwajith Shetty asked the state government about the signal it would send to elected representatives who flouted safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bar and Bench reported. The government’s counsel submitted a report by a police officer, which said that Tejasvi Surya had not broken the physical distancing norms laid down in view of the pandemic. The Bench replied with questions about photographs showing Tejasvi Surya without a mask. The judges were hearing a petition filed by advocate Ramesh Puthige raising allegations that the directives for COVID-19 management laid down by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) were not followed or implemented in Karnataka. The petitioner had earlier argued that celebrities in Karnataka were not pulled up for flouting distancing norms and not wearing masks. He pointed out that ordinary citizens were being fined for infractions. He also said that Tejasvi Surya was seen flouting rules at a rally held on September 30 to welcome him from the airport to the party office, Live Law reported. Tejasvi Surya's office was contacted for a comment. They are yet to respond. He is currently campaigning for the BJP in Bihar.  A month ago, Karnataka reduced fines for not wearing masks from Rs 1,000 to Rs 250 in urban areas and from Rs 500 to Rs 100 in rural areas.  It is not just Tejasvi Surya. Several other politicians cutting across party lines have been found guilty of not wearing masks and failing to follow distancing rules since the lockdown began in March this year. This includes  Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President DK Shivakumar and former Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu, when he held his office as the state health minister.

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Political parties want govt agencies in Bengaluru to come under ambit of BBMP council

Urban Governance

Leaders of the BJP, Congress, AAP, BNP and KRS who are part of the BBMP council were speaking in an online debate on the new BBMP Bill.

TNM Staff

Politicians of both leading and upcoming parties in the municipal governance framework of Bengaluru, are unequivocally in favour of making all the city-specific parastatal (state-owned) agencies accountable to the city Mayor. The matter was broached during an online debate on the new ‘BBMP Bill 2020’, organised conducted by the city-based non-profit, organisation, Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy. Leaders of the BJP, Congress, JD(S), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP) and Karnataka Rashtra Samithi (KRS) took part in the online discussion on whether the new bill by civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike will solve the city’s problems.  All leaders, except those from the Aam Aadmi Party, said that in order to make meaningful change in governance, state-owned agencies such as the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) should come under the Mayor or the BBMP council’s authority. The new Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Bill, which is set to be introduced in the state Assembly in March 2021, will replace the Karnataka Municipal Act, 1956 to govern the Bengaluru metropolis. The Bill, as it is, is deemed to be unfit on the administrative and structural fronts to govern the city. As opposed to the KMC Act, the new bill proposes decentralisation, integration of public participation at various levels of municipal governance and ensuring effective decision-making by municipal authorities. At the online discussion on Wednesday, the parties were represented by Padmanabha Reddy, the former opposition leader from BJP in the council; Abdul Wajid, former Opposition Party Leader for the Congress in the council; R Prakash, JD(S) Bengaluru city president; Shanthala Damle, state co-convener of AAP; Srikanth Narasimhan, general secretary of BNP; and Deepak Nagaraj, general secretary of KRS. On the issue of parastatal agencies coming under the Mayor’s authority, Wajid, a two-time corporator, said, “All civic agencies and parastatals should report to BBMP, similar to the model in Mumbai. This can ensure effective and smooth implementation of development work.” The same was echoed by JD(S) representative R Prakash.  Srikanth of BNP said that bringing all agencies involved in Bengaluru’s development and functioning under one umbrella is part of the party's agenda and to ensure greater accountability and congruence in governance. When urged by moderators, Srinivas Alavilli and Sapna Karim of Janaagraha,  Padmanabha Reddy, by virtue of being part of the ruling party, promised to raise the issue even within the party forum. Wajid said that while he supports the Bill, he doubts the timing and wants details of the Bill to be deliberated in detail. Wajid alleged that the bill is being introduced now only to postpone the BBMP council election further. Currently, the details of the new BBMP Bill is being reviewed by a Joint Select Committee, which is led by BJP MLA S Raghu. While the ruling BJP has touted the new BBMP Bill as a game-changer, the Opposition led by Congress has alleged it is a much watered-down version of the  BS Patil Committee recommendations. The former Siddaramaiah government had appointed the BS Patil Committee to make wholesome changes to the city’s governance following the lines of what is followed in London and other global cities. While the Siddaramaiah government had passed that Bill, it was not approved by Governor Vajubhai Vala. Incidentally, on the issue of these parastatal agencies being under the ambit of the BBMP Council, the BS Patil Committee had recommended the same. Among the other pertinent issues that came up in the debate included the powers and independence of the ward committees, the proposed increase of Mayoral term and the constitutions of zonal committees. Watch the whole debate here  

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Kodagu environmental activist sustains fracture after attack by elephant

Environment

Col Muthanna is the former president of the Coorg Wildlife Society, an NGO that was at the forefront of fighting ecological issues in Kodagu district.

