With “procedural delays” marring the roll out of compensation to the kin of the Covid-19 victims in Karnataka, the ex-gratia amount of Rs 1 lakh meant for below poverty line (BPL) families that have lost their earning member to the pandemic has not been disbursed yet.
READ | Karnataka yet to pay compensation to Covid-19 victims, cites ‘conflict’ between ex-gratia schemes announced by state, Centre
A proposal by the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) to build a concrete road to the Kodachadri hills, a popular trekking destination, cutting through the Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary in Shimoga, has raised environmental concerns. The road project is proposed to pass through Kodachadri reserve forest, Chakra forest and Madibare reserve forest.
READ | Karnataka: Proposal to build concrete road to ‘trekkers paradise’ Kodachadri raises environmental concerns
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COVID-19 related queries / emergencies / clarifications: 104 (toll free); +91-80-4684-8600/6669-2000 | Home Quarantine-related queries: Telegram messenger/WhatsApp - +91 97777 77684, Voice call - 080 45451111 | BBMP control room: 080-22221188 | In case of power disruptions, contact BESCOM: 1912. If the water supply is hit in your area, contact BWSSB: 1916
Transport minister B Sriramulu will unveil Bengaluru’s first electric bus on Thursday. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has already received the e-bus built by the Uttar Pradesh-based JBM Auto Limited.
The first e-bus will be unveiled by the minister at the Kengeri depot. Apart from Kengeri, e-buses will be operated from the Yeshwantpur and the KR Puram depots of the BMTC. Each e-bus will have a carrying capacity of 33 passengers. Read the full report here.
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Bengaluru Police arrested a Nigerian actor here on Wednesday on charges of drug peddling. The artist, Chekwume Malvin, has acted in more than 20 Bollywood, Kannada and Tamil movies, among others. Bengaluru East Division Police said that Malvin was in India under a medical visa and had also undergone a two-month training at the New York Film Academy in Mumbai.
Police nabbed Malvin from a building in HBR Layout in east Bengaluru after receiving a tip-off. “The accused primarily sold drugs to college students and businessmen,” SD Sharanappa, the DCP of East Division, said. Read the full report here.
With 37,763 people in Karnataka reported to have died due to Covid-19 (as of September 28) since the beginning of the pandemic, the government is now “in the process” of verifying and disbursing ex gratia amounts to the kin of the victims. What has the Karnataka government promised as compensation? What do the state government guidelines say? Read our explainer here.
After waiting for nearly six decades, the construction of Hassan airport in Karnataka will soon begin. The district administration informed the tender process for the construction of the first phase of the airport has been completed. According to officials, the project will be taken up by the state and the Centre on a cost-sharing basis. The greenfield domestic passenger airport project at Hassan in South Karnataka was proposed in 1967 by the state government and in 1996, the then Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda had laid the foundation stone at Boovanahalli, on the outskirts of Hassan, for the project. Read the full report here.
Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh Wednesday distributed 'Best Teacher' awards to nine educators in an event held in Bengaluru. The awards were constituted by the Registered unaided private schools' Management Association (RUPSA) Karnataka to honour teachers for their meritorious service.
A thumping win over defending champions Mumbai Indians boosting their confidence, Royal Challengers Bangalore would look to build on the momentum when they take on a struggling Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League match here on Wednesday.
The Virat Kohli-led RCB are currently at third spot with 12 points from 10 matches and a win over RR will virtually put them in the play-offs. On the other hand, with eight points from 10 matches, it will be a make-or-break outing for RR as a loss on Wednesday can put them in a tight situation in their bid for a last-four berth.
The IPL 2021 matches will be aired live on Star Sports channels – Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports 3 HD. The online streaming of the IPL 2021 matches will be available on Hotstar. You can also catch the live commentary, scorecard, and latest updates on the IndianExpress.com.
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The Karnataka government has decided to release Rs 2,500 crore for land acquisition and compensation for the two stages of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP) in the state.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the government has decided to use 173 TMC of water under the UKP by taking it to those regions where it has not reached yet. "We will take the water to the last level. We have decided to release Rs 2,500 crore for land acquisition and compensation to four villages," Bommai said.
