Bengaluru News Highlights: CM Siddaramaiah promises “strict action” amid ruckus in Karnataka Assembly over Valmiki scam

The Karnataka government is projected to generate an additional Rs 3,107 crore over the next nine months due to a recent increase in sales tax on petrol and diesel, as announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The sales tax was increased from 25.92% to 29.84% for petrol and from 14.34% to 18.44% for diesel, resulting in petrol prices rising to Rs 102.88 per litre and diesel to Rs 88.96 per litre.

Siddaramaiah highlighted that fuel prices in Karnataka are lower than in neighboring states, with petrol costing Rs 102.84 in Hosur (Tamil Nadu), Rs 106.66 in Kasargod (Kerala), Rs 109.44 in Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh), Rs 107.40 in Hyderabad (Telangana), and Rs 104.46 in Kagal (Maharashtra). Diesel prices also vary across these states.

The Karnataka Lokayukta conducted raids at several locations linked to 13 state government officials across five districts in the state on Friday in connection with the disproportionate assets cases against them.

During the searches, the sleuths unearthed ill-gotten wealth to the tune of Rs 50 crore.

Legal Metrology Deputy Controller Athar Ali had the highest disproportionate assets among those raided.

He has allegedly amassed wealth worth Rs 8.63 crore, according to the Lokayukta.

He owned four plots, three houses valued at Rs 5.82 crore, cash amounting to Rs 25.19 lakh, ornaments worth Rs 2.08 crore, vehicles worth Rs 11 lakh and household articles estimated at Rs 37.45 lakh.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said the government will investigate all the scams that have taken place during the previous BJP government's tenure.

He alleged that the BJP government at the time had siphoned off over Rs 300 crore from various departments.

Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha, he said, “During the previous BJP government, headed by former chief ministers B S Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai, there were scams in various departments amounting to Rs 300 crore. We will reveal the details in the House.”

He was reacting to the BJP's charges related to the Rs 187 crore scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation, including the illegal transfer of Rs 88 crore to various bank accounts.

In the last five years, Karnataka has recorded cybercrimes, particularly linked to fake loans and job frauds, worth about Rs 592 crore, Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said in the legislative council on Thursday. He was replying to questions posed by Member of Legislative Council Umashree over the growing number of cybercrime cases in the state.

According to the data shared by the Home Minister, 8,231 cases of online job fraud amounting to Rs 565 crore and 1,322 cases of fake loan apps amounting to Rs 25 crore have been reported in Karnataka in the last five years. Out of these cases, only about 11 per cent and 12 per cent of the defrauded amount, respectively, has been recovered.

Meanwhile, only 207 people have been arrested for online job frauds and in fake loan app cases in the last five years, the data revealed

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah unveiled the logo of the 87th All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelana Friday at Vidhan Soudha's conference hall.

Also in attendance were Minister of Kannada and Culture Shivaraj Tangadagi, Agriculture Minister N. Chaluvaraya Swamy, Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Mahesh Joshi, and other dignitaries.

(Express Photo)

The Karnataka government Friday tabled three bills in the legislative assembly including the Karnataka Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The Prevention of Disqualification Amendment Bill has been introduced to exempt the office of the political secretary as well as the Chief Minister, Office of the Financial Advisor to the CM, Office of the Advisor (Policy and Planning) to the CM and Deputy Chairperson to Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission from incurring disqualification for being a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly or the Member of the Karnataka Legislative Council on such appointment.

The Karnataka Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill aims to create a clear distinction between the input service distribution transactions requiring the transfer of input tax credit related to the invoices for receipt of services on behalf of distinct persons, and the actual supply of services from one distinct person to another, and make it compulsory to distribute the credit. The bill is meant to enable the levy of penalties for non-registration of machines used in the manufacture of tobacco products and paan masala.

The objective of the Karnataka Cine and Cultural Activists (Welfare) Bill is to constitute a welfare board and establish a fund for financial schemes to provide social security and welfare of cine and cultural activists in the state. (PTI)

Days after a security official of the GT World Mall in Bengaluru denied entry to a farmer for wearing a dhoti, Prashanth Anand, CEO of the mall, on Thursday issued an apology and assured the administration that such incidents will not be repeated. The reaction came in response to a show cause notice issued to the mall by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) over the dhoti episode.

