Page 59 - Karnataka

K'taka CM writes to Shah, Sitharaman to expedite drought relief funds

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to expedite the process of releasing the drought relief funds to the state. In separate letters to the three Central ministers, Siddaramaiah highlighted the dismal rainfall this year which was the lowest in the last 122 years. The chief minister pointed out that out of 236 taluks, 223 have been declared drought hit in Karnataka. Among them, 196 are categorised as severely drought affected. Noting that Karnataka has estimated a loss of Rs 35,162.05 crore, Siddarmaiah said the state government has sought Rs 18,171.44 crore from the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) for undertaking drought relief measures in the state. The chief minister pointed out that there are 52.73 lakh small and marginal farmers with a land holding of less than two hectares, who are most impacted by drought as the majority of t

Yediyurappa's son Vijayendra formally takes charge as Karnataka BJP prez

Newly appointed Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Wednesday formally assumed charge at the state party office here. Former Chief Ministers B S Yediyurappa, Basavaraj Bommai and D V Sadananda Gowda and senior party leaders were present on the occasion. The 47-year-old first-time MLA and son of Yediyurappa, a BJP veteran and member of the party's all-powerful Parliamentary board, was appointed to the post on November 10. Vijayendra, who had earlier served as the party's state unit's general secretary and vice-president, replaced Nalin Kumar Kateel. Kateel, a three-time Lok Sabha member from Dakshina Kannada, had completed his three-year term as the BJP state president, and was given an extension last year. Vijayendra said earlier he has been given the responsibility as a party worker, and not just because he is the son of Yediyurappa. He had said further strengthening the party organisation by taking everyone together and winning the maximum number of seats in the state in

Posters calling Kumaraswamy 'electricity thief' appear near his house

Posters dubbing former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy as 'current thief' surfaced on the walls near his house a day after the Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company registered a case of power theft against him. Videos showing the posters went viral on social media. Learning about the posters, police rushed to the spot and removed them. The Congress in Karnataka on Tuesday accused former Chief Minister and JD(S) state chief Kumarawamy of drawing power illegally to light up his JP Nagar residence here with decorative lights during Deepavali. The ruling party posted a video along with a statement on micro-blogging site 'X' criticising the JD(S) leader and son of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. Accordingly, the BESCOM vigilance wing conducted an inspection and registered a case under Section 135 of the Indian Electricity Act. Kumaraswamy said it was not his fault but of a private decorator who gave the connection directly from a nearby electricity pole. When he got to

K'taka new BJP chief Vijayendra says LoP to be decided after Delhi visit

Vijayendra met Bommai for the first time after being appointed to the role of the state president of the party

BJP will not back off, will give befitting response to Cong: Vijayendra

Newly appointed Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Saturday said his party workers will not back off from agitations against the ruling Congress and will give a befitting response to the ruling party in the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He also said he would strive to strengthen the party right from the booth level. The BJP on Friday had appointed Vijayendra, the younger son of veteran leader and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, as its state unit president. He was until now the state vice-president of the party. "There is no example of BJP workers backing off from any struggle or agitation. It is in the blood of our party workers, there is no question of fearing and running away," Vijayendra said in response to a question about party workers allegedly not coming forward to take part in agitations due to the fear of the Congress government booking cases against them. Speaking to reporters here, he said, "Let Congress people be how ever vociferous they are,

Karnataka govt unveils revised draft EV policy, eyes Rs 50K cr investment

The Karnataka government on Friday unveiled a revised draft Electric Vehicle policy (2023-28) which aims to attract Rs 50,000 crore investment while creating a job potential for one lakh people over the next five years. "This proposed policy aims to transform Karnataka into a pioneering force in the field of electric mobility, embracing sustainable practices and equitable growth while fostering innovation and creating a robust ecosystem for EVs throughout the state," Minister for large and medium industries and infrastructure development, M B Patil, said on the occasion. Addressing an ideation session with representatives of EV industry, he said the government would soon convene a joint meeting of the ministers of finance, energy, transport, and urban development to iron out common issues before launching the final E-mobility policy. Responding to recommendations made by some of the EV industry players, Patil said that the government would develop model EV cities to promote EV ...

