BENGALURU: The battle for politically important Mandya is going to be intense in the 2023 Assembly elections. This is one of the few districts where the fight is usually between JDS and Congress.

Yet on Friday, senior JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy chose to target BJP, which received a negligible number of votes in all the seven constituencies in the 2018 elections.

Saying that BJP is doing politics in the name of religion, he alleged that the ruling party does not want development. It only uses people by making them emotional, but voters will not fall prey to BJP’s antics. BJP’s politics of religion will be its undoing, he added.

On Panchamasalis seeking 2A reservation, he said a comprehensive study should be conducted on their educational, economical and cultural status and their everyday earnings before deciding on the quota category. Kumaraswamy’s attack on BJP comes in the backdrop of BJP MLC CP Yogeshwara criticising JDS recently. Yogeshwara is likely to contest against the former CM again in the coming polls.

KR Pet in Mandya district is another constituency where JDS will face a serious challenge from BJP. This time, JDS is going all out to consolidate its position in the sugarcane belt and good turnouts at its Pancharatna Yatra have only made the party confident.

BENGALURU:  Winnability, seniority in the party, the capacity to mobilise resources required for elections, and popularity in the constituency will be major criteria for shortlisting Congress candidates for the 2023 Assembly polls

The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has started the process of shortlisting candidates from among ticket aspirants, who have submitted applications.KPCC president DK Shivakumar has constituted committees that will visit all the districts to shortlist 1-3 candidates and send the list to the state party unit.Committee members have been informed to only consider candidates who enjoy the confidence of the local population and give priority to youngsters and women, who have a chance of winning the elections.

Shivakumar said the committee members should look at all the applications in their respective districts, assess their strengths and weaknesses, and finalise unanimous candidates after holding consultations with all leaders. In case of any differences among the aspirants, the committee members have been told to take the assistance of KPCC and AICC leaders to resolve the issue.

He also directed the committee members not to hold meetings at residences of leaders and not to allow any recordings. They have also been directed against issuing any statements to the media about the discussions during the meetings. The candidates involved in any anti-social activities or communal acts will not be considered. The committee members have been directed to start holding meetings immediately and send the shortlisted names to KPCC before January 1, 2023.

Meanwhile, former Union minister Margaret Alva will be in-charge of the committee that will look into the applications and shortlist the candidates in Bengaluru City Central, former CM M Veerappa Moily will head the committee in Kolar, and former Union minister KH Muniyappa in Tumakuru.

BENGALURU: A 42-year-old woman approached police after she was thrown out of her flat near Richards Park on Monday by some men, following which she had to spend the night on the road.

The victim, identified as Sara, alias Sonam Mishra, in her complaint with Pulakeshinagar police, stated that Abdul Rehman and his associates trespassed her flat by breaking open the locks. The accused took away all her gold ornaments and are staying illegally in her flat, she said.

“There has been a dispute over the flat between the complainant and suspects for the past one year. The complainant has alleged that she had invested in the flat and the suspects have no say in it. There is no clarity on the ownership of the flat. Since it is a civil dispute, both parties have to approach court.

However, the woman has accused the suspects of criminal trespass,” said an officer who is part of the investigation.

On Tuesday, the woman approached the city police commissioner’s office, accusing the local police of not taking her complaint. Further, investigations are on.

BENGALURU: The revamp of the perennially jampacked Hebbal flyover by Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), which was stopped completely in April 2019, is finally set to restart. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Wednesday gave the BDA the green signal after it agreed to go back to its original plan of carrying out numerous infra works only on the first level of the flyover. It has given up its plans to build at the second level.

A top BDA official said two lanes will be built in the direction from the airport towards the city only on the first level apart from an underpass. “People entering the city from the airport, who face massive congestion at the Hebbal flyover presently as well as those coming from Yelahanka, Doddaballapur, Jakkur, Doddaballapur, Gauribidanur, Sahakar Nagar, Coffee Board Layout and surrounding areas will benefit from this.”

BMRCL had made the BDA stop work in 2019 apprehensive of the new structures posing issues for its two separate Metro lines which would pass above and beyond the flyover. The State’s High Powered Committee held two meetings this year (April 28 and September 12) with all  agencies to break the deadlock over the issue.