On Tuesday, Fakirappa, an elderly farmer, was denied entry to the mall purportedly over wearing a dhoti. After the video of the incident went viral, many pro-Kannada and pro-farmer organisations staged a protest in front of the mall.

As the controversy snowballed, with the matter figuring in the Assembly on Thursday, the BBMP decided to seal the mall, saying it owes Rs 1.78 crore in property tax. In addition, it also issued a show cause notice to the mall seeking an explanation for Tuesday’s incident.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said former minister B Nagendra, who is in ED's custody in connection with the ST Corporation scam, is being pressurised to name some people.

Nagendra resigned as Tribal Welfare Minister after the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation, Accounts Superintendent Chandrasekharan P died by suicide on May 26.

The officer said in his suicide note that there was an embezzlement of Rs 187 crore, including the illegal transfer of Rs 88 crore money.

Based on a complaint by the Union Bank of India from where the money was illegally transferred to 217 bank accounts in Hyderabad, the CBI launched an investigation and the Enforcement Directorate also joined.

The Karnataka government on Friday announced the launch of the Rajiv Gandhi Entrepreneurship Programme (RGEP), which is aimed at cultivating innovation and fostering entrepreneurship among young and talented graduates.

The initiative by the Department of Electronics, IT and Biotechnology signifies a strategic shift from traditional job-seeking to entrepreneurship, offering viable career options, stimulating job creation, and promoting technological advancements.

By doing so, RGEP aims to drive innovation-led economic growth within Karnataka, officials said.

The Karnataka government was taking all necessary measures towards rescue and relief of those affected by flooding and landslides caused by heavy downpours in parts of the state, where monsoon rains since June have been 22 per cent above normal, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on Friday.

The Minister was replying to a discussion in the Legislative Assembly on floods and landslides in parts of the state due to rains, amid BJP and JD(S) protest from the well of the House against alleged financial irregularities in a state-run corporation.

"The government will take all necessary measures. We had information since January about above normal rains this year and accordingly we have made the necessary arrangements. Since June 1 so far normally 365 mm rains should have happened, but 447 mm rains have occurred which is 22 per cent above normal," Gowda said.

Karnataka Legislative Assembly witnessed ruckus on Friday over the alleged financial irregularities in a state-run corporation, with opposition BJP and JD(S) staging a protest against the government, accusing it of "loot" and demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Amid the opposition's continued sloganeering from the well of the House, Siddaramaiah sought to defend himself and his government, while accepting that the scam had indeed taken place. He assured that strict action would be taken against the culprits involved.

The Chief Minister even tried to turn the tables on the opposition listing out the alleged scams during their tenure, especially the BJP.

He asserted that his government will get them probed and ensure that they "pay for it," by sending "those who committed wrong to jail."

Amid a spike in dengue cases in Karnataka, the Health Department today appointed nodal officers in all government hospitals across Bengaluru for effective management of the vector-borne disease.

A toll free helpline number -- 1800-425-8330 --- was set up for people to seek information or register complaints regarding dengue related issues, officials said.

These dedicated nodal officers will ensure better patient care, quicker response times, and effective management of dengue cases.

Earlier this week, dengue cases in the state crossed the 10,000 mark so far this year, taking the cumulative positive cases to 11,451 from January 1 to July 18.

The vector-borne disease has claimed the lives of eight people in the state this year.

The Raman Research Institute (RRI) Friday said its spinoff company's tunable lasers could lower the costs of quantum optics laboratories in India.

The Bengaluru-based premier autonomous research institute under the Department of Science and Technology said India could soon have its own multi-channel, tunable laser system technology platforms, which are crucial for quantum optics laboratories.

In a statement, the RRI said it has developed the technology for precision laser systems required for quantum-enabled technology applications and industrial uses.

There will be a power supply cut on July 20 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm in the central Bengaluru areas including Residency Road, Hondai RMU, Lavelle Road, Walton Road, Vittal Mallya Road, Church Street, Kasturba Road, M.G.Road, St.Marks Road, Residency Road Cross, Queens Circle, and ITC Hotel.

This interruption is due to ongoing maintenance work at 'Sir M.V 220/66/11Kv GIS EDC station.'

