They‘re hoping to include a deal in a year-end package after previous efforts to shield patients from large bills fell apart.
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Saturday, December 12, 2020
Friday, December 11, 2020
Benagluru Metro to partner with Siemens for driverless technology in Phase 2
Siemens will provide Grade of Automation 4 technology, wherein the train would be controlled without any manual intervention on board
PTI Photo
Technology giant Siemens on Thursday announced that it will implement driverless train solutions for the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to improve efficiency and the safety of passengers. The systems will be used for Phase 2 of the Bengaluru Metro. The technology that Siemens will provide the BMRCL includes communications-based train control (CBTC) comprising electronic interlocking, automatic train protection system, operation control for automatic train monitoring by a train supervision system, and a telecommunication system. The CBTC project is Siemens Limited’s first project with the highest grade of automation, GoA4, where the train is controlled without any manual intervention on board. “Bengaluru Metro will play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of life and economic growth of the city, and we will continue to partner such projects with our global expertise and local know-how to help improve connectivity and public infrastructure. The advanced signalling and telecommunication systems will be the basis for a safe and efficient mass transit system which will enhance passenger experience and fulfil the needs of BMRCL,” said Tilak Raj Seth, Head, Mobility, Siemens Limited. Siemens has previously been involved in providing state-of-the-art-metro rail technology to projects in other Indian cities; the Bengaluru Metro is their ninth project. The 18.8 km Bengaluru Metro line, with 16 elevated stations and one depot at Hebbagodi, is Reach 5 in Phase 2, between R V Road and Bommasandra in the city. Confirming the same, B L Yeshwanth Chavan, Chief Public Relations Officer of BMRCL said, “In the Phase 2 metro line, Reach 5 and 6 will be receiving the new driverless train solutions.” He added that they are aiming to finish Phase 2 by the year 2024. The BMRCL’s work had slowed down due to land acquisition issues with Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE). Moreover, the Asian Development Bank on Tuesday has approved a loan of 500 million dollars for the BMRCL to complete the work of laying new lines across the city
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Tejasvi Surya alleges Rohingya obtained voter IDs, Ramalinga Reddy hits out
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said citizens had brought to his notice allegations of Rohingya Muslims obtaining voter IDs illegally.
Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya of the BJP and BTM Layout MLA Ramalinga Reddy of the Congress sparred over allegations that Rohingya refugees staying in the city had obtained voter IDs. This after the BJP MP directed officials to verify voter rolls. Tejasvi Surya took to social media on Friday to highlight the allegations put forward by residents of BTM Layout in Bengaluru during a meeting with the MP. "In our meeting today, many citizens brought the issue of Rohingya Muslims obtaining voter IDs illegally to our notice. We directed officials to verify the electoral rolls and issue voter IDs to only genuine citizens in BTM Layout," Tejasvi Surya said. The MP's office told TNM that residents had not given information about where the Rohingya refugees were from in BTM Layout. In response to this, Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy took a dig at the BJP MP stating he would support stringent action on such offenders. "You speak abt Rohingya Muslims acquiring Voter IDs in BTM @BJP4India Govt is in power at the state & centre (6 years) why not take stringent action against such illegal activities? I will fully support the cause to jail or deport them. Get your govt to do it," Ramalinga Reddy said. The issue comes to the fore ahead of the upcoming Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections. The Karnataka High Court has said that it should be held in ten weeks. Incidentally, two weeks ago, Tejasvi Surya made a similar claim in Hyderabad ahead of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls saying that the only thing AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi had allowed in Hyderabad were Rohingyas. In response, Owaisi asked who is stopping BJP from removing illegal Rohingya immigrants. Earlier in November, TNM had reported about the plight of Rohingya refugees in Dasarahalli who had approached the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stating members of their community were allegedly abducted and assaulted by an unknown gang for not paying hafta for carrying out ragpicking work in the city. Read: Families approach UNHCR over abduction of Rohingya refugees in Bengaluru At the time, another issue facing the community members had emerged - their UNHCR registration cards had expired in January 2020 and they were yet to be renewed due to the lockdown imposed in the country.
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United Spirits appoints its first woman CEO Hina Nagarajan
Hina will take over as the CEO of the Bengaluru-headquartered liquor major with effect from April 1, 2021.
