Page 31 - Karnataka

K'taka dy CM counters PM's criticism, highlights state's 10.2% GDP growth

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for criticising Congress over poll promises, citing data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. He said that the state's GDP growth for 2023-24 is 10.2 per cent, surpassing the national average of 8.2 per cent. In a post on 'X', Modi on Friday said that in Karnataka, Congress is more focused on intra-party politics and loot than delivering on development, even planning to roll back existing schemes. Sharing Modi's post, Shivakumar responded, citing MoSPI data: "Karnataka's GSDP growth for 2023-24 is 10.2 per cent, surpassing the national average of 8.2 per cent." "These are facts, backed by figures, supported by credible sources. The question is: do these facts even reach the Union government, or do they miss those who formulate tweets for the highest offices at the Centre?" he posted on 'X'. Meanwhile, Information Technology Minister Priyank Kharge also ..

K'taka CM orders withdrawal of notices to farmers over Waqf land disputes

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday instructed officials to immediately withdraw all notices sent to farmers concerning Waqf land issues. A decision to this effect was taken during a high-level meeting, with senior officials from the Revenue department, the Minority Welfare department, and the Karnataka Board of Waqfs. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has issued a strict directive for the immediate retraction of all notices sent to farmers about Waqf land, emphasising that no disruption should be caused to them," a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) read. The statement noted Siddaramaiah's dissatisfaction with recent actions by certain officials and highlighted concerns that the JD(S) and BJP were allegedly using the Waqf issue for political gains, potentially disrupting peace in the state. Siddaramaiah has urged the public to ignore any misinformation and directed officials to handle the matter with sensitivity, it added. The statement also emphasised that

Look at Karnataka BJP's 'disastrous legacy': Siddaramaiah tells PM Modi

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'guarantees' comment, saying he should look at the 'disastrous' legacy of BJP Karnataka unit before pointing fingers at the Congress. He joined the war of words between the Congress and the BJP over AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge's remark on poll guarantees at a party event. "Mr. @narendramodi, before pointing fingers at Congress, take a hard look at @BJP4Karnataka's disastrous legacy in Karnataka! We are fulfilling every promise we made to our people all 5 guarantees implemented with a budget over Rs 52,000 crore, and an additional Rs 52,903 crore in capital outlay to build Karnataka's future," Siddaramaiah said in a post on 'X'. He alleged that the BJP left Karnataka plagued with 40 per cent commission corruption, draining resources that could have transformed lives. "We're using that same 40 per cent redirecting it to benefit the people. What was your 'achievement' here? Empowering ...

BJP continues to fail Indians: Siddaramaiah slams PM for targeting Cong

This comes after PM Modi criticised the Congress Party for failing to deliver on their promises in Karnataka and urged the people to be vigilant and not fall prey to the Party's false promises

My statement on 'Shakti scheme' was distorted: Karnataka dy CM Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said his statement on 'Shakti scheme' was distorted and presented as if the Congress government in the state wanted to withdraw it. Shivakumar's reaction came after Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge subtly pulled him in public for his statement that some women wished to pay for travelling in the buses. "Whatever statement I had made was distorted as if we would stop it (Shakti scheme). I only said some section of people is saying so. There is no question of winding up any guarantee," the Deputy CM told reporters here. According to him, some people voluntarily wish to pay for their travel. "Even though these women are willing to pay, the conductors are afraid of collecting money from them. I said we will discuss it," Shivakumar said. Shakti is one of the five guarantees offering free rides for Karnataka women in non-luxury government buses anywhere in the state. The Deputy CM slammed the opposition parties for making a fu

Karnataka govt approves tourism policy 2024-29 with Rs 1,349 cr funding

The Karnataka government has approved the Tourism Policy 2024-29, allocating Rs 1,349 crore to develop essential infrastructure and attract international tourists, state Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar announced on Friday. Speaking at the 'Karnataka Rajyothsava' celebrations here, the Women and Child Welfare Minister, who is also Udupi district in-charge, emphasised the government's commitment to transforming Karnataka into a global tourism hub through enhanced services and facilities. Highlighting Karnataka's investment appeal, Hebbalkar stated that Bengaluru continues to lead the nation in investment inflow, a feat credited to the government's strategic efforts. She noted that youth skill development programmes have equipped local talent to contribute effectively to various industries, further driving economic growth and investor confidence. Reaffirming the government's dedication to promoting the Kannada language, Hebbalkar urged the public to engage more deeply with Kannada literatur

'Injustice in tax devolution': CM Siddaramaiah on Karnataka formation day

Karnataka Rajyotsava is celebrated every year on November 1. After Independence, the state was originally formed as Mysore formed in 1956, through the States Reorganisation Act.