The Chief Minister also said those villages where the land acquisition process has not started yet for the UKP will be speeded up.
A day after witnessing a hike, petrol and diesel prices remained unchanged across the country on Wednesday, September 29, 2021. On Tuesday, petrol had risen 20 paise per litre while diesel had inched up 25 paise in the national capital.
In Bengaluru, petrol costs Rs. 104.92 per litre and diesel costs Rs. 95.06 per litre.
With a few days left for schools and PU colleges (classes 6 to 12) to resume functioning with 100 per cent attendance from October 1, new Covid-19 clusters reported from educational institutions in Bengaluru and Kolar have caught the attention of officials from the health and education departments in Karnataka.
The cluster in the Karnataka capital was identified by the health authorities after tests were conducted at the hostel of Sri Chaitanya PU and CBSE College located near Electronics City Phase 2, after a student tested positive on September 26.
According to a staff member from the PU college, the student who tested positive first (on Sunday) was an inmate of the hostel. “While the student had developed symptoms including fever, vomiting, and diarrhea, she first underwent Rapid Antigen Testing for which the result came positive. An RT-PCR test was also done for confirmation, which also turned positive,” the staff member said.
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The Government Railway Police in Karnataka is still functioning with the staff strength of 800 personnel that was sanctioned in 1982, a senior GRP official said on Tuesday.
"We are still operating with 800 personnel across Karnataka, which was sanctioned in 1982 when the daily passengers load was only 50,000 compared to two lakh today whereas we require not less than 2,000 personnel," the officer said requesting anonymity. "Many new districts and stations came up in these 40 years. The pattern of crime has also changed all these years but our staff strength remains the same," the officer added.
According to him, GRP salaries are borne equally by the state government and the central government. The state government wants to increase the strength of GRP but the Railways is grappling with many other pan-India problems; so nothing concrete is coming out, the officer claimed.
"There are handful of airports in the state and the passengers who fly is way too less than the train but 1,300 policemen are allocated for this security," the officer explained. This is despite the fact that CISF takes care of security at airports, he said. He added that the policemen deployed in the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation bus stands are more than the GRP.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has a different mandate, according to the officer. He explained that the RPF is meant to protect railway property, while law and order and crime in railway stations and on trains come under the purview of GRP. (PTI)
Karnataka on Tuesday registered 629 fresh COVID-19 cases and 17 deaths, taking the caseload and death toll to 29,74,528 and 37,763 respectively, the health department said. A department bulletin said 782 people were discharged, pushing the total number of recoveries to 29,24,102. Active cases stood at 12,634, a health department bulletin said.
Bengaluru Urban accounted for the maximum number of 229 cases and six fatalities, it said. Dakshina Kannada district bordering Kerala remained a major COVID-19 hotspot with 96 fresh infections and two deaths.
Other districts too reported fresh cases, including Mysuru 58, Udupi 39, Kodagu 30, Hassan 27 and Mandya and Tumakuru 22 each. Bidar, Gadag, Kalaburagi, Koppal, Raichur, Vijayapura and Yadgir reported zero infections and zero COVID-19 related deaths. Twenty-three districts reported zero fatalities, the bulletin said.
A total of 93,014 samples were tested in the state on Tuesday, taking the cumulative number of specimens examined to 4.74 crore.
The number of vaccinations done so far in the state rose to 5.51 crore, with 1,79,277 people being inoculated on Tuesday, it said. (PTI)
A proposal by the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) to build a concrete road to the Kodachadri hills, a popular trekking destination, cutting through the Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary in Shimoga, has raised environmental concerns.
The Rs 9.74 crore proposal is now before the standing committee of the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) and Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change for clearance.
The road project is proposed to pass through Kodachadri re
Read more
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai Wednesday launched a walkathon organised by the Department of Health and Family Welfare to create awareness on the importance of maintaining good cardiovascular health on the occasion of World Heart Day.
Placards were raised and slogans were chanted by participants during the walkathon that began from the Gandhi statue in Vidhana Soudha premises. Health and Medical Education Minister Sudhakar was also present during the occasion.
