Bengaluru News Highlights: A day after the Union Health Ministry asked the states to reactivate Covid war rooms and enhance restrictions and surveillance in the backdrop of rising cases of Omicron, the Karnataka government Wednesday directed the health officials, deputy commissioners and district surveillance officials to steadfastly track, trace and quarantine primary and secondary contacts of persons infected by Covid-19. Currently, around 300 Coivd cases are being reported daily in Karnataka and the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) is between 0.25 per cent and 0.3 per cent. As on date, 19 cases of Omicron have been detected in Karnataka.
In a major development, pro-Kannada organisations have called for a state-wide bandh in Karnataka on December 31 against the recent vandalisation of the statue of renowned Kannada warrior and freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna in Belagavi. The statue was allegedly defaced by activists of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES). A series of retaliatory skirmishes have taken place in recent days between Kannada and Marathi activists in parts of Karnataka as well as Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, a coalition of 40 organisations took out a protest march in Bengaluru from Mysore Bank Circle to Freedom Park on Wednesday, against the anti-conversion Bill, which is slated to be debated upon in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday. The protest was attended by Bengaluru Archbishop Peter Machado. “Now that the contents of the bill are read by all, they say it is not affecting only the Christians, but also the larger society. It is the question of privacy, the question of marriage, the question of women, Dalits, Muslims,” Peter Machado said.
The state government had on Tuesday tabled the controversial Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill 2021, commonly known as the anti-conversion bill, during the ongoing winter session in Belagavi.
Bengaluru Archbishop Peter Machado said, “Karnataka is a progressive state in the country and has to give out a message to others that it is open to privacy, dignity and human rights.”
Hundreds of people from at least 40 socio-political organisations Wednesday took out a protest march in Bengaluru against the Karnataka Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021, commonly known as the anti-conversion Bill. The march commenced from Mysore Bank Circle and ended at Freedom Park.
The Bill was introduced in the state Legislative Assembly Tuesday during the ongoing Winter Session in Belagavi. Home Minister Araga Jnanendra tabled the Bill while Congress leaders objected to the manner in which it was introduced. The Cabinet had cleared the Bill Monday but no official information was shared about introducing it in the House. Read More
Social Alpha, an initiative supported by Tata Trusts, along with the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) and CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) on Wednesday announced the launch of mach33.aero, which is set to be the country’s first public-private partnership that focuses on accelerating innovations in aerospace.
The joint initiative will develop a support ecosystem to nurture start-ups in aerospace and allied engineering at a dedicated state-of-the-art centre at the CSIR-NAL campus with a vision to expand its reach to new geographies in future.
Speaking on the launch, Tata Trusts Chairman Ratan Tata said, “I am pleased to note that CSIR-NAL and Social Alpha have joined hands to promote innovations in aerospace engineering with wide ranging applications across aviation, defence, agriculture and climate technologies. I hope a number of high impact and scalable solutions emerge from this initiative, creating a new wave of technology entrepreneurship in the country.” Read More
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday emphasised upon practical based education system and said the NEP would bridge the gap.
"A practical based education system is needed to meet challenges of rapid change in the present era. There is a huge difference between the syllabus being taught and the practical needs of the world," the Chief Minister said after laying the foundation stone for the Rani Chennamma University building complex at Hirebagevadi.
According to him, the New Education Policy(NEP) is being implemented to bridge this gap. "Present generation of students need the power of knowledge to face the challenges with confidence and courage and the NEP would empower them with necessary knowledge," Bommai explained. (PTI)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai defended his decision to hold multiple portfolios, including the Bengaluru Development Ministry, and said he accorded top priority to the crucial department.
During the Assembly session in Belagavi on Tuesday, former Bengaluru development minister K J George asked Bommai to appoint an exclusive minister who can focus on the development of the city, instead of keeping the portfolio with him. George raised the matter in the context of alleged delays and lack of quality in works carried out under the Smart City project. Read More
A day after the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021, commonly known as the anti-conversion Bill, was tabled in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, media persons were briefly stopped from entering Suvarna Soudha Wednesday before the scheduled debate on the Bill.
In the morning, when media personnel reached the Assembly, the Marshals, who did not cite an exact reason, said directions had come from the Speaker’s office to stop media persons from entering the House. However, Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri said that he was not aware of it.
Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy condemned the media restrictions by the BJP-ruled Karnataka government and said it is an attempt to break a leg of the Constitution. In a tweet, Kumaraswamy said, “they(BJP) who are saying that they will change the Constitution have now broken a pillar of our Constitution by not allowing the fourth pillar of our democracy which is the media.” Read More
Decision on extending the duration of legislature session, including the joint session and budget session, in the coming days would be taken after due discussion, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, adding that it would provide more time for meaningful debates in the house.
Presenting his opinion on the view that the session should include more meaningful discussions in the Legislative Assembly, Bommai said, "There would be no problem if members adhere to the rules and procedures of the conduct in the house. Both the houses of legislature have a rich tradition. There are rules and procedures to raise issues. We should conduct ourselves accordingly."
Referring to making the best use of time allotted for debates, Bommai said, "Opposition parties should naturally get more time and importance. A system of allotting time to a political party according to its strength in the house is in practice in the Lok Sabha. The problem could be resolved if the same system is adopted here." (ENS)
Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said the Karnataka government needs to show more respect towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his legacy, and an act to defame an icon like him cannot be pardoned.
Seven people were recently arrested in neighbouring Karnataka for allegedly desecrating the Maratha warrior king's statue at Bengaluru. The alleged incident in Bengaluru had raised tempers in the border district of Belgaum, which Maharashtra claims should belong to it.
Shinde on Wednesday made a statement in the Maharashtra Legislative Council over the incident. "The whole incident is to be condemned. I strongly express my condemnation as we all respect Shivaji Maharaj. His contribution towards us is inspirational, and defaming an icon like him is an act that cannot be pardoned,” the state urban development minister said. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has used Shivaji Maharaj's name several times. He even used his name at the time of a function in Kashi recently. But, the Karnataka government needs to show more respect towards Shivaji Maharaj and his legacy,” the Shiv Sena leader said. (PTI)
The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) has launched the ‘EV Mithra’ app to help residents locate electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations in the city.
A senior BESCOM officer said, “The company has already set up 136 ports at 74 locations across the city for charging electric vehicles. To locate the nearest EV-charging station, we have built a mobile application.”
“The EV-charging stations are open from 6am to 10pm every day, but many vehicle owners in the city are not aware of the service. To create awareness about the EV-charging stations, the BESCOM has developed this app,” the official added. Read More
A coalition of 40 organisations took out a protest march in Bengaluru from Mysore Bank Circle to Freedom Park on Wednesday, against the anti-conversion Bill, which is slated to be debated upon in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday. The protest was attended by Bengaluru Archbishop Peter Machado.
"Now that the contents of the bill are read by all, they say it is not affecting only the Christians, but also the larger society. It is the question of privacy, the question of marriage, the question of women, Dalits, Muslims," Peter Machado said.
"Karnataka is a progressive state in the country and has to give a message to others that Karnataka is open to privacy, dignity and human rights," he added.
The Karnataka unit of the Congress will launch a 10-day padayatra from Mekedatu to Bengaluru – a distance of around 179 km – on January 9 seeking the implementation of the Mekedatu drinking water project. Announcing the padayatra, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said the march will cover 15 Assembly constituencies before reaching Bengaluru.
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Bengaluru Metro’s tunnel boring machine (TBM) Urja will start tunnelling the stretch between Cantonment and Pottery Town stations, a distance of 907 metre, from Wednesday, said Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) officials Tuesday. Urja achieved a breakthrough after tunnelling between Cantonment and Shivajinagar in September this year. “It was transported and reassembled for its next journey,” officials added.
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In a landmark move, the police department invited applications from the members of the transgender community for the post of special reserve sub-inspector in Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB). Notably, the Karnataka High Court earlier this year asked the government to provide 1 per cent reservation to transgenders in state-owned enterprises.
Following the court order, the Karnataka government had issued a notification extending 1 per cent reservation to transgenders in any service or post in all categories of employment to be filled through the direct recruitment process.
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Three staffers of a private hospital in Bengaluru were booked for allegedly forcing a 53-year-old Dalit employee to clean a clogged manhole at the hospital, police said Tuesday. According to the complaint, when the employee refused to enter the manhole, the accused threatened to terminate him from his services. Afraid of losing his job, the man risked his life and entered the manhole.
A week later on December 9, he approached an NGO, Samata Sainik Dal, and on December 15, a complaint was lodged at the Halasuru police station.
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Amid mounting tensions between Kannada and Maharashtra activists in Karnataka, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, K S Eshwarappa, on Monday said those who defaced the statue of freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna and set the Karnataka flag ablaze must be shot dead. He was speaking at the ongoing winter session of the state Assembly.