The 250-metre sky deck proposed by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar is now likely to be built on a land parcel in Hemmigepura (southwest of Bengaluru) along the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) Road.

The sky deck project was initially planned to be built in the Central Business District (CBD) but did not take off after the Defence Ministry denied permission owing to the location’s proximity to the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited airport.

On Thursday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah along with Bengaluru ministers, Congress MLAs, and senior officials chaired a meeting to discuss the sky deck project. An in-principle approval was accorded to the project, and it was decided that the sky deck would be built outside the CBD, said government sources. Read More

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad visited a fever clinic in Ramaswamy Palya. They instructed the clinic staff to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of dengue in the city.

Indigo, Air India Express, SpiceJet, and Akasa at Bengaluru airport began checking in passengers manually on Friday, issuing handwritten boarding passes, after a global Microsoft outage led to the Navitaire Departure Control System stalling.

Passengers at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru had a harrowing time following the disruption in flight services and were seen anxiously waiting for their delayed flights. The lounge of the KIA was overcrowded due to the disruption of in-flight services.

“A global outage with the Navitaire Departure Control System (NDCS) has been affecting operations of some airlines across their network, including BLR Airport since 10.40 IST on July 19, 2024,” a Bangalore International Airport Limited spokesperson said in a statement.

Indigo, Akasa, and SpiceJet in Terminal-1 and Air India Express in Terminal-2 are among the affected airlines, BIAL said, adding that the Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) and Common Use Self Service (CUSS) systems are also experiencing disruptions.

A global outage with the Navitaire Departure Control System (DCS) Friday has been affecting the operations of some airlines across their network, including Bengaluru Airport since 10:40 am, a Bengaluru International Airport Limited spokesperson said.

Indigo, Akasa, and SpiceJet in Terminal 1, and Air India Express in Terminal 2, are among the affected airlines. The Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) and Common Use Self Service (CUSS) systems are also experiencing disruptions.

In response to this situation, Indigo, Air India Express, SpiceJet, and Akasa have taken proactive measures by initiating manual check-ins to ensure minimal disruption to passengers and flight schedules, the airport authority said.

A major disruption in Microsoft Corp.’s cloud services caused service disruptions to a number of businesses around the world, including in India, on Friday. A number of airlines, including Indigo, Akasa Air, Air India Express and Spicejet have said that they were all facing technical glitches impacting services like booking tickets and web check-in.

Search operations are continuing in Shirur village in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district to trace a lorry driver from Kerala who is feared missing after a massive landslide, police said on Friday.

He has been identified as Arjun, a native of Kozhikode, they said.

Six bodies have been recovered after the incident on July 16.

"Karnataka Police is doing all the possible ways to remove the debris but continuous rains are hampering operations. But we are hopeful that we will be able to locate (those feared missing). We are with the family (Arjun's). We will do whatever possible ways to trace out the lorry," Superintendent of Police (Karwar), Narayana M, told PTI.

Vehicular traffic has been temporarily suspended on National Highway 66 following the landslide.

According to Arjun's family, his lorry is suspected to be trapped under the debris and his phone rang twice but there was no response.

The Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Company Limited (K-RIDE) has approached the Integral Coach Factory for supplying Vande Bharat metro coaches for the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP) after it did not receive any financial bids for rolling stock on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.

K-RIDE, a special purpose vehicle implementing BSRP, has received no financial bids from the three firms — Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Bharat Earth Movers Limited, and Spanish rail manufacturer CAF — that qualified for the bidding process.

According to government sources, no financial bids were submitted for the project due to the potential bidders seeking additional assurances in the form of sovereign guarantees from the Karnataka Government and the Centre.

The Bengaluru police recently booked a tattoo artist over an allegedly abusive tattoo demeaning the police. A picture of the tattoo on the chest of a client was uploaded on social media by the artist himself.

The tattoo artist, Ritesh Aghariya, 41, who runs a tattoo studio called Tattoo Sutra in central Bengaluru, was booked in a suo motu case by the Cubbon Park police under Section 352 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) for causing intentional insult to police authorities.

Three members of a family, including two children, were killed and three others injured after the roof of their house collapsed following heavy rains at Madapura village in Savanur taluk of this district on Friday, police said.

The deceased have been identified as Chennamma (aged 38) and two-year-old twin sisters -- Anushree and Amulya, they said.