The BJP government in Karnataka has decided to invite veteran politician and former Congress chief minister S M Krishna to inaugurate the 10-day annual Dasara celebrations in Mysuru beginning October 7 this year. The announcement was made by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai after a meeting with officials.
The move is being seen in political circles as an effort of the ruling BJP to get the support of the Vokkaliga community, which is dominant in south Karnataka but has not been a traditional vote bank of the saffron party. Krishna (89) is from the Vokkaliga community.
Last year, the government had chosen five coronavirus warriors to inaugurate the Dasara festival, while renowned novelist Santeshivara Lingannaiah Bhyrappa was chosen to do the honours in 2019.
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The Karnataka government Tuesday decided to collaborate with Information Technology major Infosys to enable skill development among students as per the norms of the new Education Policy (NEP-2020).
“The Department of Higher Education and Infosys will sign three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) soon to utilise the ‘Infosys Springboard’ platform that comprises over 3,000 skill development courses for college students,” state Higher Education Minister C N Ashwathnarayan announced.
The minister added that a decision was taken in a meeting convened with Infosys officials at Vikasa Soudha. Ashwthnarayan added that the IT major’s platform will also facilitate digital learning for college faculty and professional guidance for students. “Infosys has agreed to donate 15,000 debonded computers to colleges in the state,” he said.
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The Karnataka government Tuesday decided to collaborate with Information Technology major Infosys to enable skill development among students as per the norms of the new Education Policy (NEP-2020).
“The Department of Higher Education and Infosys will sign three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) soon to utilise the ‘Infosys Springboard’ platform that comprises over 3,000 skill development courses for college students,” state Higher Education Minister C N Ashwathnarayan announced.
The minister added that a decision was taken in a meeting convened with Infosys officials at Vikasa Soudha. Ashwthnarayan added that the IT major’s platform will also facilitate digital learning for college faculty and professional guidance for students. “Infosys has agreed to donate 15,000 debonded computers to colleges in the state,” he said.
Read more
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai Tuesday said the state government is planning to introduce a law to ban forceful religious conversions in the state.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “Forceful conversions have become rampant. I have directed the district administrations to not allow any religious conversion through inducement or by force as they are illegal.”
He was responding to a question on alleged incidents of religious conversions in Kalaburagi and Byadarahalli in the state.
Read more
In yet another adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on youngsters in the city, cardiovascular experts noted a rise in heart-related ailments among people aged between 20 and 40 in Bengaluru over the last few months.
According to Dr C N Manjunath, Director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardio-Vascular Sciences and Research (SJICR), the number of heart attacks being reported among youngsters has seen a rise of nearly 5 per cent in the last few months from how it was during the pre-pandemic times.
“These cases were particularly among those aged between 25 and 35. People of this age group have been very anxious because of the Covid-19 crisis and seemed to be over-ambitious trying to achieve too many goals in a short period of time, especially when situations are non-favourable,” he told The Indian Express.
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Karnataka police have arrested three persons for the murder of a 28-year-old woman in Chikkaballapura district. Among those arrested were the murder victim’s parents and uncle. While the mother and the uncle allegedly killed the woman, the victim’s father conspired to pass off the murder as suicide, thinking it to be a case of honour killing.
Chikkaballapura district superintendent of police Mithun Kumar GK said, “Parveena Banu alias Shilpa, a resident of Musalmanarahalli, was murdered earlier this month. Her parents, Gulzar Banu (45) and Fayaz (50), and uncle, Pyaarejan (60), have been arrested in connection to her death. Fayaz is speech impaired and Parveena was his eldest daughter.”
Chikkaballapura district police said the incident took place on September 4.
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Five members of a right-wing outfit have been arrested for allegedly harassing and manhandling a group of medical students in yet another incident of moral policing reported from coastal Karnataka.
A senior police officer identified the accused as Preetham Shetty, Arshith, Srinivas, Rakesh and Abhishek, members of Bajrang Dal. A case has been registered under IPC sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult).
