Page 24 - Karnataka

Karnataka eyes Rs 10 trn investment commitments at investor meet: Patil

Karnataka is expecting to sign investment commitments of about Rs 10 lakh crore with an array of industries at its biennial investor meet this week, aimed at showcasing the state's industrial potential, M B Patil, Minister of Large and Medium Scale Industries, said. The Invest Karnataka 2025 -- Global Investors Meet (GIM 2025), scheduled from February 11-14 in Bengaluru, aims to position Karnataka as a premier global investment hub. "We are expecting around Rs 10 lakh crore in investments, with at least 70 per cent converting into reality (and) not just (remaining) on paper," he told PTI Videos. On the theme of the summit 'Re-Imagining Growth', Patil said this "because today we are in a stage where our world is moving towards tech-driven, green, inclusive, and more importantly, resilient growth. Because we are in a situation... (these are) challenging times. There is a war in Ukraine and Russia, then the Israel-Gaza conflict, (US President) Trump's policies, China plus one, two year

The phoenix of India's financial system: Microfinance's path to recovery

Karnataka is going the Andhra, Assam way to take the microfinance industry head-on. Will it rise from the current mess?

Defence minister Rajnath to participate in Karnataka Global Investors Meet

Union Ministers including Rajnath Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are expected to participate in the Global Investors Meet 2025 to be inaugurated here on February 11, Karnataka Minister M B Patil said on Saturday. According to the Large and Medium Industries Minister, the state is expecting investments to the tune of Rs 10 lakh crore across key sectors. The Minister outlined a bold vision for Karnataka's industrial and economic future. Scheduled from February 1214, 2025, with an inaugural event on February 11, 2025, the summit will spotlight Karnataka's strategic position as an innovation and investment hub, while fostering global partnerships across industries. In a statement, the Patil's Office said that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi, and Union Minister of Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy are expected to participate in the

HC grants anticipatory bail to former CM Yediyurappa in Pocso case

Karnataka High Court on Friday partly allowed the petition filed by former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa challenging proceedings against him under the provisions of POCSO Act, while remitting the criminal case registered against him back to the trial court. The court however allowed his plea seeking anticipatory bail. The 81-year-old Yediyurappa had sought for quashing of a criminal case filed against him, in which he has been booked under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code as well as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The case was registered on March 14 last year based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that Yediyurappa sexually assaulted her daughter during a meeting on February two, at his residence in Dollars Colony here. "Writ petition is allowed in part. The order of taking cognizance by the concerned court dated 04-07-2024, qua accused number 1 (Yeddyurappa) stands obliterated. The crime, the investigation and the

Siddaramaiah gets relief as Karnataka HC rejects CBI probe in MUDA case

The Karnataka HC dismissed a plea for a CBI probe against CM Siddaramaiah in the MUDA case, affirming the Lokayukta's independence and ruling that its investigation is fair

What is Karnataka’s “right to die with dignity” order?

In a historic move, the Karnataka government has taken a significant step to support terminally ill patients by allowing them the right to die with dignity. Watch the video to know what it means.

Microfin ordinance sent to K'taka Guv, gives up to 10 yr jail for violation

Aimed at protecting borrowers from harassment by microfinance institutions (MFIs), the Karnataka government has drafted an ordinance, with penal provisions, including a jail term up to ten years, and fine as high as Rs five lakh for violation. Confirming this, State Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said, the Karnataka Micro Finance (Prevention of Coercive Actions) Ordinance 2025 has been sent to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for his assent. "It was three years (in initial draft), now we have increased it. Fine has also been increased to five lakh. This is to ensure that the heat of the law is felt (by violators). If a law is made with perfunctoriness just like that, such incidents won't stop. Hence, the fine (amount) and imprisonment (period) has been increased, so that it in a way, becomes a deterrent," Parameshwara said, responding to a question about punishment being increased to ten years imprisonment. Speaking to reporters here, he said, "The Governor was out of town, and

Karnataka industry leaders back Union Budget, praise tax relief measures

Karnataka industry stalwarts welcomed the union budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman on Saturday saying the focus on infra, consumption, and investment will help the economy. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson of Biocon Limited said the Union Budget 2025 is reassuring, as it instils confidence that India is investing in the right areas to drive stable and inclusive economic growth. The significant income tax relief, with no tax payable up to Rs 12 lakh income, will put more money in the hands of the people and thus boost domestic consumption, she said on social media 'X'. "Consumption, investment, innovation and employment are the four pillars of our economic growth model and FM Nirmala Sitharaman has focused on all aspects of those segments," she added. N Venu, Chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Karnataka State Council in a statement said the budget strengthens the foundation for 'Viksit Bharat' with its sharp focus on infrastructure, rura