According to police, Muttappa Harakuni (35), his wife Sunita (30) and mother Yallamma (70), the twin daughters and sister Chennamma were living in the 'kutcha' house in the village, where it has been raining heavily since last evening.

In the early hours on Friday, the roof of the house collapsed on the family members who were sleeping at the time.

Haveri Superintendent of Police Anshu Kumar said Muttappa, his wife and mother were taken to a hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.

Meanwhile, former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who is Lok Sabha member from Haveri, sought appropriate compensation from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for the family.

As per Section 156 of BBMP Act 2020 and circular dated 06 December 2023, a notice has been issued to GT Mall under the Corporation's South Zone and the mall has been sealed for non-payment of property taxes.

The incident involving Fakirappa, a 62-year-old farmer from Haveri district visiting his son in Bengaluru, at GT World Mall led to outrage and demands for action against the mall.

Civic authorities in Bengaluru decided Thursday to seal a mall over property tax dues, two days after an elderly farmer was denied entry into the shopping-cinema complex because he was in a dhoti.

As the incident snowballed, with the matter figuring in the Assembly Thursday, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) took action against the mall, which is located on Magadi main road, saying it owes Rs 1.78 crore in property tax.

Two Municipal Commissioners were among 12 government officials whose premises were raided by Lokayukta sleuths in Karnataka on Friday in connection with disproportionate assets cases, a Lokayukta official said.

One of the municipal commissioners is posted in a major coastal town in the state, the official said.

According to the official, the raids were carried out in Bengaluru, Tumakuru, Shimoga, Yadgiri and Kalaburgi.

"Officials commenced the raid early this morning at 54 locations involving over 100 sleuths," the official added.

The raids include officials from:

Karnataka Minister for Infrastructure Development M B Patil has directed officials concerned to hold discussions with private civil aviation service providers on the resumption of flight service between Bidar and Bengaluru, which has been halted.

He asked officials to submit a proposal within two weeks.

According to a statement from the Minister's office, Patil issued the directive during a high-level meeting at Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday, which was also attended by Eshwar Khandre, Forest Minister and in charge of Bidar district, and Rahim Khan, Minister for Municipal Administration.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is also the state finance minister, has stated that the fund transfers from the ST Development Corporation occurred without his knowledge.

“All fund releases from the treasury will not come to my notice. It is the authorities who carry out the release of funds. It does not come to my notice and I do not sign on it. The probe is still underway,” Siddaramaiah said last week following BJP claims that the moral responsibility for the scam vests with the finance minister.

“Will Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman resign for all bank frauds that occur in her tenure by taking moral responsibility? This has happened at the level of the bank. All finance ministers would have to resign over bank frauds (according to BJP demands),” he said.

An amount of Rs 94.73 crore of the Rs 187 crore from the state treasury deposited in Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited’s bank accounts in Bengaluru was stolen by diversion to 18 bank accounts of fake companies between March and May this year.

The ED has arrested B Nagendra, 52, a former minister for the welfare of scheduled tribes in the Congress government in Karnataka, for being one of the alleged recipients of funds from the Rs 94.73 crore ST Development Corporation fraud.

Over 20 people have been linked to the fraud so far with 14 people arrested by the CID SIT. The accused include six officials of the Union Bank of India, two officials of the ST Development Corporation, and eight private persons including close associates of ex-minister B Nagendra.

The ED has been quizzing the wife of Nagendra over the last couple of days.

A CBI case has also been registered in the ST Development Corporation fraud case. The CBI is investigating the role of officials of the Union Bank of India in the diversion of funds.

A team of ministers in the Congress government in Karnataka accused the BJP government at the Centre of attempting to frame Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a money laundering case in which former Congress tribal welfare minister B Nagendra was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on July 12.

The team of ministers accused the Centre of weaponizing the ED, Income Tax, and the CBI to destabilise Opposition governments around the country.

The five ministers who are all considered to be close to CM Siddaramaiah said a conspiracy on the lines of the arrest of the Jharkhand and Delhi CMs using Central agencies was underway in Karnataka in the money laundering probe at the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited. Read More

In the 'Best Performing Urban Local Bodies - Loan Performance with mega and million plus cities' category, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has received the first place, followed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar gave away the awards to the winners. Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu was also present at the event.

