Bengaluru metro's tunnel boring machine, Urja.Karnataka Bangalore News September 20, 21, 22 Highlights: Bengaluru Metro’s tunnel boring machine ‘Urja’ made a breakthrough today at around 10.15 am in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. Urja, which was drilling a distance of 855 metres for over a year now, is the first TBM to achieve a breakthrough on Namma Metro’s Pink Line.
Meanwhile, nearly a month after a student was raped in Mysuru, the Karnataka police have been able to gain the confidence of the woman to convince her to record her statement regarding the incident. The woman gave her statement before a magistrate on Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai informed the state legislature Wednesday afternoon. The woman and her friend were attacked by a gang of men near the foothills of the Chamundi Hills on August 24 while they were on a outing in an uninhabited area.
Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Tuesday said 3,900 people in the state have been infected by black fungus so far. “Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus infections, are found after recovery from COVID-19 and 3,900 people have been infected in the state so far,” Sudhakar said.
Responding to a question raised by Congress MLA from Bhalki, Eshwara Khandre, in the assembly, he said, considering the treatment for the black fungus infection being costly, the government has decided to provide free treatment. “96,060 vials of Liposomal amphotericin (the drug required for black fungus) has been procured, and 51,000 have already been distributed to districts,” he added.
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The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday upheld the Arms Act exemption granted to every person of Coorg by race, and Jumma tenure landholders in Coorg (Kodagu district).
A petition was filed before the court challenging a 2019 notification issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) granting such exemption to every person of Coorg by race, and Jumma tenure landholders in Kodagu District under the Indian Arms Act, 1959.
Hearing the petition filed by an ex-Army officer, Capt Chethan YK, on the grounds that the exemption is unconstitutional as it creates differentiation based on race or caste and ancestral land tenure, a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum upheld the Arms Act exemption. Read More
Nearly a month after a MBA student was raped in Mysuru, the Karnataka Police managed to persuade the survivor to provide a statement regarding the incident. The young woman recorded her statement before a magistrate on Wednesday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai informed the state legislature.
The court of the II Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in Mysuru recorded the statement of the survivor in the August 24 case on Wednesday.
“After a month, our police have been able to convince her to provide a statement. She has given her statement and this shows the seriousness of the police,” Bommai told the Assembly when the issue of the rape case was raised by Opposition leader Siddaramaiah in the House. Read More
Karnataka state road transport corporation (KSRTC) will operate 1,000 additional buses during the Dasara and Deepavali festivals.
“In view of Dasara and Deepavali festivals, for the convenience of the travelling public, KSRTC is planning to operate 1000 additional buses from 13 October to 21 October and 1000 additional buses during Deepavali festival from 29 October to 07 November,” KSRTC said in a statement on Wednesday.
Buses will be operated from Bengaluru to Dharmastala, Kukkesubramanya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mangaluru, Kundapura, Sringeri, Horanadu, Mysuru, Madikeri, Davangere, Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Gokarna, Sirsi, Karwar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Koppala, Yadgir, Bidar etc., within the state and to Inter-state places such as Tirupathi, Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Chennai, Coimbatore, Pune etc., and from different places to Bengaluru.
“There will not be any hike in the passenger fares regarding these services. Passengers can book tickets in advance through online by logging on to the KSRTC website www.ksrtc.karnataka.gov.in and through advance reservation counters in Karnataka and other states,” KSRTC further said in the statement.
As many as 9,18,242 doses of vaccine were administered as of 5.30 pm across the state on Wednesday, as the 'weekly special vaccination drive' planned by the Health Department is underway.
The Department of Health and Family Welfare Services has set a target of administering 15.1 lakh doses as part of the drive held across all 30 districts and BBMP. Health Minister K Sudhakar had earlier announced that special vaccination drive will be held on Wednesday to accelerate the pace of inoculation in the state.
With over 1.35 lakh doses administered today, BBMP topped the list, followed by Belagavi (65,950), Vijayapura (47,652), Kalaburagi (44,173), and Ballari (44,014).
Over 5.35 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the state cumulatively since January 16.
Accusing the BJP-led Karnataka state government of being "callous" and indifferent" towards parents forced to pay "exorbitant" school fees during the pandemic, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Wednesday held a protest in Bengaluru demanding government intervention into the matter.
“Repeated lockdowns have caused lakhs of parents to lose jobs, incomes, businesses and savings. How do we expect them to pay exorbitant school fees now. The government not taking any measure to support the education sector in the state shows how callous and indifferent they are, leading to an educational crisis," AAP Karnataka Convener Prithvi Reddy said.
citing the Right to Education Act, the protesters demanded that the government should take measures to improve infrastructure and other facilities at government schools to ensure that free and quality education is provided to all at least up to the age of 14. "This BJP government has failed miserably to do so and must be held accountable," Reddy added.