Karnataka seeks Rs 11,495 crore special grants among others in Union Budget

Special matching grants for the development of the backward region of Kalyana Karnataka, approval for the Mekedatu project and release of Rs 11,495 crore of special grants recommended by the 15th Finance Commission were among the suggestions and requests made by the Karnataka government during a pre-budget consultation with the Centre. Last month, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met finance ministers of states and union territories (UTs) to take their demands and suggestions for the Union Budget 2025-26, to be presented on February 1. In his presentation at the meeting, Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on behalf of the state government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sought release of Rs 5,300 crore promised in the Union Budget to Upper Bhadra project to provide water to drought prone central Karnataka and special matching grants for the development of backward region of Kalyana Karnataka and the global eco sensitive Western Ghats. The state urged the Centr

K'taka health dept orders implementation of SC directive on dignified death

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday announced that the state health department has passed a historic order to implement the Supreme Court's directive for a patient's right to die with dignity. Taking to the social media post 'X', he stated that the department has also come out with an Advance Medical Directive (AMD), or a living will, in which a patient can record their wishes about their medical treatment in the future. "My Karnataka Health Department, @DHFWKA, passes a historic order to implement the Supreme Court's directive for a patients Right to Die with dignity," he said. The minister said this will immensely benefit those who are terminally ill with no hope of recovery, or are in a persistent vegetative state, and where the patient no longer benefits from life-sustaining treatment. "We have also come out with an Advance Medical Directive (AMD), or a living will, in which a patient can record their wishes about their medical treatment in the future," he ...

Siddaramaiah, family, Muda officials under ED probe in Rs 56 cr land scam

An ED report reveals serious lapses, including tampering with official records, misuse of political influence, and document forgery in land allotment by the Mysore Urban Development Authority

Karnataka HC says ED's search, seizure at ex-Muda chief's home unlawful

The Karnataka High Court ruled on Wednesday that the Enforcement Directorate's search and seizure at the residence of former Commissioner of MUDA was unlawful and an abuse of legal procedures. The court also granted the official the right to initiate legal action against those involved in the search. The case is linked to allegations of illegal site allotment to Parvathy B M, the wife of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Justice Hemant Chandangoudar, delivering the verdict, stated that the ED must uphold fairness in its investigations, as it is a key agency responsible for tackling money laundering. He emphasised that searches conducted arbitrarily infringe upon the fundamental right to liberty and privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution. The court found that the ED had no prima facie evidence to invoke Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), making the search baseless and a violation of legal procedures. "The ED cannot disregard procedural fairness .

All cases against pro-Kannada activists will be withdrawn: CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that all cases registered against pro-Kannada activists who held protests against alleged violation of language norms by business establishments in the state, will be withdrawn. The CM was addressing a gathering at the unveiling of the 25-feet-tall bronze statue of Bhuvaneshwari, the goddess who represents the Karnataka state identity, on the Vidhana Soudha premises on Monday. The statue sculpted at an approximate cost of Rs 21.24 crore is 41-feet-tall including the pedestal, and weighs around 31.5 tonne. While speaking at the event, although he acknowledged that one must love and embrace all languages, the CM said, in Karnataka, Kannadigas should follow the culture of speaking and interacting with their brothers and other speakers in Kannada. "Instead of speaking incorrectly in other languages, we should speak our own language. In all our neighbouring states, the language spoken by the people of the respective state is sovereign. Thi

'Bengaluru closed for North India' post fuels Kannada language debate

A social media post stating that "Bengaluru is closed for North India" has gone viral, generating debate about the Kannada language row online. In a post on 'X', a social media user stated: "Bengaluru is closed for North India and neighbouring states who don't want to learn Kannada. They don't need Bengaluru if they can't respect the language and culture." The recent post by Babruvahana (@Paarmatma) has garnered significant attention, with over 115,000 views, 198 reposts, and 1,839 likes. (at the time this was written) Reacting to the post, a social media user who claimed to be a "migrant to Bengaluru" said the post might sound a bit harsh. "But whenever I see people in Bengaluru completely disregard Kannada as some sort of tribal language and even look down on those who speak Kannada as illiterates, even in corporate offices, I feel very pained. Kannada is a phenomenally rich language that has received the most literary awards, including Sahitya Akademi and Jnanpith awards (sic),"