The Karnataka High Court has struck down a Lokayukta decision that found an engineer with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike guilty of inaction against the encroachment of public property, citing flaws in its inquiry report, among other issues.

The Lokayukta had recommended initiating proceedings against K B Narasimhamurthy, who was posted as an assistant engineer in the Binnypet subdivision from April 20 to September 22 in 2006, and five others after one Shankar filed a complaint against the BBMP for not taking action against the encroacher.

An inquiry report was submitted in 2017 stating that the charges were proved and the accused had failed to take care to prevent the unauthorised construction. A penalty of withholding three salary increments without cumulative effect was then imposed on Narasimhamurthy. Read More

The Karnataka Assembly witnessed uproar on Thursday over the Rs 187 crore scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation leading to adjournment of the house.

The opposition BJP trooped into the well of the House expressing their displeasure over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's reply on the adjournment motion moved by Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka.

The saffron party said the Chief Minister's reply amounted to shielding former Minister B Nagendra, who resigned following the suicide by the accounts superintendent of the Corporation.

In response, Siddaramaiah said the accounts superintendent of the corporation Chandrasekharan P mentioned only three names in his suicide note.

Under the influence of a low-pressure area over central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal, isolated extremely heavy rainfall is very likely over coastal and south interior Karnataka for the next three days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The IMD has issued a red alert for July 19 and 20 in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada and south interior Karnataka.

The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSDNMC) has observed that with the rainfall continuing in the same intensity Cauvery reservoir will likely reach its full capacity in three days. Harangi and Kabini reservoirs have already reached full capacity. (PTI)

Kempapura Agrahara police have filed a case against the owner of GT World Mall for denying entry to an elderly on Tuesday for wearing a dhoti.

On Wednesday, the unnamed owner, and security guard Arun, were booked under Section 126(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for wrongful restraint. The action followed a complaint from Dharmaraj Gowda, one of those who protested against the incident.

The elderly farmer, Fakirappa, was stopped at the entrance of the mall located on Magadi Main Road despite having tickets for a movie. He had come from Karnataka’s Haveri district to Bengaluru to visit his son Nagaraj. Security staff stopped Fakirappa saying that dhoti-clad men would not be allowed inside the mall.

Despite their several pleas, the security supervisor did not relent but insisted that women wearing nighties would also not be allowed inside the mall, claiming that no mall would allow people in such attire.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said his government has decided to withhold the bill mandating job reservation for Kannadigas in the private sector due to “certain confusion.”

He said the bill will be taken up for discussion in the next cabinet meeting to clear the doubts.

“On Monday, complete discussion (on the topic) could not take place in the cabinet meeting. By then reports had appeared in the media,” he told the Karnataka assembly.

Replying to Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka’s demand to clarify the state government’s stand on the bill, the chief minister said, “There was some confusion. We will clear those confusions in the next cabinet meeting. Let’s have a detailed discussion.”

BJP leader R Ashoka said, “Finally, you announced putting the bill on hold. There appears to be a Tughlaq government in Karnataka."

The CM replied there is no "Tughlaq government, but Siddramaiah government." He said, "We will take up the bill in the next cabinet meeting.”

Infosys will comply with whatever regulations and guidelines Karnataka comes up with, Infosys CEO Salil Parekh said Thursday on the proposed reservations for locals in private firms in the state.

"We are planning to work with all the regulations of the state and central governments. We will work on it, we support whatever regulations and guidelines will come," he said.

Infosys employs over 3.15 lakh people at present across the globe.

Opposition BJP and JD(S) in Karnataka on Thursday staged a walkout from the Legislative Assembly in protest against the absence of Ministers in the House, which also saw Speaker U T Khader admonishing the ruling side stating that their behaviour is bringing a bad name to the government.

As the House met for the day, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka and several senior BJP legislators pointed at the empty front rows of treasury benches, questioned the government, and asked Speaker U T Khader to take note of it.

When the ruling side chief whip Ashok Pattan noted that a few Ministers were in the Legislative Council and asked the Chair to continue with the proceedings as three Ministers were present in the House, opposition leaders demanded that the Speaker call out the names of the Ministers who are supposed to be present in the Assembly today. They also questioned why proceedings did not start at the scheduled time.