TNIE has a copy of the order issued by BMRCL which states that the Phase-3 Metro on Outer Ring Road West up to Kempapura across Hebbal flyover and Phase-3A Metro from Sarjapur to Hebbal go beyond Hebbal flyover. “All the structures, including widening of the existing flyover and loops and ramps for different directions, should be provided only at Level-1, below or at the end of the existing flyover. The proposed underpass should be planned taking into consideration the alignment and piers of Phase-3 Metro,” it stressed.

PJB Constructions Pvt Ltd was awarded the contract for Rs 80 crore and BDA had already released Rs 25 crore to it. “The foundation work for the project was completed before work was ordered to be stopped,” explained another BDA source. “There will be some cost escalation due to the three-year gap and we will be paying that to the contractor. But work can start shortly,” he added.

RAICHUR/BENGALURU : Karnataka’s first case of Zika virus has been reported from a village in Raichur district’s Manvi taluk. The case of the patient, a five-year-old girl, was processed on December 5 and reported as ‘positive’ on December 8, but a subsequent test recorded her as Zika-negative, by when she was cured and discharged from hospital. 

However, what has baffled the health authorities is that neither the little girl nor her five-member family had any travel history, and they lived in an isolated place in Kolichya village coming under the limits of Neermanvi Primary Health Centre of Manvi taluk (Raichur district). Interestingly, blood and serum samples of all five members of the girl’s family which were also sent for testing, were found to be negative for Zika virus.

Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Monday confirmed to the media in Bengaluru that the girl was tested positive for Zika virus. He said Zika virus cases have been earlier reported from Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra a few months ago, but this girl is the first case in Karnataka.

“The case came to light when the girl’s serum collected for Dengue and Chikungunya was sent to the Virology lab in Pune for testing. We usually send 10% of such samples for testing. Of the three specimen samples we sent, the five-year-old girl’s has come positive. The case was processed on December 5 and reported on December 8,” Dr Sudhakar said, adding that the state government was monitoring the situation with caution.  

He said that there was no cause for panic and that the health department will soon be issuing detailed guidelines to tackle Zika virus. Raichur District Health Officer Dr Surendra Babu said two teams of experts from Bengaluru and Kolkata have reached the village to conduct some more tests on the girl, who has recovered. Dr Babu said the girl was suffering from fever and was admitted to Sindhanur Taluk Hospital. 

Raichur girl treated at VIMS

She was referred to Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) as the doctors at Sindhanur Taluk Hospital of Raichur district suspected it to be Dengue fever. 

The VIMS doctors treated the girl, and as a precautionary measure, sent her blood and serum samples to National Institute of Virology, Pune. As the girl was cured, she was discharged from the hospital. Two tests just days apart showed the first to be positive, while the second came negative. Zika is spread through the bites of infected Aedes species mosquitoes, A aegypti and A albopictus.

BENGALURU:  In the run-up to the assembly polls, the state BJP has planned a series of public rallies by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath across the state

In January, the PM is expected to take part in Raitha Morcha Samavesha scheduled to be held in Belagavi and Shah will attend the SC Morcha Samavesha in Chitradurga, where the opposition Congress has also planned an SC/ST Samavesha on January 8.

“Modi will visit the state once every 15 days and Shah four times a month,” said Revenue Minister R Ashoka. Meanwhile, RSS leaders have been holding talks with the CM as he will be the BJP’s face. RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale met Bommai, and on Friday night, veteran RSS pracharak Mukunda CR held a meeting with the CM for two hours. “They discussed Bommai’s cabinet expansion and induction of former ministers KS Eshwarappa, CP Yogishwara and Ramesh Jarkiholi to brighten party’s chances in certain seats,” a source said.

Two strategists for the party in Karnataka, Union ministers Bhupendar Yadav and Piyush Goyal, also held talks with Bommai during his visit to New Delhi recently. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will inaugurate a samavesha of party workers on December 18. Nadda is expected to address rallies in Bagalkot on December 15, 20 and 21. The party’s Yuva Morcha Samavesha in Udupi on January 12 will be attended by Adityanath.