THDCIL inks pacts to develop 3,270 MW renewable energy projects in K'taka

THDC India Ltd (THDCIL) is planning to set up 3,270 megawatts (MWs) of clean energy projects, including pumped storage and floating solar, in Karnataka, its chairman and managing director R K Vishnoi has said. In this regards, the Uttarakhand-based company on Thursday signed two memoranda of understandings with Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) and Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL) in Bengaluru. "These collaborative efforts encompass the development of a diverse range of projects, spanning ground-mounted, floating solar projects, and hybrid projects including pumped storage projects (PSPs) with a cumulative capacity of around 3,270 MW," Vishnoi said in a company statement. Gaurav Gupta, managing director of KPCL, and K P Rudrappaiah, MD of KREDL, signed the agreement with Bhupender Gupta, Director (Technical), THDCIL, in presence of K J George, Minister of Energy, Government of Karnataka. "This strategic alliance not only underscores THDCIL's commitmen

Tejasvi Surya meets Shivakumar, requests key infra projects in B'luru South

Providing details on the meeting Surya said on 'X', "Met with the DyCM DK Shivakumar today and discussed important issues relating to Bengaluru city's infrastructure"

Heavy rains batter Bengaluru as monsoon intensifies, Shivakumar takes stock

Bengaluru saw its wettest November day since November 3, 2015 - when it received 95.3mm and also surpassed its November avg of 64.5mm

PM Modi condoles death of veteran Karnataka politician Chandre Gowda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed anguish over the passing away of veteran Karnataka politician and former minister D B Chandre Gowda, calling him a stalwart of public service. Gowda, aged 87, passed away at his residence in Daradahalli in Mudigere taluk of Chikkamagaluru district, during the early hours of Tuesday, due to age-related ailments. "Anguished by the passing away of Shri DB Chandre Gowda Ji. A stalwart of public service, his extensive experience as MP, MLA, and Minister in Karnataka has left an indelible mark. His deep understanding of our Constitution and commitment to community service were noteworthy. My heartfelt condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti," Modi posted on "X". Gowda, who had represented all the four Houses -- legislative assembly, council, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, was also part of various political parties such as -- Praja Socialist Party, Karnataka Kranti Ranga, Janata Party, Janata Dal, Congress and BJP. He was in the ..

Prime Minister should read Karnataka's political history: Priyank Kharge

On the performance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during their term in power in Karnataka, Priyank Kharge said that it was called the "40 per cent government" by newspapers.

Siddaramaiah asks ministers to study drought situation; to submit report

The direction came as the state faces one of the worst droughts, where out of 236 taluks, 216 have been declared drought-hit due to inadequate rainfall

Karnataka Bank Q2 result: Net profit declines 20% to Rs 330 crore

Karnataka Bank on Thursday reported a 20 per cent decline in its net profit to Rs 330 crore in the second quarter ended September. The lender had posted a net profit of Rs 412 crore in the year-ago period. Total income in the second quarter of the current fiscal rose to Rs 2,276 crore from Rs 2,031 crore in the same period a year ago, Karnataka Bank said in a regulatory filing. The net interest income (NII) of the bank improved to Rs 822 crore as against Rs 802 crore in September 2022. The bank's asset quality showed marginal decline as gross non-performing assets (NPAs) rose to 3.47 per cent of gross advances at the end of the September quarter from 3.36 per cent a year ago. However, net NPAs or bad loans declined to 1.36 per cent as against 1.72 per cent in the year-ago period.

