Archives for 2022

Parmesh S jain

The 86th All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelana would be held in Haveri from September 23 to 25.

The decision to this effect was taken at a preparatory meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for the 3 day literary meet.

The Chief Minister instructed the organisers to ensure that various seminars organised as part of the literary festival are meaningful,see greater participation of the people and fair representation for localites.

Bommai emphasised on good boarding and lodging facilities for the participants.The need to make good use of hostels and dormitories, community halls.

Accommodation should be arranged in Hubballi and Davangere too,Bommai said and suggested organising tents as emergency arrangement on the lines of Kumbh Mela.

The Chief Minister wanted efficient arrangements for food,drinking water and toilet facilities for the people during the Literary Fest.

The State government has provided Rs.20 cr for the event in its budget,he said.

Environment-friendly Sammelana

Bommai wanted the event to be environment-friendly, banning the use of flex boards and advertisement hoardings.

The meeting was attended by Jnanpith awardee Chandrashekar Kambar,Kannada and Culture minister Sunil Kumar,Labour minister Shivaram Hebbar and senior officials.

Parmesh S Jain

Cutting across party barriers Karnataka has the tradition of working unitedly over the issues of State’s farmers, water and land.

Development works should be completed within a fixed time.Action would be taken for clearing the second phase of Kerur Lift Irrigation project, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.

The Chief Minister in his address after laying the foundation stone for Kerur Lift Irrigation project at Ugalavata village in Badami said, the Rs.528 cr Kerur Lift Irrigation project would bring water for 40,000 hectares of land which has been left out of Upper Krishna Project.

We would not rest till the project is completed. Many irrigation projects are being bogged down due to disputes with neighboring States of Andhra Pradesh,Telangana and Maharashtra.

We are making all our efforts for the UKP Phase 3 project which envisages raising the height of Almatti dam to 524 metres.Are trying to get necessary clearances for the project,Bommai said.

The project would provide irrigation facility for 13 lakh hectares.It would open the doors of prosperity for the people of Northern Karnataka, he said.

Badami is an international tourist destination.It needs to be developed further.Various programmes have already been chalked out in this regard.

A Renewed Master Plan would be drawn up for comprehensive growth of tourism in Badami, Bommai said.

Parmesh S Jain

Instructions have been issued for resolving the Azan issue harmoniously through holding peace committee meetings at the Police Station level.
The process is going on.

Everyone should follow the law,Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.

Speaking to media persons in Kalaburagi he said, there is a High Court order on Azan.A circular has already been issued in accordance with that.The rule also specifies the decibel level. The DG has already issued the circular.”

Replying to a question,Bommai said,the unity in the party is stronger than what it was earlier. There are no differences in the party.

A few issues that had cropped up have been resolved.We are more united than ever.Greater importance is being given for the development of Kalyana Karnataka region.We are confident of taking everyone along,Bommai said.

Parmesh S Jain

At a time when the Kerala government is going ahead with its ambitious semi-high speed railway project setting aside criticisms,a former Indian Railway official part of its feasibility study,on Wednesday, April 20,spoke out against the mammoth initiative claiming that the people of the state will be burdened by the project,which may eventually costs Rs two lakh crore.

Alok Kumar Verma,who had prepared the preliminary feasibility report of the Silver Line alias K-Rail project, said the original proposal of the state government was for a broad gauge line and the decision for adopting a standard gauge was taken by the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL).

Recalling that the proposal sent to the Railway Board in 2017 was for a broad gauge line and not a standard gauge, he said the sanction given by them to prepare a detailed plan was also for the former.

There was no approval for a standard gauge,the standard gauge has been chosen by the KRDCL and this is the main reason why the Union government is not willing to bear any responsibility or any cost of this project,Verma told reporters.

Both the Railway Board and the Ministry of Railways have made it clear that most of the cost, may be 100 per cent of the project cost or the liability,will be on the shoulder of the Kerala government, he said.

The retired officer arrived in Kerala to meet Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and senior government officials to flag concerns regarding the mammoth infrastructure project, However, he reportedly did not get an audience with Vijayan.

Later,he met the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly VD Satheesan and discussed various aspects of the project.

While detailing the economic impact of the semi-high speed rail corridor project,he said it is the responsibility of the Railway Board and the Ministry of Railways to provide rail infrastructure everywhere and hence the point is why should Kerala people have to pay for a railway line.

The cost of the railway line should be borne by the Union government.So,the Kerala people are going to be burdened by a project which may eventually cost Rs two lakh crore.It does not make any sense,Verma added.

Asked about the KRDCL’s argument that Verma had only a three-month-long association with the rail corridor project, the retired officer charged that the agency knows nothing but to lie and “they have spoiled the whole project.”

Parmesh S Jain

The Vidhana Soudha police on Thursday launched an investigation into an allegedly forged Rural Development Panchayat Raj Karnataka (RDPR) letter in connection with the suicide of Santosh Patil,a contractor from Hindalga. 

On April 12, Patil killed himself and left behind a WhatsApp message blaming former Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K.S. Eshwarappa,who was forced to resign.

He had alleged that he had begun road work in Hindalga based on verbal assurances from the Minister and was under pressure to give commissions even though bill payments were pending.  

The police have sought the help of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team to ascertain notes written in green ink stating that order copies are to be issued on 5/3/2022.

At the end, it stated ordered for approval,The police claim it was based on this letter, which was accessed by a section of the media,that road work on Hindalga village was taken up. 

In fact the letter allegedly issued by the then CEO of the Zilla Panchayath is forged and no staff member of RDPR has written on this letter.

It does not resemble anyone’s handwriting, the RDPR department clarified .

Ramesh DO,Deputy Director,RDPR in his clarification said that such notes and work orders on a letter is illegal.

The letter going by its serial number is just a requisition received by the department and had been pending since then,said Mr. Ramesh in the FIR, which also stated.

Looking at all the aspects it was concluded that the letter with notes on green ink is a clear case of forgery.

The police are now trying to track down the source of the letter.