TNM Staff

Kodagu-based environmentalist Colonel (retd) Cheppudira P Muthanna sustained a fracture after being attacked by an elephant in his estate in Gonikoppal in the district on Wednesday. He was shifted to a hospital in Mysuru for treatment.  Col Muthanna, 67, was walking in his estate in Palibetta on Wednesday morning, when an elephant attacked him from the front; he fell down while attempting to run away. Workers in the plantation took him to a hospital in Gonikoppa before he was later shifted to an Apollo Hospital in Mysuru.  Speaking to TNM, Col Muthanna said that he is feeling fine and is on his way towards a full recovery. A resident in the area around Athuru in Kodagu told TNM that a male tusker had been spotted in a few estates in the past few weeks. It was spotted in Kolathodu and Bygodu villages a few days ago. The forest department in Kodagu said it will bear the expenses of Col Muthanna's treatment.  Col Muthanna was the former president of the Coorg Wildlife Society, an NGO that was at the forefront of fighting ecological issues in Kodagu district. He was instrumental in the efforts of environmentalists from Kodagu, in opposing a plan by the union government to link the hilly Kodagu district through a railway line. It is the only district in Karnataka that is currently not linked by a railway line. He also campaigned against a proposed high-tension power line in the district. He joined the Indian army in 1972 and took voluntary retirement from service in 1996. He involved himself in efforts to save the forests in Kodagu and its surrounding areas. He was President of the Coorg Wildlife Society from 2003 to 2009 and from 2012 to 2020. In 2006, Col Muthanna received the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam award by the government of Karnataka for his work in the field of environment  

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'Will take strong measures to end love jihad': Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa

Politics

The Chief Minister's statement comes just a day after BJP National General Secretary CT Ravi said that Karnataka would bring in a legislation to criminalise religious conversion “for the sake of marriage”.

PTI

Representation photo

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday said the government will take strong measures to put an end to religious conversion in the name of "love jihad." "In recent days there are media reports about religious conversion in the name of love jihad in Karnataka. I have discussed this with officials before coming here. What other states have done or not done is a different matter, but in Karnataka we will have to put an end to it," Yediyurappa said. Addressing the BJP state executive meeting in Mangaluru, he said, his government was mulling taking strong steps against such activities. "Young girls of the state are being lured in the name of love and money and are being converted to other religions, we have considered it seriously. After thorough review, we will take a strong measure," he added. Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday had said the government was considering a law against religious conversion for the sake of marriage. He also said that the state government would wait to see what other states do in this regard before taking any steps.  BJP National General Secretary CT Ravi on Tuesday tweeted that Karnataka would enact a law banning religious conversions “for the sake of marriage” based on the Allahabad High Court’s observations regarding the same in a case it recently dismissed.  "We will not remain silent when jihadis strip the dignity of our sisters. Anyone involved in the act of conversion shall face severe and swift punishment," he had tweeted. The Allahabad High Court had recently said in a case that conversion just for the sake of marriage is not valid. The court made the remark while dismissing a plea by a newly married couple.

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CBI questions ex-Cong minister from Karnataka in BJP leader’s murder case

Crime

In June this year, the CBI had examined Panduranga Rane, retired Police Commissioner of Dharwad, former DCPs Jinendra Khanagavi and Mallikarjun Baladandi in connection with the case.

IANS

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday questioned former Minister and Congress leader Vinay Kulkarni in connection with the murder of BJP Zilla Panchayat member Yogeshgouda Goudar in 2016. Kulkarni was taken to Dharwad Town police station, where the murder case was first registered by the police. Speaking to IANS, a senior CBI officer from Delhi clarified that the CBI picked him (Kulkarni) on Thursday and was examining him in the Yogesh Gouda murder case of 2016. "At present we cannot say it as a 'detention' or 'arrest' per se, but we have called him for examining in the case," he stressed. The CBI said it has not arrested Kulkarni. The CBI team has already questioned Vijay Kulkarni, the younger brother of the former minister, his close aides, few Congress leaders and also the wife of the slain BJP worker. In June, the CBI had examined Pandu Rangrane (the retired Commissioner Hubli, Dharwad), Jinendra Khanagavi (the then DCP Dharwad and presently Superintendent of Police Security Division, Bengaluru), and Mallikarjun Baladandi (the then DCP Crime and Traffic, Dharwad and presently Additional Superintendent of Police, Haveri) at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) office in Bengaluru. "These policemen were the supervisory officers in Dharwad during the investigation of the Yogeshgouda murder case by the local police in 2016," said a source, privy to the investigation. The police had registered a case against six accused, who are all residents of Dharwad. After taking over the investigation on September 24 last year, the CBI arrested eight persons, of whom seven are in judicial custody and one is out on bail. In May, the CBI also filed a charge sheet against the eight people. The investigation agency said the accused had allegedly come to Dharwad on two occasions in June 2016 and with the support of the other accused allegedly planned the crime. Earlier, the Karnataka Police had filed a charge sheet in the murder case on September 9, 2016. Yogeshgouda, then a Zilla Panchayat member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was hacked to death, reportedly over a property dispute in his own gym in Saptapur, Dharwad on June 15, 2016. Following a plea by the elder brother of Yogeshgouda, Gurunathgouda, the case was handed over to the CBI for investigation. Gurunathgouda had been making several allegations against some police officials and Vinay Kulkarni, who was the Mines and Geology Minister in the Congress-led government. Gurunathgouda had even accused Kulkarni and his associates of threatening him and at the same time also trying to strike truce. He had also alleged tampering of evidence in the case. The BJP leaders too had demanded a CBI inquiry, alleging involvement of the Congress leaders, including the then Minister Vinay Kulkarni. While the then Congress government headed by Siddaramaiah declined to hand over the case to the CBI, the present BJP-led government got the CBI to work on the case. In June 2017, an audio recording of Vinay Kulkarni's alleged conversation laced with threats over the phone with the advocate representing the BJP leader's family went viral. The audio clip coincided with Kulkarni's plunge into the agitation for the separate religion status for Lingayats, which was almost a year before the crucial 2018 Assembly polls in Karnataka.