“The act of vandalising the statue of freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna and burning the Kannada flag is highly condemnable and the miscreants should be tracked and shot dead,” he said. The statement, however, did not elicit any reaction from other members of the House.
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The Karnataka Right to Freedom of Religion Bill 2021, introduced in the state Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, aims to fulfil two demands of the core support base of the right-wing BJP government in the state – prevention of forced religious conversions and the so-called ‘love jihad’.
Ban on conversions for marriage
While the stated objective of the proposed law is to prevent forced religious conversions, the Bill also contains clauses that are intended to curb conversions for marriages – termed ‘love jihad’ by the BJP’s right-wing support base. This is along the lines of clauses in the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, commonly referred to as the ‘love jihad’ law.
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Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) officials have announced that power will be suspended in several parts of Bengaluru today for carrying out maintenance work in the city. Parts of Bengaluru will face a power shutdown from 10 am to 5:30 pm.
According to BESCOM, the following neighbourhoods in Bengaluru will be affected:
East zone: Jogupalya Road, Cambridge Layout, Double Road, 11th Main Domlur, KG Pura, Hanumanthaiah Garden, Davis Road, Wheeler Road, Hutchins Road, Ashoka Road, North Road, Dcosta Layout, Vivekananda nagar, Jaibharath Nagar, CK Garden, Manjunathnagar, Manyata Residency and Gayatri Layout will be affected, between 10 am and 5 pm.
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With 19 confirmed cases of Omicron in Karnataka till now, an expert, a member of the state genomic surveillance committee, is looking at two possibilities — either a full-blown third wave or a mild effect of the new variant due to a high percentage of vaccination coverage. However, he warned that if the former happens, the state should be prepared for lockdowns and other restrictions.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Dr Vishal Rao, who is also the Regional Director – Head & Neck Surgical Oncology and Robotic Surgery, HCG Cancer Hospital, said while there is a global spike in the number of Covid-19 cases, primarily due to the Omicron variant, currently, it is under control in India.
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The state government Tuesday tabled the controversial Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill 2021, commonly known as the anti-conversion bill, at its ongoing winter session in Belagavi. However, the Opposition attacked the government for keeping them in the dark regarding its introduction. Home Minister Araga Jnanendra tabled the Bill on Tuesday afternoon and Congress leaders took objection over the manner in which it was introduced. The Cabinet had cleared the Bill on Monday, but no official information was shared about introducing it in the House.
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An Earthquake of a 3.3 magnitude was reported in Chikkaballapura district, Karnataka on Wednesday. The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) said “As per the Seismic Intensity map of the said Earthquakes from the Epicentre, the intensities observed are low and the tremors might be felt up to a maximum radial distance of 10-15 kms. These type of earthquakes do not create any harm to the local community, although there may be slight shaking observed locally. The Community need not panic as the intensity observed is low and not destructive.”
Power supplies at several parts of Bengaluru are currently cut off due to scheduled maintenance work by the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), said officials, adding that the supply is expected to be restored by 5:30 pm.
According to Bescom, in East zone, Indiranagar 12th Main Road, Jogupalya, Cambridge Layout, Sadananda Nagar, Varthur Road, Nagavara Palya, Udaynagar, HRBR Layout, Jayanthi Nagara, Channasandra and Pattandur Agrahara saw power cuts from about 10 am.
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The Karnataka government on Tuesday announced restrictions on public celebrations of new year in the wake of rising cases of Omicron in the state. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said restrictions would be in place from December 30 to January 2.
“The mass gatherings at any place across the state for new year celebrations have been banned. However, the seating capacity at pubs and restaurants has been restricted to 50 percent with no special events like DJ. The staff at pubs and restaurants should be fully vaccinated,” the CM said.
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Karnataka generates 4,458 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage and has an installed treatment capacity of 2,712 MLD from 140 sewage treatment plants (STP) located across the state. It is 60.83 per cent of the sewage generated every day.
Of 2,712 MLD of treatment capacity, the operational treatment capacity is only 1,922 MLD. The Ministry of Jal Shakti, in its report, has stated that 32 STPs are non-operational. The remaining untreated sewage discharges directly into rivers and other water bodies.
Arkavathi, Lakshmantirtha, Malprbha, Tungabhadra, Bhadra, Cauvery, Kabini, Kagina, Kali, Krishna, Shimsha, Asanginalla, Bhima, Kumardhara, Netravathi, Tunga, Yagachi rivers in the state are the ones polluted. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPPCB) data say the gap between sewage generation and treatment is the major reason behind the pollution of rivers.