Responding to the challenge of contesting against former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Varuna constituency, BJP state vice-president BY Vijayendra riposted, saying, “I am ready to face any challenge. It’s up to the party to decide,” he added. Asserting that he is ready to shoulder any responsibility, Vijayendra said he is organising the party in Varuna and other constituencies and is committed to winning more seats in the Old Mysuru region. He said leaders of the Grand Old Party are under the wrong impression that BJP’s massive victory in the Gujarat elections will not impact Karnataka.

BENGALURU:  With 2023 Assembly polls approaching, the Congress high command has convened a meeting of leaders of the party’s Karnataka unit in New Delhi on Monday where issues ranging from internal rift to strategies to win the elections are likely to be discussed

“Since ticket distribution is likely to morph into a big issue, it will be taken up for discussion. AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge will have the power to decide on candidates,” a source told TNIE.
CLP leader Siddaramaiah, KPCC president DK Shivakumar, former DCM Dr G Parameshwara, KH Muniyappa, MB Patil and others are likely to attend the meeting at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, where Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi are expected to be present.

They are likely to tell the sulking leaders to avoid confusion by raking up the issue of chief ministerial candidates. Groupism has also become a headache for high command. Siddaramaiah is planning to launch his own yatra from Janurary 3, as his admirers and Chamarajpet MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan and Hebbal MLA Byrati Suresh have arranged a special bus for him from North Karnataka, while KPCC chief DK Shivakumar plans to launch another yatra from the Old Mysuru region. Parameshwara had suggested they should launch the yatras only after the SC/ST ‘Aikyata Samavesha’ on Janurary 8 in Chitradurga.

BENGALURU: Last week, a 12-year-old girl was attacked by stray dogs in Belagavi when she was returning from school, a three-year-old boy was killed by a pack of stray dogs in Bhadravathi, a girl was attacked in Purale of Shivamogga and a child got 15 stitches on its neck in Gadag after bitten by street dogs.ADVERTISEMENTAds by 

These are just some stray dog attack cases that have come to light, while a majority go unreported. Incidents of street dogs attacking people, especially women and children and bikers riding late at night, have increased across the state. Experts and officials from the animal husbandry department blame improper execution of the anti-birth control programme (ABC). Even as many NGOs are keen to carry out the exercise on behalf of municipal corporations, improper allocation of funds is deterring it, they say.

A report by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in New Delhi states that the country this year has seen 250 deaths due to rabies and most of them are from Karnataka at 32. The report said that some victims died despite taking the anti-rabies vaccine. While 20,000 Indians have died because of rabies, 60 per cent are children below 15 years of age. The National Rabies Control Programme has been implemented across India, except in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, the ministry added.

The cards are issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India, but the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) does not have a database on the number of such animal lovers in the city. In other parts of Karnataka, including Hassan, Kolar and Chikkaballapur, no cards have been issued. In places like Madikeri, however, feeders are helping the municipality catch dogs for the ABC programme.

To address the issue of clashes between government agencies, animal right activists, feeders and citizens, the state government is working on strengthening the Stop Cruelty to Animals (STCA) campaign, where feeders and other stakeholders will be given cases to handle in specific areas to ensure that the dog population is under control.

Dr Pervez Piran, former joint director, Animal Husbandry Department, told TNIE that to control the menace, it is important to ensure that there is no gap. “Even if three males are missed it is fine, every female should be captured for the ABC programme. The animal feeders should be used as a network for the programme as animals have already built a trust with them. But the dedication among officials is missing,” he added.

Catching and neutering stray dogs is not easy but with the cooperation of all, it can be done, he said. Citizens, including feeders, play a crucial role in capturing and neutering the animals and it does not require big infrastructure. “The process that was followed earlier can be replicated. A dog is captured, neutered and released in the same place. This ensures that their territory is not disturbed and the population is also under control, ensuring a lesser number of conflicts,” he explained.

Another activist, working with the BBMP and state government in the ABC programme, said many people allow dogs to take shelter in their homes when dog capture vehicles arrive and this should not be allowed. The problem is also because while the area of the city has increased, the programme has not. “The focus of the ABC programme is only in around 800 sqkm area, while new wards and expanding boundaries have not been covered and the problem is increasing in newer areas. A similar problem persists in neighbouring districts too. While subadult and adult dogs have boundaries, puppies, juveniles and females wander to newer places, increasing the population,” he said.