According to police sources, the incident took place on Sunday evening where six second-year MBBS students were driving back from Malpe beach. The accused stopped their car at Surathkal checkpost, asked their names and questioned the women for “being in the company of Muslims”. The activists then proceeded to manhandle the students, when traffic inspector Sharif – who happened to be at the spot – defused the situation and sent them away.
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth Rs 19.43 crore belonging to the former chancellor of Alliance University, Madhukar G Angur, and his family members.
In a press statement, the ED said, “Assets of Madhukar Angur, Priyanka M Angur, Ravi Kumar K, Shruthi and Pavana Dibbur have been attached under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.”
One bank account, six flats and two pieces of land have been attached.
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While the Rs 1,500 crore irregularities in Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank Niyamitha (SGRSBN) in Bengaluru has pushed about 38,000 customers to hardship, the audit of the bank’s sister concern shows that loans worth Rs 60 crore were released to 90 accounts on a single day.
Sri Guru Sarvabhauma Souharda Credit Co-operative Society, a sister concern of the bank, has lost about Rs 284 crore to adjust to the bad loans of the bank illegally. In 174 cases, it was seen that Rs 149 crore benami loans were given without collecting any documents. In a response given by Cooperative Societies Minister ST Somashekar to BJP MLA Ravi Subramanya, it shows that the irregularities of the society were parallelly being carried out with the bank.
The forensic auditing of the financial year 2015-16 showed that Rs 64 crore was misappropriated in one year.
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Long before Bengaluru became dependent on water pumped from the Cauvery River – located nearly 90 km away – for its drinking water needs, the city was being served by an elaborate natural lake system. The terrain of Bengaluru with hills and valleys provide a natural drainage system with small streams originating from ridges to form major streams that flow into major and minor lakes.
Over the years hundreds of lakes have however disappeared. The main city alone had as many as 272 lakes around 50 years ago but there are only around 168 lakes remaining at present.
According to a statement made by the Karnataka government in the state legislature, as many as 1,100 of the 1,500 lakes in Bengaluru and its larger urban and rural districts have had encroachments.
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The Karnataka government on Tuesday decided to release Rs 2,500 crore for land acquisition and compensation for the two stages of Upper Krishna Project (UKP). The government also decided to start land acquisition for the Stage-3 of the UKP.
Speaking to reporters after chairing a meeting with officials, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the government has decided to use 173 TMC of water under the UKP by taking it to those regions where it has not reached yet. "We will take the water to the last level. We have decided to release Rs 2,500 crore for land acquisition and compensation to four villages," Bommai said.
The Chief Minister also said those villages where the land acquisition process has not started yet for the UKP will be speeded up.
Stating that he has directed officials to set up the office of the Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam office in Alamatti, Bommai said he has directed officials to increase the staff for the land acquisition and appoint more surveyors to survey the land for acquisition. (PTI)
With “procedural delays” marring the roll out of compensation to the kin of the Covid-19 victims in Karnataka, the ex-gratia amount of Rs 1 lakh meant for below poverty line (BPL) families that have lost their earning member to the pandemic has not been disbursed yet.
A few days after the discussion on the same left the BJP-led government embarrassed in the Assembly, Tushar Girinath, the principal secretary of the revenue department (disaster management), cited delays in the declaration by legal heirs and a possible “conflict between the schemes announced by the state and the central governments” as obstacles in completing the process.
“Soon after the order was issued (in July), we had made a software to collect and verify data from BPL families that lost their breadwinners to Covid-19. Legal heirs of these families had to declare their claim and get an eligibility certificate to be added to the list, which was delayed for several cases,” he said.
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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 Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai Tuesday said the state government is planning to introduce a law to ban forceful religious conversions in the state.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “Forceful conversions have become rampant. I have directed the district administrations to not allow any religious conversion through inducement or by force as they are illegal.” Read More
The Karnataka government Tuesday decided to collaborate with Information Technology major Infosys to enable skill development among students as per the norms of the new Education Policy (NEP-2020).