Three decades since she began her nursing career, Mariamma M C, winner of the recent National Florence Nightingale Award conferred by President Ram Nath Kovind, continues to be highly motivated at work.
The 51-year-old, who now works at a Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Koila in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district, shared her success mantra and said, “I see my own family member in each person who comes to me for medical assistance and the smile that they gift me when they feel better is the best I can ever ask for.” Mariamma hails from Puttur.
According to officials, she was successful in implementing and overseeing several health programmes by the National Rural Health Mission at the state and central level. An Auxiliary Nursing & Midwifery (ANM) graduate of the 1987 batch of Wenlock Hospital, she has a track record of conducting over 500 successful childbirth deliveries. Read More
The South Western Railways recently upgraded Bengaluru city’s second busiest railway station Yesvantpur at the cost of Rs 12 crore.
The station in North Bengaluru has now been equipped with upgraded facilities, roofing and landscaping has been done in front of the station and the common and parking areas, including auto and cab stands, have been upgraded with wider approach roads.
According to officials, the new amenities include additional parking areas for two-wheelers and four-wheelers. “A bus bay was constructed which will allow BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) buses to ferry people directly to and from the station,” a senior official told indianexpress.com. Read More
A case of rape has been registered against a cab driver following an incident that occurred in east Bengaluru on Tuesday night, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told the legislative assembly on Wednesday.
"Last night an attempt to rape was made by a cab driver and a case has been registered by the Bengaluru police," Bommai said.
A woman, who hailed a cab after a party on Tuesday night, was attacked at a lonely place near Murugeshpalya in east Bengaluru. The Jeevan Bhima Nagar police have taken up a case. (ENS)
Nearly a month after a student was raped in Mysuru, the Karnataka police have been able to gain the confidence of the woman to convince her to provide a statement regarding the incident. The woman gave her statement before a magistrate on Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai informed the state legislature Wednesday afternoon.
The woman and her friend were attacked by a gang of men near the foothills of the Chamundi Hills on August 24 while they were on a outing in an uninhabited area. "After a month, our police has been able to convince her to provide a statement. She has given statement and this shows the seriousness of the police," Bommai told the assembly.
The Mysuru police have arrested six labourers from a district in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, who were in Mysuru to visit a local market.The Mysuru rape incident was raised in the Assembly by the opposition and Congress leader Siddaramaiah. He alleged that the incident had occurred due to the failure of the state to regulate law and order in the state. (ENS)
Prices of petrol and diesel continued to remain unchanged across the country for the 17th successive day on Wednesday, September 22, 2021. The prices of the key auto fuels were last revised on September 5 when petrol and diesel prices were cut by 15 paise per litre each in the national capital.
In Bengaluru, petrol is priced at Rs. 104.70 per litre while diesel costs Rs. 94.04 per litre.
Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh Wednesday inaugurated a one-day workshop on the implementation of the new National Education Policy (NEP) in APS College in Bengaluru.
Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya, APS Educational Trust President T V Maruti, and officials from the Education Department also took part in the workshop held on the sidelines of the state beginning to implement the new policy in colleges from this academic year.
The 5th Elite Men’s Senior National Boxing Championship 2021 was held at Bellary, Karnataka from September 14 to 21 in the 13 weight categories. Three Madras Sappers boxers displayed splendid performance by winning three gold medals, with one best boxer earning title of the championship, winning all the bouts in unanimous points decisions. The overall championship was won by Services team.
Naib Subedar Deepak, Fly Weight Category - Gold Medal & Best Boxer
R/ Havaldar Akash, Bantam Weight Category - Gold Medal
Havaldar Sachin, Light Heavy Weight Category - Gold Medal
The implementation of a 2009 Supreme Court order on illegal religious structures in Karnataka has triggered a political storm in the BJP-ruled state. The issue snowballed after a temple in Mysuru district was demolished following which a Hindu outfit was up in arms and issued threats to BJP leaders, saying even “Mahatma Gandhi was not spared in a bid to protect Hindus”.
A red-faced Basavaraj Bommai government is also facing a backlash from other leaders in the BJP as well as the Opposition Congress.
Read more
The Karnataka Assembly on Tuesday passed Karnataka GST (Amendment) Bill, Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill and the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Bill.
The Karnataka Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) bill, according to the state Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy, was in tune with the changes brought by the Central government to the Central GST law.
The Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill intended to overcome ambiguity and inconsistency in the Town and Country Planning Act, the minister said in the House.
The objective of the bill is to specify the Town and Country Planning officer for carrying out the provisions of the Act for preparing the maskter plan in areas where local authority is declared as planning authority. The amendment will also encourage speedy land acquisition for infrastructure works and to simplify the issuance of Transferrable Development Rights (TDR) for private property for such projects.
It also facilitates disposal of sites by registration by the developers in phased manner in the ratio of 40 is to 60, where 40 per cent of sites on provisional approval of the layout and remaining 60 per ent after fully developing the sites with all infrastructure. (PTI)
The Karnataka government was considering enacting a law to regulate religious conversion, as a ruling BJP MLA said his own mother has converted to Christianity falling prey to inducement, state Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said on Tuesday.
Hosadurga BJP MLA Goolihatti Shekhar, raising the issue during zero hour in the assembly, said religious conversions by force or through inducement have become rampant in the State, quoting the example of his own mother.
“The issue (of religious conversions) has come to the government’s notice, converting people from one religion to another by inducing them is a punishable offence. We will keep vigil on such activities. There is a wide network working on religious conversions across the country,” Jnanendra said in his reply in the assembly.
Read more
Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said the state has witnessed over 37,000 deaths due to Covid-19 in the last two years.
Citing government data, Sudhakar said 37,423 people have died due to the pandemic. He was responding to a question in the legislative council in the wake of the government being accused of under-reporting fatalities linked to the pandemic
Citing government data, Sudhakar said 37,423 people have died due to the pandemic. He was responding to a question in the legislative council in the wake of the government being accused of under-reporting fatalities linked to the pandemic
Read more
Karnataka High Court has upheld the Arms Act exemption granted to every person of Coorg by race, and Jumma tenure landholders in Coorg (Kodagu district). A petition was filed before the court challenging a 2019 notification issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, granting such exemption to every person of Coorg by race, and Jumma tenure landholders in Kodagu District under the Indian Arms Act, 1959.
Senior Advocate Sajan Poovayya who appeared for respondents Kodava Samaja Bengaluru and Kodava Muslim Association on Wednesday said, "Karnataka High Court upholds the Arms Act exemption granted to Kodavas and Jamma tenure holders in Coorg."
The Centre had decided to continue the British-era rule of exempting Kodavas and Jamma land holders in the hill district of Kodagu from obtaining licence for firearms such as pistols, revolvers and double-barrelled shotguns. The exemption has been given for 10 years, till 2029.
The special privilege to own firearms without a license was granted to the Kodavas, a small martial community in Kodagu District in Karnataka, by the British in recognition of their martial traditions. Kodavas, an ethno-linguistic tribe, consider themselves the original inhabitants of Kodagu district and are known for their martial culture. The community has its rituals around guns and weapons like swords.
The Karnataka legislative assembly on Tuesday passed a bill to amend the Karnataka Police Act, 1963 to ban all forms of gambling in the state including online gambling.
The Karnataka Police (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was introduced by Home Minister Araga Jnanendra and was passed amid opposition’s scepticism of police capabilities in tackling new forms of gambling – including online betting on sports, online gaming and poker.
The home minister said that the new law was necessary since it has been increasingly difficult for the police to tackle gambling and betting in the context of a recent order from a bench of the state high court at Dharwad – which has barred the police from carrying out raids on gambling dens.
Read more
Bengaluru Metro’s tunnel boring machine 'Urja' made a breakthrough today at around 10.15 am in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Urja, was drilling a distance of 855 metres for over a year now, is the first TBM to achieve a breakthrough on Namma Metro’s Pink Line.
Karnataka recorded 818 new Covid-19 cases and 21 deaths Tuesday, pushing the total number of infections to 29,69,361 and the toll to 37,648. The day also saw 1,414 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 29,17,944.
Out of the total number of new cases, 359 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 381 discharges and eight deaths. The total number of active cases in the state now stands at 13,741.
While the positivity rate for the day stood at 0.8 per cent, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) is 2.56 per cent. Belagavi followed Bengaluru Urban in the number of deaths (3), Dakshina Kannada and Mysuru had two each, followed by others. Among the districts where new cases were reported, Bengaluru Urban accounted for 359, Dakshina Kannada 114, Udupi 73, Mysuru 71 and Kodagu 25.
Read more
Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Tuesday indicated that the government might consider allowing 100 per cent occupancy in film theatres and lift other COVID-19 related curbs in the state.
“The government wants to support the theatres. We are aware that the entire film business, including cinema theatres, cinema staff have suffered huge financial losses. The government is thinking positively,” Sudhakar said.