India’s largest liquor company United Spirits Limited (USL) has appointed Hina Nagarajan as the Chief Executive Officer of the firm, the first woman to head the liquor major. Hina will take over as the CEO of the Bengaluru- headquartered company that sells McDowell’s and Bagpiper brands in India with effect from April 1, 2021. She will work with the current MD and CEO Anand Kripalu up to June 30, when he will step down. The USL executive team is now 40% female. Hina Nagarajan is currently the MD, Africa Regional Markets (ARM) of Diageo. Since joining Diageo in the summer of 2018, she has led Diageo’s ARM comprising operations in Ghana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, the Indian Ocean, Angola and several other countries. Diageo acquired a controlling stake in USL in 2014 and in March 2020 upped its stake in the company by 0.7% more. Diageo, which sells brands such as Black Label, Vat 69, Baileys, Smirnoff, Royal Challenge, among others, now holds a controlling stake of 55.9% in the company. The company said in a statement that under her leadership, ARM has become a significant growth driver for Diageo Africa. “She is known for her passion and drive to deliver results and her ability to build strong teams that deliver outstanding outcomes, with a strong commitment to Diageo standards and compliance. She has leveraged capabilities and synergies across the market to drive regional growth, delivering a significant step change in supply chain performance across ARM. She has also been an active and passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity in Africa and Diageo more broadly,” the statement added. Prior to joining Diageo, Hina has spent over 30 years in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) businesses and held several senior marketing and general management positions at Reckitt Benckiser (RB), Nestle India and Mary Kay India. Before joining Diageo, she was MD China & SVP North Asia with RB. She holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, a Commerce Honors degree from Delhi University and a Diploma in Hotel Management from Pusa Institute, Delhi, India. USL, in a statement, also thanked Anand Kripalu for his contribution to the company. During his tenure, Kripalu led the transformation and growth of USL, with considerable improvement in operating performance – margin growth, working capital and cash generation, the company said. Following Diageo’s acquisition of USL in 2013, he led the full integration of USL. “A strong advocate for the contribution of the alcohol industry in India, he has formed trusting relationships across the sector, driving local community initiatives and partnerships while tirelessly promoting responsible drinking. Known for his restlessness and entrepreneurial spirit, as well as his commitment to coaching and growing talent, he has championed inclusion and diversity across the business,” the company said.
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No New Year revelry on Bengaluru's MG Road and Brigade Road: Karnataka govt
Bars and pubs will be allowed to operate with 50% capacity.
Pixcy
The Karnataka government on Friday announced that public gathering for New Year celebrations will be banned on Brigade Road and MG Road. The state government said that other public gatherings for New Year celebrations would be strictly limited. “Public gatherings will be limited between December 20 and January 2 across the state. This decision was taken after recommendations from the Technical Advisory Committee. Earlier permission was given by BBMP for this. This will not be given this year,” Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said. He said that people would have to conduct New Year celebrations within their homes or at pubs and bars, which will operate in limited capacity. He reiterated that pubs and bars will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity only. Revenue Minister R Ashoka said that other public celebrations for New Year will need police permissiom. “Celebrate within your house. MG Road and Brigade Road celebrations will not be given. Passes will be given for people organising public gathering in this period by the police but it won’t be given for MG Road and Brigade Road celebrations. Many people have lost their loved ones to this disease. We must be cautious,” he said. “People are under the impression that there will be no COVID-19 when the New Year begins. This perception is wrong. Unless we are able to vaccinate people properly and see its effects, this perception must not be held. We have taken this decision in order to safeguard the public,” Dr Sudhakar said. He said that the government has prioritised checking gathering of crowds. He said that political and religious gatherings will be allowed in limited numbers. “Like I said before, between December 20 and January 2, public celebrations will be limited to not more than 200 people. This is for religious gatherings and political gatherings, marriages, and Christmas celebrations,” he said.
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Sandalwood drug case: Actor Sanjjanaa Galrani gets bail after 3 months
The Central Crime Branch officers arrested Sanjjana Galrani on September 8.