The Karnataka government announced on Tuesday that it will soon start providing six eggs a week to each child as part of the midday meal scheme. Previously, children received two eggs per week under the scheme.

The government will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Azim Premji Foundation on Saturday to establish a three-year partnership for the midday meal scheme. The foundation will spend Rs 1,500 crore to distribute eggs to students in state-run schools.

Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa said, “The MoU will be signed in the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and philanthropist Azim Premji, and the initiative will be implemented immediately.”

Two days after an elderly farmer wearing a dhoti was denied entry to the GT World Mall in Bengaluru, the civic body on Thursday sealed the mall over property tax dues totaling Rs 1.78 crore.

A civic officer said the mall located on the Magadi Main Road failed to pay property tax dues for the financial year 2023-24, even after a notice was issued to it by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

The incident was also discussed in the ongoing monsoon session of the Karnataka legislature. Athani MLA Laxman Savadi criticized the incident and said the government should cut the power supply of the mall to teach the mall authorities a lesson. “If the mall owner allows only ‘suit-boot’ people, let him open a mall in the US…” he said. Read More

The Karnataka High Court has observed that only watching child pornography is not an offense under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, granting relief to a man accused of viewing a website with child pornography for 50 minutes.

The complaint was registered against the petitioner under Section 67B of the IT Act (publishing or transmitting material containing children) in March 2022.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that Section 67B could not be applied as his client had only viewed the website and not circulated anything. The state counsel, however, observed that what he had done in the later days was a matter of investigation.

Karnataka BJP leaders staged protests against the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government Thursday in Freedom Park, demanding the chief minister’s resignation over the alleged Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd. (KMVSTDC) scam.

The opposition BJP leaders, including the party’s state unit President B Y Vijayendra, were detained as they tried to lay siege to Vidhana Soudha. 

A Bengaluru court has extended the judicial custody of Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa by 14 days to August 1.

Darshan was originally set to receive bail on July 18. The prosecution argued that if the accused, including actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and his friend Pavithra Gowda, are granted bail, there is a chance of their destroying evidence.

On June 11, Darshan was arrested with Gowda and 11 others over the murder of Renukaswamy, a resident of Chitradurga. The four other accused people were arrested later.

After the Congress-led Karnataka government put the private sector quota Bill on hold, the opposition BJP warned of people's wrath.

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra in a post on 'X' asked, "Why did you bring the bill to give employment to the kannadigas? Why did you hold it back? Why mess with the lives of Kannadigas? Do you need Kannadigas to insult?" "Let the government present the job reservation bill for Kannadigas, which has given hope to lakhs of unemployed people in rural areas who were deprived of job opportunities despite their qualifications, in the current session, or else be ready to face the anger of Kannadigas," the Shikaripura MLA said.

"Fearing the split in the INDI Alliance, Delhi's big 'hand' must have tied the hands of the chief minister, otherwise how can he take an escapist decision to sideline the bill that will improve the lives of Kannadigas?" the BJP state president said.

With PTI inputs

The BJP protests against Valmiki scam in Freedom Park, Bengaluru. BJP Spokesperson Malavika Avinash told PTI, "The major demand is resignation of Siddaramaiah. This protest is just the beginning. It is against the corrupt Congress government which has indulged in scams shamelessly. Siddaramaiah has himself been caught in MUDA scam which is of 3,000-4,000 crore. 187 crore was diverted for Congress' elections."

As Karnataka assembly session resumes today, the policy makers are likely to discuss the proposed law on job reservation in the private sector on Thursday. Following backlash from top companies, the Congress government on Wednesday withheld the private sector quota Bill and decided to hold a Cabinet meeting regarding reservation for locals in jobs in the state.

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge inaugurated the Electronic Industries Association of India's 13th Strategic Electronics Summit in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

The summit will be held on July 17 and 18 at Hotel Lalit Ashok in Bengaluru.

To ensure effective management of moderate and severe cases of dengue, the Health Department on Wednesday issued an order directing key government hospitals in Bengaluru to reserve a specific number of beds for patients suffering from the vector-borne disease.

An official order released by the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Service stated that in view of the increased dengue cases in the state as well as in Bengaluru city, the effective management of moderate and severe cases is crucial to prevent dengue deaths.