“The Department of Higher Education and Infosys will sign three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) soon to utilise the ‘Infosys Springboard’ platform that comprises over 3,000 skill development courses for college students,” state Higher Education Minister C N Ashwathnarayan announced. Read More
Karnataka on Tuesday registered 629 fresh Covid-19 cases and 17 deaths, taking the caseload and death toll to 29,74,528 and 37,763 respectively, the health department said. 782 people were discharged, pushing the total number of recoveries to 29,24,102. Active cases stood at 12,634, it added.
In yet another adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on youngsters in the city, cardiovascular experts noted a rise in heart-related ailments among people aged between 20 and 40 in Bengaluru over the last few months.
According to Dr C N Manjunath, Director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardio-Vascular Sciences and Research (SJICR), the number of heart attacks being reported among youngsters has seen a rise of nearly 5 per cent in the last few months from how it was during the pre-pandemic times. Read More
The BJP government in Karnataka has decided to invite veteran politician and former Congress chief minister S M Krishna to inaugurate the 10-day annual Dasara celebrations in Mysuru beginning October 7 this year. The announcement was made by Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai after a meeting with officials.
The move is being seen in political circles as an effort of the ruling BJP to get the support of the Vokkaliga community, which is dominant in south Karnataka but has not been a traditional vote bank of the saffron party. Krishna (89) is a member of the Vokkaliga community. Read More
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth Rs 19.43 crore belonging to the former chancellor of Alliance University, Madhukar G Angur, and his family members.
In a press statement, the ED said, “Assets of Madhukar Angur, Priyanka M Angur, Ravi Kumar K, Shruthi and Pavana Dibbur have been attached under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.”
Read More
Five members of a right-wing outfit have been arrested for allegedly harassing and manhandling a group of medical students in yet another incident of moral policing reported from coastal Karnataka.
A senior police officer identified the accused as Preetham Shetty, Arshith, Srinivas, Rakesh and Abhishek, members of Bajrang Dal. A case has been registered under IPC sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult).
Read More
A day after a three-storey building housing metro construction workers collapsed in Bengaluru’s Wilson Garden area, another three-storey building — a staff quarter of Bangalore Milk Union Limited (BAMUL) — came crashing down Tuesday near the Dairy Circle.
Three persons escaped with minor injuries in the BAMUL campus incident according to police, who added, all the residents were rescued by fire department officials. “According to preliminary investigation, the building is said to be about 40 to 50-year-old,” police said. Read More
While the Rs 1,500 crore irregularities in Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank Niyamitha (SGRSBN) in Bengaluru has pushed about 38,000 customers to hardship, the audit of the bank’s sister concern shows that loans worth Rs 60 crore were released to 90 accounts on a single day.
Sri Guru Sarvabhauma Souharda Credit Co-operative Society, a sister concern of the bank, has lost about Rs 284 crore to adjust to the bad loans of the bank illegally. In 174 cases, it was seen that Rs 149 crore benami loans were given without collecting any documents. In a response given by Cooperative Societies Minister ST Somashekar to BJP MLA Ravi Subramanya, it shows that the irregularities of the society were parallelly being carried out with the bank. Read More
Heavy rain lashed several parts of Bengaluru on Tuesday evening inundating roads and affecting traffic movement, but no complaints were reported to the Bruhath Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike(BBMP). Several areas, including Majestic, Gandhinagar, Shantinagar, KR Market and surrounding areas, witnessed waterlogging.
A proposal by the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) to build a concrete road to the Kodachadri hills, a popular trekking destination, cutting through the Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary in Shimoga, has raised environmental concerns.
The Rs 9.74 crore proposal is now before the standing committee of the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) and Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change for clearance.
Read More
With “procedural delays” marring the roll out of compensation to the kin of the Covid-19 victims in Karnataka, the ex-gratia amount of Rs 1 lakh meant for below poverty line (BPL) families that have lost their earning member to the pandemic has not been disbursed yet.
A few days after the discussion on the same left the BJP-led government embarrassed in the Assembly, Tushar Girinath, the principal secretary of the revenue department (disaster management), cited delays in the declaration by legal heirs and a possible “conflict between the schemes announced by the state and the central governments” as obstacles in completing the process.