Speaking to reporters after meeting a delegation of film producers and exhibitors, he said along with giving cooperation to them to revive, there is also a need to take all the precautionary measures.
Read more
Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Tuesday indicated that the government might consider allowing 100 per cent occupancy in film theatres and lift other COVID-19 related curbs in the state.
“The government wants to support the theatres. We are aware that the entire film business, including cinema theatres, cinema staff have suffered huge financial losses. The government is thinking positively,” Sudhakar said.
Speaking to reporters after meeting a delegation of film producers and exhibitors, he said along with giving cooperation to them to revive, there is also a need to take all the precautionary measures.
Read more
Bengaluru Metro’s tunnel boring machine (TBM) Urja, drilling between Cantonment station and Shivaji Nagar station, will achieve a breakthrough today at 10 am in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Urja, drilling a distance of 855 metres for over a year now, will be the first TBM to achieve a breakthrough on Namma Metro’s Pink Line from Kalenga Agrahara to Nagawara (21 km), according to officials. Urja was the first TBM to get commissioned to begin work at Cantonment Metro Station last year, in July.
“Urja is making a breakthrough at 10 AM in the presence of the chief minister. This breakthrough is an important development in tunnel work of Namma Metro Phase II project,” said Anjum Parwez, managing director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL).
Urja is around 102 metres long and costs Rs 70 crore.
The 55th Annual Convocation of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Bengaluru witnessed 1,012 students of the 2019-2020 batch conferred with various degrees at the ceremony held at the GKVK campus.
Among the graduates were 659 students receiving Bachelor’s degrees, 279 awarded Master’s degrees, and 74 getting doctoral degrees. The awards were given away by the Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, who is also the Chancellor of the University.
The Bengaluru chapter of the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSi) has launched an expert-led online screening platform for dementia, ‘Demclinic’, to mark World Alzheimer’s Day which is observed annually on September 21.
The virtual cognitive assessment platform, reportedly one of the first in the country, has been launched in conjunction with the NGO Nightingales which is involved in the care of elders.
The web portal will allow people to get assessments on dementia from experts from the confines of their homes. The initiative is part of efforts to provide accessible and affordable diagnostic services under the Mental Health Act 2017.
Read more
The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) Tuesday announced Common Entrance Tests held for admission to diploma (DCET) and postgraduate courses (PGCET) have been postponed to November this year.
“Revised schedule will be published on the KEA website for the information of candidates,” a circular issued by the authority read.
DCET for admissions to second-year or third-semester engineering courses was originally scheduled to be held on October 23. The decision was taken in view of various diploma examinations that were rescheduled till November due to the delays faced by universities amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Read more
Starting from Thursday, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will be introducing air-conditioned services on five routes in the city.
According to a release by BMTC, it will run 232 trips with 44 bus services on the five routes- Kempegowda bus station to Kadugodi Bus Station – 12 services with 64 trips.
Kempegowda bus station to Attibele Bus Stand – 10 services with 54 trips; Kempegowda bus station to Bannerghatta National Park – five services with 30 trips; Banashankari TTMC to ITPL – five services with 20 trips and Central Silk Board to Hebbal – 12 services with 64 trips.
Customs officials at the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) in Mangaluru seized gold worth Rs 13.88 lakh which was being smuggled by a passenger on Tuesday.
The officials seized 293.62 grams (net) of 24 carat purity gold, valued at Rs 13,88,823 from a man hailing from Kasaragod district in Kerala. The passenger had arrived from Dubai by Air India IXE384.
The gold was concealed inside two layers of black coloured cloth and inside a pink and maroon coloured floral designed blanket. A case has been registered, customs release here said. (PTI)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Karnataka Police in a joint operation have arrested an absconding charge-sheeted accused in the Bengaluru riots case.
The investigation agency arrested Tabrez (35), a resident of Old Bengaluru Layout, on Monday, said NIA officials on Tuesday.
The case was registered at Devarajeevanahalli (DJ Halli) Police Station on August 12 last year, under various sections of the IPC, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Prevention of Destruction and Loss of Property Act. Four persons had died in police firing on August 11 last year, after mobs attacked DJ Halli and KJ Halli police stations and the home of Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy over a Facebook post by his nephew. The NIA had taken over the case from the Bengaluru Police on September 22, re-registered it and charge-sheeted 138 accused persons.
Read more
With as many as 218 Covid-recovered individuals or their close contacts having been diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in the state, the Karnataka Health Department is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring timely treatment to such patients. It has also extended screening to avoid another related outbreak of infections.