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PM Modi to virtually address Bengaluru tech summit on Nov 19

Tech summit

The 3-day summit will focus on innovation and growth in information technology (IT) and biotechnology

IANS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be virtually unveiling the Bengaluru Technological Summit 2020 on November 19, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan said on Wednesday. "The Prime Minister has agreed to digitally open the 23rd edition of the Bengaluru Technological Summit (BTS) on November 19 and address the gathering virtually," Narayan told reporters here. The 3-day summit will focus on innovation and growth in information technology (IT) and biotechnology (BT). "We are getting an overwhelming response to the summit from the industry and experts despite the Covid pandemic," said Narayan, who holds the IT, BT and Science and Technology portfolios. Till date, 25 countries have confirmed participation in the summit. In the 22nd edition of the summit last year, 21 countries, 250 overseas delegations, 252 speakers and 12,350 visitors participated. Narayan also said that the state government has decided to set up an Artificial Intelligence (AI) research centre in the city, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), in view of its potential to find solutions to problems in future. "As about 60 per cent of the people in the state depend on the agriculture sector for their livelihood, science and technology have to play a greater role in in increasing its contribution to the gross state domestic product to 30 per cent from 16 per cent presently," he said. Thrust on the farm sector will also check migration to cities from rural areas and facilitate growth beyond Bengaluru, which is saturated, he added. "As developments in bio-technology will make a huge impact on agriculture and healthcare, the stakeholder should leverage them for value addition to farm produce and processing. Quality healthcare system can be offered with the innovative applications being developed in biotechnology," said Narayan. "Collaboration between academia and industry will usher in an institution-based economy in place of an industry-based economy." Infosys co-founder S. Gopalakrishnan, Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Karnataka vision group on start-ups chairman Prashant Prakash and IT, BT and S&T Secretary E.V. Ramana Reddy also spoke on the occasion. The summit will feature multi-track conferences, international exhibition, global innovation alliance, STPI-IT Export awards, Smart Bio awards and Bengaluru Impact awards. About 250 domain experts, including 80 from overseas, are slated to address the summit on disruptive technologies and innovations from the world over.

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Bengaluru’s Church Street to go vehicle-free on weekends till Feb 2021

Transport

The Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) initiated the move as part of its ‘Clean Air Street’ project.

TNM Staff

Starting from November 7, Bengaluru’s Church Street will be free of motorised transport on weekends, until the end of February 2021. The 750-metre-long street connects Brigade Road and Museum Cross Road, which lie in the heart of the Central Business District in the city.   This move is part of the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT)’s ‘Clean Air Street’ initiative. As part of this programme, the road will be vehicle-free from 10 am on Saturdays till midnight on Sunday. City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant has passed an order to this effect. For residents, a single point of entry and exit has been fixed on the MG Road side, and Rest House Road. Restaurants and cafes have been encouraged to use a part of the pavement to lay out their tables, and use it as part of their outdoor seating space. This ‘Clean Air Street’ initiative will reportedly soon be replicated in other parts of the city as well, after judging the success of this pilot programme.   In a statement, DULT said, “Our aim is to reprioritise clean mobility and demonstrate the positive impact of streets focused on people and sustainable behaviours. The initiative will also provide the opportunity to trial and refine street designs and create a blueprint for other streets across Bengaluru and India as a whole.” It added, “Throughout the duration of the Clean Air Street, the organisers propose engaging with all street users (businesses, shoppers, travellers and residents) to understand the social, economic and environmental impact of pedestrianisation and to ensure future urban policies are implemented in a way that works for all parties.” This decision comes after a similar exercise was introduced in June 2019 by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike. However, the earlier programme was withdrawn after a public consultation meeting involving businesses and residents in the area was held by BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad.

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