Read More
Police in Karnataka have arrested three persons, including parents for killing their 28-year-old daughter. While the mother and uncle of the woman killed to suppress their relationship, her father helped them kill her, assuming that she was killed for marrying from another religion.
It all happened in Chikkaballapura district, 60km away from Bengaluru- state capital.
Chikkaballapura District Superintendent of Police Mithun Kumar GK said, "The victim is Parveena Banu alias Shilpa, a resident of Musalmanarahalli. The accused are Gulzar Banu (45) and Fayaz (50), parents of Parveena Banu and her uncle Pyaarejan (60). Fayaz who is speech impaired was married to Gulzar and Parveena was their eldest daughter."
The Karnataka government is seriously considering bringing in a law against religious conversion either by force or through inducement in the state, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Tuesday.
"Such things (conversions) are happening here and there. Couple of days ago I gave appropriate directions to district administrations not to allow any religious conversion through inducement or by force, as it is illegal," Bommai said in response to a question on alleged incidents of religious conversions in Kalaburagi and Byadarahalli in Bengaluru.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said, "as several such incidents are happening, we are seriously considering a law against religious conversion through inducement or by force." (PTI)
Prices of petrol were revised for the first time in 23 days while that of diesel were hiked for the third successive day on Tuesday, September 28, 2021. In the national capital, the petrol price rose 20 paise while that of diesel inched up 25 paise.
In Bengaluru, petrol is priced at Rs. 104.92 per litre and diesel is priced at Rs. 95.06 per litre.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai Tuesday met Higher Education Minister C N Ashwathnarayan and top officials of the department to discuss various issues and implementation of the new National Education Policy (NEP) in the state.
Additional Chief Secretary (Higher Education) Kumar Naik, and Commissioner of Collegiate Education Pradeep P apprised the CM of various matters during the meeting.
Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant extended the prohibitory orders in the state capital till 6 am of October 11, in the wake of the ongoing pandemic situation. The order further said that the night curfew will remain in force from 9 pm to 5 am.
It also restricted the assembly of more than four persons in public places and activities except for those permitted as per the guidelines. However, public places like airports, railway stations, bus stands, and metro stations have been exempted from the same.
Violators of these guidelines will be booked as per relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act (2005), Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act (2020), and the Indian Penal Code, the order added.
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Two assembly constituencies in Karnataka, which have had no elected representatives for several months on account of the deaths of the incumbent MLAs will go to polls on October 30, as per an election plan announced on Tuesday by the Election Commission of India.
The bypolls will be held for the Hanagal constituency in chief minister Basavaraj Bommai's home district of Haveri and in the Sindgi constituency in the Bijapur region of the state. The Hanagal constituency by poll has been necessitated by the death of the veteran BJP leader C M Udasi - a mentor of Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai. The Sindgi bypoll has been necessitated by the death of the veteran JDS leader M C Managuli.
The results for the bypolls on October 30 will be declared on November 2. The bypolls is likely to be a prestige issue for new Karnataka CM Bommai. The BJP has been dependent on veteran leader Yediyurappa for winning polls until now and Bommai will be facing his first major electoral test since becoming CM in July.
The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on Monday directed Karnataka to immediately release the balance quantum of water due for Tamil Nadu while it dropped discussion on Mekedatu reservoir project following “strong protest” from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, the State government said.
The 14th meeting of the CWMA held in the national capital, avoided discussion on Karnataka’s Mekedatu project proposal after Tamil Nadu contended that the issue was sub judice. Kerala and Puducherry, too, opposed.
A release from the State government quoting CWMA chairman S K Halder said Karnataka was directed to immediately release the water due for Tamil Nadu.
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Karnataka recorded 504 new Covid-19 cases and 20 more deaths on Monday, according to the bulletin issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare.
As many as 893 persons were discharged, taking the number of total recoveries to 29,23,320. There are 13,590 active cases in the state. The state has so far logged 29,73,899 Covid-19 cases and 37,746 deaths in total.
The positivity rate stands at 0.48 per cent as 1,03,800 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, while the case fatality rate is recorded at 3.96 per cent. Experts have opined that the high CFR was owing to the lower number of cases.