Karnataka implemented first-of-its-kind experiment with Panchayat Raj: Min

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said on Saturday the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat implemented the "Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Raj Fellowship" programme. In a post on 'X,' Kharge said that the Panchayat Raj experiment is the first of its kind in the country and was announced in the previous budget. "With the aim of strengthening local governance in the backward region of Kalyana Karnataka, an enthusiastic and talented youth community was given the opportunity to work in the Panchayat Raj system," wrote the State Panchayat Raj Minister. He added that this is a great opportunity for graduates interested in the social sector. "Fellows will need to understand the social, geographical, economic, and administrative context of the Kalyana Karnataka region and become active with the district administration," Kharge said. He stated that he attended the progress report presentation meeting with 44 trained fellows. Kharge added that it was rewarding to learn that these enthusi

Will amend law to help borrowers, control microfinance firms: Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said the state government would amend the existing laws related to money lending business and introduce new legislation to protect the interest of the genuine borrowers. In the wake public outrage against the alleged harassment by micro-finance companies to recover money from borrowers, Siddaramaiah chaired an emergency meeting with his deputy D K Shivakumar, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Home Minister G Parameshwara, Law Minister H K Patil, senior government and top police officials. Representatives of the microfinance companies association, regional officers of the Reserve Bank of India and NABARD officials were also present. Later, briefing reporters, the CM said he took the opinion of the microfinance companies as well as the RBI officials. "After taking their view, we told them that we won't say not to give loan or do not recover money from borrowers but while recovering money you should not torture and harass people," .

Karnataka court accepts closure report in bribery case against Siddaramaiah

A special court to try criminal cases against against elected representatives has accepted the closure report filed by the Karnataka Lokayukta police in a bribery case involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The case was based on allegations made by a BJP leader, who accused Siddaramaiah of receiving Rs 1.3 crore during his previous tenure as CM in exchange for appointing a steward at the Bengaluru Turf Club (BTC). In its ruling on January 18, the court stated, The closure report filed by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Karnataka Lokayukta, Bengaluru, dated 12.9.2024, is hereby accepted. The court further observed that while records indicated that Accused No.1 Mr. Siddaramaiah had received a sum of Rs 1,30,00,000 from Accused No.2 L Vivekananda, the same cannot be held to be an act of quid pro quo towards his nomination as Steward of BTC. Previously, the special court had instructed the Lokayukta police to reopen and investigate the case. However, following the inquiry, the ..

Kharge expresses concerns about 'eroding institutional integrity' of ECI

Even as we celebrate National Voter's Day, ceaseless erosion of the institutional integrity of the Election Commission of India, in last ten years, is a matter of grave national concern, Kharge said

Govt to bring strict laws to regulate microfinance firms: K'taka Home Min

The Karnataka government is contemplating bringing in stringent laws to rein in microfinance companies, state Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Friday. With reports emerging from various parts of the state about people dying by suicide due to the "atrocities" of loan recovery agents, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has convened a meeting to address the issue, he said. "Across the state, many people have been complaining that they are in trouble due to these microfinance companies. It has come to our notice that there are shortcomings in the existing laws," Parameshwara told reporters. He noted that while there are provisions in the law to recover money, there are also laws to protect borrowers. "There are several reports from our department highlighting the inadequacies in the existing laws. If stricter regulations are required, the government will introduce them," Parameshwara said. He added that the government has instructed microfinance companies to stop harassing ...

SC maintains actor Darshan's bail in murder case, to examine state plea

In an interim order, the Supreme Court on Friday refused to cancel the bail granted to Kannada actors Darshan Thoogudeepa, Pavithra Gowda, and others in a murder case but agreed to examine the Karnataka government's challenge against it and issued notice. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan issued notice to Darshan and others on the state's plea against the Karnataka High Court's bail order. The state government, said the apex court, apprehended other co-accused would take advantage of the high court order. "Since state is praying for cancellation of bail, it would not be proper to stay the operation of the order as it would amount to cancellation of bail. Yet, to protect the interest of prosecution, if any co-accused prays on bail, the court concerned shall not place reliance on the order challenged before us. Any bail application filed shall be decided on its own merit," clarified the bench. Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra along with advocate Anil Nishani, appearing