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"All the SARI, ILI patients coming to OPD in private hospitals in BBMP limits should be tested for covid-19 compulsorily and other patients also could be advised to undergo for the same if needed," said BBMP Special Commissioner Dr Trilok Chandra.
Addressing a meeting with Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) and more than 100 Private Hospitals, he said that precautionary measures should be taken to prevent the spreading of covid-19 in the city. "Second dose should be given at private hospitals to the people if they have taken the first dose. Double doses should be ensured for all individuals who will visit the hospital. And thus, unvaccinated must get vaccinated," he said.
"Presently, covid cases in the city are stable. As a precautionary measure, according to the government order, private hospitals must be ready to reserve beds for covid patients. Along with that, separate pediatric beds also should be ensured," he added.
Chandra instructed that Information about real-time bed availability should be uploaded in the PHANA portal and all the necessary measures should be taken to ensure the proper availability of oxygen.
The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will soon add environment-friendly Bharat Stage VI-compliant buses to its fleet. BMTC officials told indianexpress.com on Monday that they have received 100 BS VI-compliant buses from Ashok Leyland and will get another 50 such buses from the company this week.
The BMTC has given an order of 565 BS VI buses to the private transport company. The corporation is procuring the vehicles with the support of the state government.
The Karnataka state cabinet has cleared a controversial anti-conversion bill which is expected to be amended in this winter session.
The State Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on Covid-19 advised the Karnataka government to introduce Universal e-Passes for the fully-vaccinated citizens for use at entry points of offices, malls, cinema theatres and airports.
The expert committee suggested that the facility, on the lines of a pass created by the Maharashtra government, could be first started within the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits.
“The Government of Maharashtra has introduced the issue of Universal e-Pass for fully-vaccinated citizens, that is who have taken two doses of Covid-19 vaccines…TAC recommends introducing a similar facility in Karnataka, to begin within the BBMP area, covering in a phased manner offices, factories, banks, cinema halls and auditoria, shopping malls and complexes, airport, gyms, pubs and bars, swimming pools, hotels and restaurants, marriage halls, zoos, parks, etc,” the expert committee suggested. Read more
Between 2009 and 2019, 600 elephants have died due to electrocution across the country, data given by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has revealed. Of this, 116 deaths have taken place in Karnataka, 117 in Odisha and 105 in Assam.
A senior official from the Karnataka Forest Department told The Indian Express that there have been unnatural elephant deaths in Karnataka in the last few years. “The numbers have come down but annually, we come across 5-6 cases of deaths of jumbos due to electrocution. In Kodagu, four jumbos died in July this year. While in October 2020, two male elephants died inside the Bannerghatta National Park in Bengaluru, four died in other parts of the state in September last year. These numbers are quite high. The elephants come in contact with electric fence lines which are put up by private landowners. We do register cases against them as most of these are illegally set up. The exact figure of the deaths of the jumbos owing to electrocution in the last two years will be collated,” he said.
State government would take decisive steps to stop vandalism. Stringent action would be initiated against those who take law into their hands, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said speaking to media persons in Belagavi.
"The main perpetrators of the recent vandalism in Karnataka have already been arrested. We will not allow any hooliganism to continue," Bommai said.
State Home Secretary and DG of Police have taken up the issue with their Maharashtra counterparts to protect the life and property of Kannadigas in Maharashtra, and also providing security for Karnataka government vehicles, Bommai said.
Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Monday visited the statue of Sangolli Rayanna that was re-installed after its recent desecration in Angol in Belagavi district. He alleged that the State government had failed to maintain law and order in the district. "The desecration of the statue is highly condemnable. Local youth have complained that Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti(MES) members have desecrated it. The state government should take action against such people soon,” he said.
Police on Sunday arrested seven persons for allegedly defacing a statue of Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji in Sadashivanagar area of Bengaluru.
The statue of Shivaji at Bashyam Circle in Sadashivanagar was defaced with black ink on December 16 by miscreants who were reportedly upset with the demand of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) seeking Belagavi’s merger with Maharashtra.
Police have charged the accused with creating enmity between communities, among others. They were arrested based on a complaint lodged on Friday.
Karnataka Health Minister Dr Sudhakar on Monday morning tweeted that five more Omicron cases have been detected in the state, taking the tally to 19. The five patients are from Dharwad, Bhadravathi, Udupi (2) and Mangaluru, Karnataka Health Minister Dr Sudhakar said.