On the 254th day since inoculation against the infection began in Karnataka on January 16 earlier this year, 2,26,496 doses were administered till 3.30 pm across centres in the state, the bulletin mentioned.
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Engineering students studying in colleges affiliated with the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) in Karnataka will be introduced to courses on health and wellness and global medical technology, as part of the revised curriculum the varsity is expected to introduce from this academic year (2021-22), in accordance with the new National Education Policy (NEP).
According to Prof. B Karisiddappa, Vice-Chancellor of VTU, a subject called ‘Biology for Engineers’ has been introduced in the fourth semester. “This is included considering the importance of engineering in recent global medical technology. Further, courses on environment studies and ‘Music and Mechanical Vibrations’ have also been added,” he said in a virtual meeting convened by Higher Education Minister C N Ashwathnarayan.
The VC also apprised the minister of the introduction of a subject called ‘scientific foundations of health’ which is expected to emphasise the importance of health and wellness to the budding engineers. “Such ability enhancement courses had been added to make students globally competitive,” Prof. Karisiddappa said.
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Just days after two persons lost their lives after falling from the Electronic City flyover here, two persons came under the wheels of a BMTC bus on the same flyover and died on Sunday afternoon.
The deceased have been identified as Prabhakar (25) and Sahana (24). Both hailed from Davanagere district but were working in a private IT firm in the city. The incident took place when Prabhakar and Sahana were riding a two-wheeler. They were taking a U-turn to reach Phase 2 of Electronic City when a BMTC bus came from behind and rammed into them.
The Electronic City traffic police have registered a case of rash driving and negligence against the BMTC driver and he has been arrested. The bodies have been handed over to the respective family members after autopsy. The duo were friends and were wearing helmets when the accident happened.
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The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), which runs public buses in the Karnataka capital, has started imparting self-defence techniques to its women employees. The training for the first batch of 50 such female workers that began a few months ago will end on September 30, BMTC officials said. Although the initiative was announced in November 2020, training for the first batch got delayed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking to the Indianexpress.com, a senior BMTC official said: “All our women staff – including bus conductors, mechanics, two drivers and officials – will be given training in self-defence techniques in the coming days.” Notably, the company has around 3,000 female employees.
“All our employees will also be offered classes on gender sensitisation, self-assertiveness, legal knowledge, counselling skills and public speaking,” the official added.
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The city police on Monday opened fire at the prime accused in murder case of a 27-year-old Aravind alias Lee at a football stadium here on September 12.
Ashoknagar police said that they fired at Stalin’s leg when he tried to escape. A senior police officer said, “Today morning when the police took Stalin to the Indian Christian Cemetery on Hosur road, he tried to attack in a bid to escape and eventually the police had to fire at his leg to nab him”.
Apart from Stalin, Jack, Arun and Vijay, all residents of New Bagalur layout near KG Halli were arrested for the murder of Aravind, a player and coach of the Karthick Dilip Football Club. Few other accused in the case are absconding.
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The Karnataka legislature has passed a bill to amend the Karnataka Police Act, 1963 in order to ban all forms of gambling in the state, including online gambling. The Karnataka Police (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed by the legislature despite a similar law – the Tamil Nadu Gambling and Police Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021 – passed in February in Tamil Nadu being struck down by the Madras High Court this August as being ultra vires. The new Karnataka law aims to strengthen the Karnataka Police Act to make gambling a cognisable and non-bailable offence and “curb menace of gaming through the Internet, mobile apps”.
Among the reasons cited by the Karnataka government for a new law to ban all forms of gambling are a Dharwad High Court Bench order of December 2019 which ruled that the police cannot raid gambling dens without a formal written order from a magistrate since gambling is a non-cognisable and bailable offence. The order passed by Justice P G M Patil in the Vageppa Gurulinga Jangaligi vs the Kagwad police case on December 10, 2019 set out a series of guidelines for the police and magistrates to follow when a non-cognisable offence is taken up. The order said that the “SHO of the police station has no authority of law unless the jurisdictional magistrate permits the police officer for investigation of the non-cognizable offence”.