PM Modi, Amit Shah extend greetings to five states on their foundation day

Wishing each state individually in various posts on X, he highlighted the contributions of each state to the country

Sustainability summit: Six water sanitation startups win Rs 25 lakh each

For 29-year-old Shilpa K Nayana, nothing, not even her four-month-old baby son, Rio aka Rayan Nayana Arjun, could come in the way, as she pitches her already award-winning project Jalam, at Karnataka Water and Sanitation Sustainability Summit held in Bengaluru. She was among the 20 startup social entrepreneurs shortlisted from 119 applications to pitch their project at the summit on October 29. As the summit wound up late in the evening, six of the 20 were announced as winners of a grant of Rs 25 lakh and a chance to pilot their innovations in collaboration with the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR). Nayana's project Jalam, a low-cost water filtration technology that can be used at household level as well as community level, was among the six chosen projects. "The working cost for decontamination of water with my filter that uses nanotechnology is as low as Rs 2 per litre," said the social entrepreneur who envisioned Jalam as her final year project when she w

Karnataka HC grants interim bail to actor Darshan citing medical grounds

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who is an accused in Renukaswamy murder case, on medical grounds, to undergo spine surgery. The bench of Justice S Vishwajith Shetty granted interim bail for a period of six weeks to undergo medical treatment. The court had reserved the order on Tuesday on the bail application after hearing detailed arguments from the actor's legal representative, senior advocate C V Nagesh, and State Public Prosecutor P Prasanna Kumar. The state had presented medical reports in a sealed cover from doctors at Ballari Central Prison, where he is lodged, and the Head of the Department of Neurology at a government hospital in Ballari. Darshan was arrested on June 11 and is lodged in Ballari Prison. His bail application, submitted on September 21, was rejected by a sessions court. Following this, he petitioned the High Court and requested interim bail to receive treatment. According to police, 33-year-old Renukas

Karnataka BJP chief Vijayendra joins Run for Unity to honour Sardar Patel

The 'Run for Unity' events are taking place across India in memory of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and remembering his enduring legacy. The Chief Ministers of Tripura and Uttarakhand also participated

Karnataka eyes Rs 1,500 cr investments in state with new tourism policy

The Karnataka cabinet on Monday cleared the new tourism policy for the state, with the government eyeing investments to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore in the sector. Karnataka plans to attract 20 lakh foreign tourists a year to be among the top five states in this category, and with respect to domestic footfalls it wants to be among the top three states with a target of 48 crore local tourists, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil told reporters after the Cabinet meeting. "The cabinet after detailed discussion has given its nod to announce the Karnataka Tourism Policy 2024-29 and to release subsidies, grants under the policy," Patil said. He further said the new tourism policy wants to promote tourism in the state under themes -- adventure, agriculture, caravan, coastal, beach, cuisine, cultural, traditional, environment, education, film, golf, sports, tribal, wedding destination, health tourism among others. "... apartment, hotel, service apartments, aquarium, beach shacks

ED undertakes fresh searches in money laundering case involving MUDA

The Enforcement Directorate undertook fresh searches on Monday in connection with the money laundering case involving the Mysuru Urban Development Authority in which it has booked Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his family and others, official sources said. About seven to eight premises in Bengaluru and Mysuru are being covered in the search, the sources said. This includes the premises of a builder in Bengaluru and some linked persons. The federal agency conducted the first round of raids in this case on October 18 when it searched the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) office in Mysuru and some other locations. It also questioned some lower-rank officials of the MUDA at its Bengaluru zonal office last week. Taking cognisance of a Lokayukta FIR, the ED has filed an enforcement case information report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to book the Karnataka chief minister and others. Siddaramaiah is facing Lokayukta and ED probes into alleged

Beer makers urge Karnataka govt to withdraw draft, fear 10-20% price hike

The Beer Association of India (BAI) has urged the Karnataka government to withdraw draft notifications, which proposed a hike in duty through alcohol content-based classification in beer, saying that on average this move would lead to a price increase of 10-20 per cent in mainstream and premium segments. The draft notification proposes to double the excise duty on strong beer to Rs 20 per bulk litre, increase the minimum billing price for beer in the state to Rs 300 per case and Additional Excise Duty (AED) to 195 per cent of the billing price or Rs 130 per bulk litre whichever is higher. The industry body, in a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has also asked to withdraw the proposal asking beer manufacturers to declare the sugar content in the beer on the bottle's label and capping the use of sugar to 25 per cent of the weight of malt of grain. BAI, which represents leading beer makers United Breweries, ABInBev and Carlsberg, said these draft notifications are not in the ...