According to the order, KC General Hospital, CV Raman Hospital, and GH Jayanagara have been asked to reserve 25 beds each while taluk hospitals in Yelahanka and KR Puram have been asked to reserve 10 beds each.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday dismissed allegations that the government had issued contracts to blacklisted firms for solid waste management in Bengaluru and said no contracts have been issued yet.

He said, “The landfills on the outskirts of the city have not been identified yet. Then how can we issue contracts to companies to manage solid waste, let alone blacklisted companies.”

“A union minister has alleged that I have taken a bribe of Rs 15,000 crore to issue contracts for solid waste management. The media has reported it too, but it is completely baseless,” he added. He further said that the government is struggling to identify lands for landfills.

The Karnataka government on Wednesday put the reservation bill for Kannadigas in private firms on hold amid fierce criticism from business leaders and tech tycoons.

The Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024 was cleared by the state Cabinet on Monday and was expected to be tabled in the assembly on Thursday.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also posted on X: "The bill intended to implement reservation for Kannadigas in private sector institutions, industries, and enterprises is still in the preparation stage. A final decision will be taken after comprehensive discussion in the next cabinet meeting."

The Karnataka government on Wednesday put on hold a bill, which mandated reservation for Kannadigas in the private sector.

Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill, 2024 was cleared by the state Cabinet on Tuesday.

"The bill approved by the Cabinet to provide reservation for Kannadigas in private sector organisations, industries, and enterprises has been temporarily put on hold. This will be revisited and decided in the coming days," a statement issued by the Office of the Chief Minister said on Wednesday.

River Cauvery at Kollegal in Chamrajnagar district is flowing above the warning level, currently at 626.06 m and rising, which is 0.06 m above the warning threshold of 626 m.

The Electronics City Industries Association, an organisation managing Bengaluru’s IT and manufacturing hub, will host the inaugural ELCIA Tech Summit 2024 at The Oterra Hotel on July 26. It will take place in Electronics City, where Bangalore IT.in (now Bengaluru Tech Summit) started 25 years ago.

The one-day summit is themed around “Humans, Machines and Meaning” bringing together experts, leaders, industrialists, innovators, and companies from the public and private sectors under one roof.

The Karnataka High Court has declined to interfere in the expunction of 50 out-of-syllabus questions in the Karnataka Common Entrance Test 2024 while disposing of a student’s petition that sought directions to consider all 180 questions while conducting counseling for engineering seats.

The student argued that if he were aware that the out-of-syllabus questions would be later expunged, he would have answered more of the other questions rather than wasting his time on them and that expunging the questions prejudiced students who had answered them.

A bench of Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav told the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) and the state government to avoid such situations in the future.

Beset by several alleged scams, the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka Wednesday cleared a Bill envisaging reservation of 75% of the jobs in non-management and 50% in management in all establishments for “local” candidates.

As the industry reacted sharply to the move, Congress ministers and leaders clarified that the legislation – Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024 – was in the preliminary stages and “wider consultations” would be done before it was tabled in the Assembly.

As per the Bill, 75% of jobs in the non-management category and 50% in the management category, excluding Board members, should be kept aside for locals in all industries, factories, and other establishments in the state. Read More

The much-awaited double-decker Rail cum Road flyover connecting Ragigudda junction and Central Silk Board junction was inaugurated by DCM DK Shivakumar on Wednesday. The crucial Central Silk Board junction intersecting both the Outer Ring Road and Hosur Road has long been a notorious bottleneck due to heavy vehicular traffic.

The flyover, costing Rs. 449 crores, stretches 5.12 km from Ragigudda to Central Silk Board and includes various loops and ramps designed to facilitate smooth traffic flow.

The double-decker flyover consists of a metro line on the upper deck while allowing vehicular traffic on the lower deck. The metro project is part of the Reach 5 Line under the Phase-2 Project.

With the rains not letting up and the monsoon still vigorous, the India Meteorological Department has extended the red alert for coastal Karnataka till July 18.

Since the intensity of rain has reduced in south interior Karnataka, the weather department has retracted the red alert for the region and has issued an orange one till July 20.

Even in coastal Karnataka, the downpour is expected to become less intense from July 19 onwards, with the weather department predicting that it would be under the orange category for now.