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In a major drug haul, Bengaluru city police have arrested four persons, including two Iranian drug peddlers who grew Hydro Cannabis and were selling it in the city. The police have seized Hydro ganja worth Rs 1 crore and other valuables.
Central Crime Branch (CCB) police said, based on a tip off, on Sunday afternoon around 1.30 pm, they caught hold of four persons, including two Iranian nationals who were staying in India even after their expiry. "The information that we had received was that these people were traveling in a Skoda car selling Hydro Ganja. The police nabbed them when they were in Kaverinagar in DJ halli police limits."
Upon questioning, the accused confessed that they brought Hydro Cannabis seeds through dark net and were growing them in a villa near Bidadi, in the outskirts of the Bengaluru city which they had taken on rent. The police said, "The accused grew the hydro cannabis plants using artificial lights such as LED lamps and UV lights. We have also seized vacuum packing containers, an electrical weighing machine, 130 hydro cannabis plants, about 12.85 kg of hydro cannabis that was ready to be sold, LSD strips, a Skoda car and mobile phones."
Arrests for growing hydro cannabis seeds is not the first in Bengaluru. In December 2019, the CCB had arrested three persons, including two students who sourced hydro cannabis seeds from Netherlands using dark web and grew it in flower pots at their flat in Kengeri.
Janata Dal (Secular) has started a four-day workshop called Janata Parva 1.0 for party leaders on Monday. The workshop is being organised at a Ramnagara farmhouse owned by former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy. The workshop was inaugurated by party president and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda.
Kumaraswamy said on Monday: “The 2023 assembly polls will herald a new era in the state. Our party’s goal is to win at least 123 seats in the 224-member assembly. With this focus in mind, we have started our activities.”
Addressing the party leaders, Kumaraswamy said, “We are confident that Kanndigas’ own party will come to power in the next elections.”
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Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai on Monday said Forensic Science Laboratories would be set up in six cities of the State, including Kalaburagi, Hubballi-Dharwad and Mysuru, to facilitate speedy investigation and crime detection. Speaking at an event in Hubballi, he said he has already discussed the matter with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Bommai also said that a training centre in the model of National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla near Pune would be set up for the mid level personnel of the State Police Department. For the first time, officers on Crime Scene are being appointed in the State. Apart from this, 16,000 Police Constables and Sub-Inspectors are being appointed.
According to the Chief Minister's office, he also instructed that officers of DySP and above ranks should not restrict themselves to the office and administrative work. Instead, they need to visit police stations and also should work in the field.
Basic infrastructure facilities would be given to police stations on priority and the Government aims to build 100 stations a year totaling to 500 stations in the next five years, he said, adding that police quarters would be built and kennels would be set up to train dogs. (PTI)
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Janata Dal (Secular) has started a four-day workshop called Janata Parva 1.0 for party leaders on Monday. The workshop is being organised at a Ramnagara farmhouse owned by former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy. The workshop was inaugurated by party president and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda.
Kumaraswamy said on Monday: “The 2023 assembly polls will herald a new era in the state. Our party’s goal is to win at least 123 seats in the 224-member assembly. With this focus in mind, we have started our activities.”
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The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), which runs public buses in the Karnataka capital, has started imparting self-defence techniques to its women employees. The training for the first batch of 50 such female workers that began a few months ago will end on September 30, BMTC officials said. Although the initiative was announced in November 2020, training for the first batch got delayed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant extended the prohibitory orders in the state capital till 6 am of October 11, in the wake of the ongoing pandemic situation. The order further said that the night curfew will remain in force from 9 pm to 5 am.
It also restricted the assembly of more than four persons in public places and activities except for those permitted as per the guidelines. However, public places like airports, railway stations, bus stands, and metro stations have been exempted from the same.
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Karnataka on Monday reported 504 new cases of Covid-19 and 20 deaths, taking the total number of infections to 29,73,899 and death toll to 37,746, the health department said. The day also saw 893 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries to 29,23,320.Of the new cases recorded, 181 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 265 discharges and 5 deaths. Total number of active cases in the state is at 12,804. While the positivity rate for the day stood at 0.48 per cent, case fatality rate (CFR) was at 3.96 per cent.