Karnataka CM announces Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia in Bengaluru building collapse

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh each to the next of kin of each deceased in a building collapse here, and said the government will bear the full medical expenses of those injured. The incident, which claimed eight lives, was not due to the impact of rain, but owing to shoddy construction work, he said, adding, the building was constructed in a revenue layout unauthorisedly without taking any licence, and officials are being held responsible for it. Siddaramaiah said eight people have been rescued. Three of the six injured are in a serious condition but all of them are out of danger. Speaking to reporters after visiting the building collapse site at Babusapalya near Hennur, he said next of kin of those killed would be given an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh each -- Rs two lakh by the Labour Department and Rs three lakh by the city civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The government is also thinking about giving ..

UDAN scheme helps improve passenger footfall here: Mysore airport director

Anoop JR, Airport Director said that the state government is coordinating the land acquisition process for the expansion of the airport, after acquiring land, the runway expansion work will be started

Karnataka by-polls: Cong may announce candidates today, says Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the ruling Congress has made all necessary preparations for the November 13 Assembly by-polls in three segments in the state, and the candidates are likely to be announced later in the day. He said, while it has been decided to give Sandur ticket to Bellary MP E Tukaram's wife Annapurna, candidates for Shiggaon and Channapatna segments will be decided by the party. The last date for filing nominations is October 25, and the final date for withdrawal of papers is October 30. By-polls for Sandur, Shiggaon, and Channapatna are necessitated, as the seats fell vacant following the election of their respective representatives -- E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) -- to Lok Sabha in May elections. "We have made all the preparations (for bypolls), probably candidates may be announced today. The Sandur candidate has been decided, we will give the ticket to Tukaram's wife.

SC upholds anticipatory bail to Bhavani Revanna in kidnapping case

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to set aside the anticipatory bail given to Bhavani Revanna, the mother of suspended JD(S) leader and rape accused Prajwal Revanna, in a kidnapping case while dismissing the Karnataka government's plea. In a setback to the Karnataka government, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan took into account that the chargesheet had been filed in the case and refused to interfere with the Karnataka High Court order. During the hearing, the state government counsel, claimed the mother was directly involved in allegedly procuring women for her son. The apex court noted that the principal accused in the case had been arrested and put under custodial interrogation. After the Karnataka government sought the cancellation of the anticipatory bail to Bhavani, the top court on July 10, refused to set it aside and sought her response. The high court had on June 18 granted anticipatory bail to Bhavani emphasising she had already answered 85 questions duri

CBI, ED, I-T should be impartial, not in favour of one party: Karnataka CM

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said central agencies like CBI, ED and Income Tax should be impartial and not function in favour of one party. He also said that the ruling Congress was ready to face and win November 13 by-polls in three assembly segments in the state. "Nagendra (former Minister B Nagendra) has told the media that he was pressurised by the ED. He also informed me that he was pressurised to name me and D K Shivakumar (Deputy Chief Minister). No agency should work in favour of a party. Whether it is CBI or ED or Income Tax, they should function impartially," Siddaramaiah told reporters. The Chief Minister was responding to former Minister B Nagendra's allegations that he was pressurised by the ED to name him and Shivakumar in the multi-crore scam in Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. Nagendra had, after walking out of the jail on bail on Wednesday, also charged the ED (Directorate of Enforcement) with arresting him

MUDA chairman Marigowda resigns amid row over allotment irregularities

The Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) chairman K Marigowda quit on Wednesday, amid a row over irregularities in allotment of sites to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi B M. He submitted his resignation from the post to the Urban Development Department Secretary. "I have resigned following directions from the CM. Also, as I had health issues, I have resigned...there was no pressure on me, as I had health issues I have resigned," Marigowda, who is considered close to Siddaramaiah, told reporters here. Responding to a question, he said, "Probe is on (in MUDA case allegedly involving CM) and it will continue...it will be known from the probe whether there were any irregularities." Siddaramaiah is facing the Lokayukta and ED probes into alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA. Siddaramaiah's wife, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju -- from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi -- and others are na