The Karnataka High Court on Friday granted bail to actor Sanjjanaa Galrani, who is in judicial custody in connection with the Sandalwood drug case. The Karnataka High Court granted bail to the actor on medical grounds. It has been over two months since the actor was lodged in the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison. Sanjjanaa Galrani was accused by the Central Crime Branch of procuring and supplying drugs to people who attended high-profile parties in Bengaluru. Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar issued the bail order on the condition of executing a bond worth Rs 3,00,000 and two sureties of the same amount. She has to appear before the police once in a month and cooperate with the investigation. The court had earlier in November ordered a thorough medical check up from Vanivilas Hospital in Bengaluru after actor Sanjjanaa Galrani applied for bail the second time. Her earlier bail application was rejected by the High Court on November 3. The Central Crime Branch officers arrested Sanjjana Galrani on September 8, after conducting a search and seizure operation at her residence in Indiranagar. Prior to her arrest, actor Raginig Dwivedi was arrested on September 4 along with party organiser Viren Khanna. The CCB’s probe began after the Narcotics Control Bureau arrested three people hailing from Kerala, who were living in Bengaluru, and were allegedly supplying drugs to Kannada film actors and singers. Read: Beyond Rhea and Kangana, another celebrity drug case is unfolding in Karnataka Read: How India’s drug laws fail those with substance use disorder As reported earlier by TNM, even though the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru police has made high-profile arrests, they might not be able to make a watertight case in the absence of material evidence, and will have to depend entirely on electronic evidence. Viren Khanna, alleged drug peddlers Loum Pepper Samba, Rahul Tonse, Prashanth Ranka and Niyaz were among the others who have been arrested. In connection with the same case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also probing actors Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjana Galrani, along with other co-accused, on the charges of money laundering.
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Homes for trans kids to be set up in Bengaluru, activists say impact will be huge
Trans children, who have left home, often face violence and bullying when they are accommodated in girls' or boys' hostels.
Image for representation
Ramya*, a trans woman and activist who is now 32, stayed in a boys' hostel from class 5 to 10 in Gadag in northern Karnataka. "When I was growing up, transgender children like me who left home would be placed in boys' or girls' hostels. It was just the way it used to be," Ramya says. Ramya left her parents' home at the age of 11 and she says that transgender children are a particularly vulnerable group at this age. "We are disproportionately bullied and we are affected by the harassment we face at this age," she explains. So, it was no surprise that her curiosity was piqued by a report that emerged last week about the first transgender children's home which is set to be established in Bengaluru. Two transgender children's homes, one for those who identify as boys and another for those who identify as girls, were approved by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development in November and they will be built at a government complex on Hosur Road in the city. The idea was mooted by Pallavi Akurathi, Director, Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) after she found that many transgender children in state-run children's homes were not comfortable. "Conversing with people from the transgender community, many spoke up about the harassment and violence they faced in children's homes and it was clear that a separate home exclusively for transgender children was needed," Pallavi says, speaking to TNM. Those who will be sheltered here include orphans, abandoned children, street children, child labourers and child survivors of abuse. According to the Ministry, this is the first such facility approved in the country which is dedicated to transgender children. Read: 377 verdict: Time for schools to grow safer, more inclusive for queer children Lack of survey Currently, there is no estimation of how many transgender children are there in Karnataka and a baseline survey to determine this is yet to be conducted. The Women and Child Development department is currently working with other organisations to conduct the survey with a budget of Rs 70 lakh, but it is expected to begin only in February 2021. Such a survey has been conducted only in Kerala so far. "There are challenges in conducting this survey. We are unaware of the places where children from the transgender community stay and we have to work with NGOs to conduct this survey," says an official from the department. Even if the number of children in such accommodations may not be high, the effect for transgenders students will be powerful. "Having a home like this will make a big difference in the lives of transgender children," says Ramya. Those who are not brought up in children homes are brought up by adults from the transgender community who take children in. This often comes with restrictions. "And because they are taken care of, the child and the teenager may be expected to earn money for the adult transgender person who is taking care of them. In many cases, the children who are away from their home do not complete their studies," Poornima Sukumar, founder of the Aravani Art Project, an art collective of women and trans women which involves the public and does wall art to raise awareness and create spaces for alternative voices. Read: In Bengaluru, a mural dedicated to COVID warriors, painted by trans women Need for transgender persons as guardians Poornima says that there is a need for adult transgender persons sensitive to the difficulties faced by young children to be present in a children's home like this. While some children express a gender identity that is different from the one assigned to them at birth at a very young age, others take longer. "It is difficult for children to express themselves and there is a need for transgender persons to be present in a children's home like this. They will be able to understand the nuances in the issues faced by young children and communicate with them. It could also be an employment opportunity for transgender persons," says Poornima. 'Push for education' Officials in Bengaluru say that they are planning to involve organisations working for transgender persons rights in the dedicated home for transgender children. They also plan to ensure that students at the children's home complete their education. "We can monitor the education of children until they are 18. This will help more transgender children get education," says Pallavi. This will open up more opportunities for the children to receive financial assistance from schemes like the Upkar scheme. Transgender men and women between the ages of 18 and 21 can receive a small financial assistance every month after they leave the children's home, Pallavi says. She now wants to create awareness about the transgender children's homes coming up in Bengaluru. "We want people to know that transgender children who are abandoned or have left their home can be sheltered here," she adds.
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