As per data accessed by The Indian Express from the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services, 133 people who have recovered from Covid-19 and 85 household contacts of such people have tested positive for TB across the state till September 20.
“Even though such cases are not life-threatening for most people, regular follow-up is imperative. With more data on the country’s first such door-to-door survey coming in on a daily basis, our officials at the taluka and Primary Health Centre levels are ensuring that treatment is offered to TB patients at the earliest,” said State Joint Director (TB) Dr Ramesh Chandra Reddy.
Read more
Passengers and crew of Mysuru-Myladuthurai Express had a close shave on Bengaluru outskirts when the train hit a truck that had come in the middle of the track between Heelalige and Carmelaram. Railway officials who confirmed the incident on Monday night said there were no reports of injuries or casualties.
The locopilot of the incoming Mysuru-Myladuthurai Express applied emergency brakes after seeing the vehicle on the track but could not prevent hitting it at around 8.30 pm. The truck driver fled abandoning the the vehicle at the spot, the officials said, adding, a case has been registered against him for negligent driving.
Soon after getting the information about the collision, senior Railway officials of Bengaluru Division reached the spot with accident relief medical equipment and doctors.
"The train did not jump track and rail services were restored after some time following the inspection which was carried out in the midst of heavy downpour", an official said. The passengers were provided water and food at the Bengaluru City Railway Station, Bengaluru Cantonment Railway Station and Banaswadi Railway Station, the officials added. (PTI)
Bengaluru Metro’s tunnel boring machine (TBM) Urja, drilling between Cantonment station and Shivaji Nagar station, will achieve a breakthrough on Wednesday at 10 am in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Urja, drilling a distance of 855 metres for over a year now, will be the first TBM to achieve a breakthrough on Namma Metro’s Pink Line from Kalenga Agrahara to Nagawara (21 km), according to officials.
“Urja is making a breakthrough at 10 AM in the presence of the chief minister. This breakthrough is an important development in tunnel work of Namma Metro Phase II project,” said Anjum Parwez, managing director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL).
Read more
The demolition of a temple in the Mysuru region of Karnataka on September 10, that resulted in a political furore in the state, was carried out by “over-enthusiastic officials” without the knowledge of the government, the ruling BJP said in the Karnataka Assembly in the course of a discussion to pass a bill to protect religious structures.
The Karnataka Assembly passed the Karnataka Religious Structures (Protection) Bill, 2021 on Tuesday night amid criticism from the opposition Congress party that the BJP, which had demolished the Mysuru temple 10 days ago, was trying to shield itself from the anger of right-wing groups by passing the law to protect religious structures identified earlier as illegal structures.
The Karnataka Religious Structures (Protection) Bill, 2021 was introduced in the Assembly by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai with the stated purpose of “protection of religious constructions on a public place constructed before the date of commencement of this Act, in order to protect communal harmony and not hurt the religious sentiments of the public.”
Read more
A woman and her daughter were killed in a fire at their flat in Bengaluru’s BTM Layout on Tuesday evening. According to the police, the fire seems to have been caused by a domestic cylinder blast.
Eyewitnesses said the women could not be rescued as the blaze spread rapidly.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Amar Kumar Pandey said, “The fire at Aspire Apartments, Devarachiknahalli, was reported around 4:35 pm. By 4.50pm, the nearest fire fighting vehicles had reached the flat. Residents of the apartment complex were evacuated.”
Read more
A woman and her daughter were killed in a fire at their flat in Bengaluru’s BTM Layout on Tuesday evening. According to the police, the fire seems to have been caused by a domestic cylinder blast.
Eyewitnesses said the women could not be rescued as the blaze spread rapidly.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Amar Kumar Pandey said, “The fire at Aspire Apartments, Devarachiknahalli, was reported around 4:35 pm. By 4.50pm, the nearest fire fighting vehicles had reached the flat. Residents of the apartment complex were evacuated.”
Read more
Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Tuesday said 3,900 people in the state have been infected by black fungus so far. "Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus infections, are found after recovery from COVID-19 and 3,900 people have been infected in the state so far," Sudhakar said.
Responding to a question raised by Congress MLA from Bhalki, Eshwara Khandre, in the assembly, he said, considering the treatment for the black fungus infection being costly, the government has decided to provide free treatment.
"96,060 vials of Liposomal amphotericin (the drug required for black fungus) has been procured, and 51,000 have already been distributed to districts," he added.