The National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) on Wednesday expressed disappointment and concern over Karnataka's new bill mandating reservation for locals in private sector jobs.

The Karnataka State Employment of Local Industries Factories Establishment Act Bill, 2024 states that private firms should recruit Kannadigas in Group C and D category posts.

Also, it requires private firms to give priority to local candidates for the jobs.

In a statement, the tech body said, "Nasscom and its members are disappointed and express deep concern regarding the passage of the Karnataka State Employment of Local Industries Factories Establishment Act Bill, 2024."

NASSCOM is an Indian non-governmental trade association and advocacy group that primarily serves the Indian technology industry.

Karnataka Minister for Commerce & Industries M B Patil said the government will have “wider consultations”. “We will ensure that the interests of Kannadigas are protected, alongside those of the industries,” he said.

“Karnataka is a progressive state, and we cannot afford to lose in this once-in-a-century race of industrialization. We will make sure that everyone’s interests are safeguarded. The Industries are assured that they need not have any fear or apprehensions and can rest assured,” Patil said. Read More

Amid criticism from industry leaders, Labour Minister Santosh Lad said the government is trying to introduce a law to give preference to locally available skills. “At the management (level), it has been decided to provide reservations to 50% of the people. At the non-management level, it has been decided to provide work to 70%. If a particular skill is not available, people can be outsourced and they can be given work here. But the Government is trying to bring in a law to give preference to locally available skills,” he told news agency ANI.

Amid row over the Karnataka 100 per cent quota bill, Jayant Singh, Minister of State (MoS) for Education and Skill Development criticized the government, stating, "Karnataka State mandating up to 100% reservations in Private sector for locals is regressive & bad economics! I have spoken on this previously as well & I believe such measures by any State are violative of the constitutional rights of all Indians."

Gram Unnati has partnered with Coco-Cola India to launch a project for enhancing mango yields in Karnataka and improving farmers' income.

Gram Unnati said 'Project Mango Unnati' aims to revolutionise sustainable mango cultivation initiatives, focusing on the Alphonso and Totapuri varieties in Karnataka.

For this project, they will closely collaborate with state horticulture agencies such as Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), the Mango Board, the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), and various horticulture departments across different districts, as per a statement. (PTI)

The Karnataka High Court has granted bail to three of the 17 people accused in the murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, 55, who was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne gunmen on September 5, 2017.

Justice Viswajith Shetty of the high court's Kalaburagi bench granted the relief on Tuesday after reserving orders on July 2.

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Minister D K Shivakumar announced on Tuesday that the government will introduce new legislation to tackle the issue.

Shivakumar, who is the water resource minister, informed the Legislative Assembly that a bill aimed at controlling such activities will be introduced within a week. "The bill is almost ready," he stated.

This announcement came in response to a query raised by Jamkhandi BJP MLA Jagadeesh Shivayya Gudagunti during the 'Question Hour'.

A 42-year-old Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) employee allegedly died by suicide inside a store room on the third floor of the corporation’s head office in Bengaluru on Monday.

The man’s body was discovered a day later after his family reached the office looking for him, the police said.

The deceased was identified as Mahesh Ukkali.

A resident of Kengeri, Ukkali was an assistant in the BMTC’s recruitment section for the last 10 years.

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A special magistrate’s court for cases against elected representatives has rejected a private complaint filed by a human rights activist for a criminal case against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for promoting enmity between groups, outraging religious feelings and causing public mischief through statements made during a 2024 Lok Sabha poll campaign.

The private complaint was filed by Ziaurrahaman Nomani, a human rights activist and peace worker in Bengaluru, against Narendra Damodardas Modi, MP from Varanasi and BJP’s star campaigner in the 2024 polls, over a speech made in Banswara, Rajasthan on April 21. (Read More About This)

The Karnataka High Court earlier in July dismissed an appeal in the case of a land acquisition that happened 44 years ago after an appeal was filed against a single judge order passed in January this year.

While dismissing the case, the single judge noted there was a 44-year gap from the start of the matter which was unexplained in the petition.

The petitioner requested that the court's powers under Article 226 of the Constitution be invoked to obtain records in two land acquisition cases dating back to 1978. It was also requested that proceedings be started to pass an award for compensation. (Read More)