Zika virus detected in mosquitos in Karnataka's Chikkaballapura district

Zika virus has been detected in a mosquito species in Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka following which blood samples of people with high fever have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) for examination, officials said on Thursday. The virus was detected in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes after samples from six waterbodies in Chikkaballapura were collected and sent for examination in August last week, they said. Following confirmation of the presence of Zika virus in the mosquito samples collected from Talakayalabetta in the district, an alert was issued in a five kilometre radius of the area as a precautionary measure to contain the breeding. The officials stressed that the virus has been detected only in mosquito samples collected from the Talakayalabetta waterbody and no cases have been detected in people yet. Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said no person has been tested positive for Zika virus. "The virus has been detected in a mosquito pool. This repor

Hold competitive exams in Kannada as well: CM Siddaramaiah to Centre

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday made a pitch for holding competitive exams for central government jobs in Kannada saying it is not possible to conduct them in Hindi or English alone. Addressing people at Kanteerava Stadium on the occasion of 68th Karnataka Rajyotsava, the Chief Minister said he would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a relook at the medium of language for these exams. "Shivaji Nagar MLA Rizwan Arshad has rightly said that the Central government conducts the exams only in Hindi and English. We need to oppose it," he said. According to him, it is not possible to hold the competitive exams in Hindi and English alone. "Our children will write the exams in the language they know. I will request our Prime Minister to take a relook (at the mode of language)," Siddaramaiah said. Noting that only government schools have Kannada as the medium of instruction and not private schools, the Chief Minister lamented there was a misconception among pe

Karnataka Rajyotsava Awards: Check the complete list of awardees here

Karnataka government has awarded the Rajyotsava award to 68 people including ISRO Chairman S Somanath and golfer Aditi Ashok. Here's the complete list

Won't be able to release water to TN, says Shivakumar after CWRC order

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has expressed the state's inability to release water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu as directed by the CWRC, saying it does not have adequate water in its Cauvery basin. His statement comes after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) had on Monday recommended Karnataka to release 2,600 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu per day for 15 days from November 1. Shivakumar, who holds the water resource portfolio, said the inflow of water in the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam is insufficient to release water to the neighbouring state. "The inflow in KRS Dam is nil. We don't have the strength to release water," he told reporters here and added that 815 cusecs of water flows naturally from KRS and Kabini dams to Tamil Nadu. "There is only about 51 TMC water left in the Cauvery basin. Presently, the water stored is required to meet the drinking water requirement," Shivakumar said. Tamil Nadu had demanded 13,000 cusecs of water everyday.

Shekhawat slams K'taka CM for spreading falsehood over water projects

Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Monday hit out at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accusing him of spreading falsehood and misinformation with regard to the various water projects including the Mekedatu balancing reservoir across the Cauvery river. Shekhawat reacted to Siddaramaiah's statement on Saturday alleging that the Narendra Modi-led government did not address Karnataka's water issues despite scanty rainfall. Alleging that projects like Mekedatu and the Mahadayi River are pending Centre's approval, Siddaramaiah charged, "Do you want to inflict more thirst on Kannadigas, dear Prime Minister?" Lashing out at Siddaramaiah, Shekhawat said in a statement on 'X': "We know it is tradition for Congress to spread false rumour & misinformation. But it isn't becoming of a CM to wreak havoc in people's lives by doing so." Regarding the Mekedatu project, the Minister said the discussion on the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was included as an agenda item during

BJP trying to destabilise our govt, but will not succeed: Karnataka CM

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the Karnataka Chief Minister said not a single MLA from the ruling Congress will switch sides

BJP making yet another laughable attempt to destabilise K'taka govt: Cong

The Congress on Saturday accused the Karnataka BJP of attempting to destabilise its government in the southern state. Sharing a media report which quoted first-time Congress MLA Ravikumar Gowda (Ganiga) as saying that a team of BJP leaders is approaching lawmakers with offers to defect, Congress general secretary organization, K C Venugopal, slammed the BJP in a post on X. "A party without a leader or an agenda is resorting to their old habit of undoing the people's mandate," he said. "Under the supervision of their masters in Delhi, Karnataka BJP is making yet another laughable attempt of destabilising our Karnataka government," Venugopal alleged. "But our INC MLAs are die hard loyalists and this government is receiving widespread praise for its speedy delivery of Guarantees. Maybe they should find a LOP and party president first?" Venugopal said. Gowda on Friday alleged that a team which was behind the fall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in 2019, was now working to l