Regarding shortage in supply of drugs for black fungus in Bidar district, the Minister said there is no shortage of Liposomal amphotericin, but there is shortage of Posaconazole. "As many as 6,800 Posaconazole tablets we have procured and 6,704 has been sent to districts, but we need more, already indent has been raised, in 3-4 days once we get, it will be sent to districts including Bidar," he added. (PTI)
Good morning Bengaluru!
Welcome to the live blog from Bengaluru where we bring to you the latest updates on Basavaraj Bommai, Karnataka politics, Covid-19, BBMP and more across Bengaluru and Karnataka. Follow the blog and @IEBengaluru to stay up to date with the state in real time.
Karnataka recorded 818 new Covid-19 cases and 21 deaths Tuesday, pushing the total number of infections to 29,69,361 and the toll to 37,648. The day also saw 1,414 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 29,17,944.
Out of the total number of new cases, 359 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 381 discharges and eight deaths. The total number of active cases in the state now stands at 13,741.
While the positivity rate for the day stood at 0.8 per cent, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) is 2.56 per cent. Belagavi followed Bengaluru Urban in the number of deaths (3), Dakshina Kannada and Mysuru had two each, followed by others. Among the districts where new cases were reported, Bengaluru Urban accounted for 359, Dakshina Kannada 114, Udupi 73, Mysuru 71 and Kodagu 25.
Bengaluru Urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 12,44,052 cases, followed by Mysuru (1,77,400) and Tumakuru (1,19,961). Among discharges too, Bengaluru Urban was on top with 12,20,659, followed by Mysuru (1,74,460) and Tumakuru (1,18,431).
Cumulatively a total of 4,64,86,898 samples have been tested in the state so far, out of which 1,01,549 were tested on Tuesday alone.
The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) Tuesday announced Common Entrance Tests held for admission to diploma (DCET) and postgraduate courses (PGCET) have been postponed to November this year.
“Revised schedule will be published on the KEA website for the information of candidates,” a circular issued by the authority read. Read More
Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Tuesday said 3,900 people in the state have been infected by black fungus so far.
"Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus infections, are found after recovery from Covid-19 and 3,900 people have been infected in the state so far," Sudhakar said. (PTI)
With as many as 218 Covid-recovered individuals or their close contacts having been diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in the state, the Karnataka Health Department is leaving no stone unturned in timely treatment to such patients. It has also extended screening to avoid another related outbreak of infections.
As per data accessed by The Indian Express from the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services, 133 people who have recovered from Covid-19 and 85 household contacts of such people have tested positive for TB across the state till September 20. Read More
A woman and her daughter were charred to death after a domestic cylinder exploded in a residential apartment complex in Devarachikkanahalli in BTM Layout on Tuesday evening. Several others injured.
A cylinder blast led to a massive fire inside a residential apartment complex in Devarachikkanahalli in BTM Layout on Tuesday evening. The fire officials are at the spot and gthe measures to douse the fire are underway. Casualities have not been ascertained yet.
A cylinder blast led to a massive fire inside a residential apartment complex in Devarachikkanahalli in BTM Layout on Tuesday evening. The fire officials are at the spot and gthe measures to douse the fire are underway. Casualities have not been ascertained yet.
More details awaited.
Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Tuesday urged the Karnataka government to support sustainable agriculture by increasing the export of millets. Her appeal came as the United Nations has declared 2023 as the International year of millets.
“Karnataka being a home for ‘Siridhanya'', the government's intent is to reintroduce and promote staple and nutritious food products and increase its export,” the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said while inaugurating the “Vanijya Utsav”. The event is part of the “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”, which is being organised by the Central Commerce Department in collaboration with the Government of Karnataka on the occasion of 75th-year anniversary celebrations of the Indian Independence at The Lalit Ashok here on Tuesday.
Karandlaje said, “The state has established six Centres of Excellence under Indo–Israel-Netherlands Programme to boost quality and quantity production of Mango, Pomegranate, Flowers, Oil palm etc. The initiative will make India shine on the global front as a leading producer and innovator of high-quality agricultural products.” According to Karandlaje, who is a BJP MP from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency in Karnataka said the state government has been working to formulate an Agri-Export Cell to better target the policy initiatives and to expand its export market reach. (PTI)
The implementation of over a 10-year-old Supreme Court order on illegal religious structures in Karnataka has triggered a political storm in the BJP-ruled state. The issue snowballed after a temple in Mysuru district was demolished following which a Hindu outfit was up in arms and issued threats to BJP leaders, saying even “Mahatma Gandhi was not spared in a bid to protect Hindus”.
A red-faced Basavaraj Bommai government is also facing a backlash from other leaders in the BJP as well as the Opposition Congress.
Read More
Minister for Large and Medium Industries Murugesh R Nirani said his Twitter handle @NiraniMurugesh has been allegedly hacked on Tuesday.
In his official statement, Nirani said, "My Twitter handle @NiraniMurugesh has been hacked from an unknown foreign location today. We do not know the exact origin and identity of the culprit. I urge everyone not to fall prey to any fraudulent messages posted by hackers and ignore any derogatory and unparliamentary messages on my account. We have lodged a complaint with the Twitter and soon will be lodging with cyber cell police in Bengaluru."
"We are making the efforts to retrieve the Twitter account which is an important vehicle of communication with our people", it added.
Petrol and diesel prices continued to remain steady across the country for the 16th successive day on Tuesday, September 21, 2021. The prices of the key auto fuels were last revised on September 5 when petrol and diesel prices were cut by 15 paise per litre each in the national capital.
In Bengaluru, petrol is priced at Rs. 104.70 per litre while diesel costs Rs. 94.04 per litre.
Bengaluru Metro’s tunnel boring machine (TBM) Urja, drilling between Cantonment station and Shivaji Nagar station, will achieve a breakthrough on Wednesday at 10 am in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Urja, drilling a distance of 855 metres for over a year now, will be the first TBM to achieve a breakthrough on Namma Metro’s Pink Line from Kalenga Agrahara to Nagawara (21 km), according to officials.
“Urja is making a breakthrough at 10 AM in the presence of the chief minister. This breakthrough is an important development in tunnel work of Namma Metro Phase II project,” said Anjum Parwez, managing director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL).
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Senior BJP leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday claimed that several Congress legislators were ready to join the BJP. He was responding to a question from reporters in Bengaluru on his statement that the Congress was trying to lure BJP leaders.
'They (Congress) will certainly make such attempts, but already several Congress legislators are ready to come with us. You will get to know soon who all they are. So any such attempts by Shivakumar (KPCC chief) or anybody else will not be successful,' he said. He said BJP will win more than 140 seats and come back to power.
Addressing the BJP state executive meeting at Davangere on Sunday, the veteran leader had asked party men not to take opposition parties lightly, as they have their own strategy and strengths, and that Congress leaders were trying to contact several party leaders.
He had also alleged that Shivakumar was making attempts to contact party leaders, but he would not succeed. (PTI)
H K Meghan, a student from Mysuru, created a record by bagging the top rank in all the five streams including engineer in the Karnataka Common Entrance Test-2021, the Minister for Higher Education Dr C N Ashwath Narayan said on Monday.
The results of KCET-2021, the gateway for entry into professional courses, was held held from August 28 to 30 and the results were announced today.
Narayan said in a statement that 1,83,231 candidates out of 1,93,447 who appeared for the examination have become eligible for admission into engineering and technology courses, based on merit. He clarified that there was no cut-off marks set as announced earlier for seeking entry to engineering courses.
For other streams, 1,52,518 candidates for agriculture, 1,52,760 candidates for veterinary, 1,55,910 candidates for naturopathy and Yoga and 1,86,638 for B. Pharma & Pharm-D courses have become eligible, the minister said. All the 12 COVID-19 positive students who were facilitated to write exams in separate COVID care centres have secured ranks, he stated. (PTI)
The Department of Pre-University Education (DPUE) in Karnataka on Monday announced the results of the second year Pre-University supplementary examinations held between August 19 and September 3, declaring a pass percentage of 29.91 per cent. Out of 18,413 students who took the examination at 187 centres across Karnataka, 5,507 have cleared the exam while 12,906 students failed.
The supplementary exams were taken by students who were dissatisfied with their performance in the main PUC exams.
As many as 580 students secured distinction (above 85 per cent) while 1,939 got first class (60-85 per cent) and 1,578 students got second class (50-60 per cent) while the remaining 1,410 got third class (below 50 per cent).
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Former Karnataka chief minister and veteran BJP leader BS Yediyurappa on Sunday said the saffron party will not win polls in the southern state riding on the ‘Modi wave’ alone.
While addressing a BJP core committee meeting in Davengere, Yediyurappa said: “We should not be under the notion that we will win all elections in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone. It is easy to win the Lok Sabha polls in Modi’s name. But for local polls, we will also need to put in efforts to help the fruits of development reach the common people.”
The statement from Yediyurappa came at a time when the party is gearing up to contest multiple zilla, taluk and civic polls under the leadership of new Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
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Karnataka on Monday logged 677 new COVID-19 cases and 24 deaths, taking the total number of infections to 29,68,543 and the toll to 37,627. The day also saw 1,678 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 29,16,530.
Out of 677 new cases reported on Monday, 213 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 362 discharges and seven deaths. The total number of active cases stood at 14,358. While the positivity rate for the day was 0.60 per cent, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) was 3.54 per cent.
Behind Bengaluru Urban in the number of deaths was Belagavi and Udupi (4 each), Hassan (3), Dakshina Kannada (2), followed by others. In cases in districts, Dakshina Kannada accounted for 102, Udupi 63, Uttara Kannada 41, Mysuru and Hassan 37, followed by others.
Bengaluru Urban district topped the list of positive cases, with a total of 12,43,693, followed by Mysuru 1,77,329 and Tumakuru 1,19,937. Among discharges too, Bengaluru Urban headed the list with 12,20,278, followed by Mysuru 1,74,408 and Tumakuru 1,18,351.
Cumulatively a total of 4,63,85,349 samples have been tested in the state so far, out of which 1,12,160 were on Monday alone. (PTI)
An audit of the Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank Niyamitha (SGRSBN) in Bengaluru – where depositors have been defrauded –
has revealed that Rs 1,480 crore has been misappropriated and about Rs 890 crores or 60 per cent was given as loans to 24 accounts, the Karnataka assembly was informed on Monday.
In a response to a question raised by BJP MLA Ravi Subramanya, the department of co-operatives said, “in the audit report which has been shared with the government in the first week of September, it was revealed that the bank had a loss of Rs 1,923 crore of which Rs 1,480 crores were misappropriated.”
The documents show that a staggering loan of Rs 890 crore was released to 24 beneficiaries which is part of misappropriation.
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The Forum of Former Vice-Chancellors of Karnataka (FVCK) has urged the government to consider organising convocations more frequently every academic year in a bid to avoid delays in future plans of eligible students completing various degrees.
“Convocations, that are an annual affair now, should be held twice or thrice a year. This will avoid eligible students waiting for long to pursue higher studies or to seek employment opportunities which demand degrees being awarded,” FVCK President K S Rangappa noted.
Further, Rangappa, who is also the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mysore and Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) alleged that delays in appointing VCs in state varsities were affecting their overall functioning.
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Against the backdrop of the demolition of a temple at Nanjangud in Mysuru which triggered a backlash, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday tabled the Karnataka Religious Structures (Protection) Bill, 2021, in the State Assembly seeking to protect religious structures already constructed illegally in public places.
“It is considered necessary to provide for protection of religious constructions in a public place constructed before the date of commencement of this Act in order to protect communal harmony and not to hurt the religious sentiments of the public. Further, to restrict unauthorised religious structures and constructions in public places in future,” the government said in the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill.
The Bill tabled by Bommai further said, “Notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force of any judgment, decree or order of any court, tribunal or authority from the date of commencement of this Act, or the rules made there under, the government shall protect the religious structures existing on the date of commencement of this Act, in such manner subject to such conditions as may be presented.”
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Due to the ongoing metro work, around 70 per cent of the street lights on the 17-km stretch of Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road (ORR) from Silk Board Junction to K.R. Puram are not working, according to a survey conducted by Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA).
The main reasons behind the dysfunctional street lights are attributed to the metro work, skywalk work, cable cut due to road crossing, and other damages.
Speaking to indianexpress.com, Krishna Kumar Gowda, operations manager, ORRCA said “On Friday our traffic team did a survey of ORR streetlights between Silkboard to KR Puram and found only 30 per cent is working.”
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Bengaluru Metro's Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) 'Urja', drilling between Cantonment railway station and Shivaji Nagar is to achieve a breakthrough on Wednesday at 10 am after drilling for little over a year.
A mega function with the participation of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will be held on Wednesday, said Anjum Parwez, the managing director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL).
Urja, will be the first TBM to achieve a breakthrough on Namma Metro’s Pink Line from Kalenga Agrahara to Nagawara (21kms). Urja is drilling a distance of 855 metres from Cantonment station towards the Shivajinagar underground section.
Urja, which is deployed by Larsen & Toubro (L&T), is also the first TBM to commence drilling work in August 2020 and it was supposed to be completed in nine months. But due to Covid-19, the work was delayed, said BMRCL officials.
The University of Mysore (UoM) has been given ‘A’ Grade by the National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) in the 4th cycle. The grade is valid for a period of five years from September 20, 2021, the varsity confirmed in a statement.
Earlier last week, a six-member NAAC peer committee had visited the university to assess and accredit the university based on its performance, after inspecting various facilities.
UoM had improved its rank in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) constituted by the Centre by securing the 19th rank among top varsities in the country, also ranking 34th among all institutions.