Animal activists said dogs wandering into forests and attacking wild animals is increasing which is a cause of concern. Stray dogs attacking peafowls or spotted deer have been seen in forests around Bengaluru. Many municipalities too are to be blamed as they are catching dogs and releasing them into the forest endangering the wildlife. Such incidents have been reported from Dandeli and Chamarajanagar. In Kolar and Chikkaballapur, street dogs are increasingly attacking cattle, while in Belagavi, 20 street dogs attacked and killed 12 sheep.

Bengaluru
BBMP said Bengaluru has 1.5 lakh street dogs as per the 2019 survey report, while the numbers have not been updated over the last two years because of the pandemic.

Ravi Kumar, Joint Director, BBMP, Animal Husbandry, said that on an average, around 600 dogs are vaccinated for anti-rabies every month, while four dogs are captured for ABC every day. He said that as per a Supreme Court order, those who feed the animals should also take care of them (vaccinate and sterilize). But that is not happening. The BBMP has been able to sterilise only 71 per cent of the dog population, but this is less compared to their breeding cycles. Only a few adopt local breed dogs, he pointed out.

From April till October 2022, 28,341 dogs have undergone ABC programme, while 52,635 have been vaccinated for rabies. For this period, no dog bite deaths have been reported, while 17,610 dog bite cases have been registered. Also, 3,217 dog rescue calls have been made to BBMP and NGOs, states the BBMP report.

Madikeri
According to the Madikeri City Municipal Council, over 600 stray dogs have been spayed, while strays are being given anti-rabies injections. While the issue is being addressed scientifically in Madikeri, it is not the case in other parts of the district. Whenever rabid dog bite cases are reported, panchayats go on dog-catching drives. Since they are not done ethically and with proper equipment, they are opposed by animal activists. In many places, citizens themselves are taking care of strays.

Mysuru
There is no stray dog problem in Mysuru city, claimed Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Health Officer DG Nagaraj. The MCC dog squad attends to public complaints round the clock. The MCC is also setting up a dog park on a five-acre plot at Rayanakere on HD Kote Road on the city outskirts. It will have the latest medical facilities and also a shelter for stray dogs. Veterinarians from NGOs conduct around 20 ABC operations per day, he added.

Hassan
Activists blame the city municipal corporation for catching strays and releasing them into the wild last year. But now, nearly 20 per cent of those dogs have returned to the city. The stray dog population is said to be high at Pension Mohalla, Hosaline Road, Ring Road, Vallabhai Road and Tanniru Halla. Last year, 52 people, including 31 children, were bitten by stray dogs last year, said CMC officials. Hassan City Municipality president Mohan said the CMC is planning a special drive to catch stray dogs.

Mangaluru
Dakshina Kannada has reported 15,649 cases of dog bites from January till November this year. District Health Officer Dr Kishore Kumar said they have been giving ARV for all dog bite cases and this year no rabid dog bite have been reported. As a precautionary measure, all bites are assumed to be rabid because most symptoms develop after three or four months.

Suma R Nayak, trustee, Animal Care Trust, Mangaluru said, the stray dog problem isn’t big but it is not being handled properly by the authorities. A systematic process should be followed to solve the problem. Few local bodies take interest and many panchayats have stopped the drive, citing lack of funds. Irresponsible pet owners leave puppies on the roads without sterilising the mother which adds to the problem, she said.

Belagavi
Several incidents of stray dog attacks on humans and animals have been reported across Belagavi district over the last one year. Varun Karkhanis, founder, Belgaum Animal Welfare Association, said Belagavi city has over 15,000 stray dogs. If the authorities continue the ABC programme without breaks, the menace will be eradicated, he added. Dr Sanjay Dumgol, Health Officer, Belagavi City Corporation, said the contract for sterilising stray dogs has been given to Bengaluru-based NGO ‘Care for Voiceless’. He said the implementation of ABC is slow and it will take five to seven years to control the dog population.

Shivamogga
Shivamogga City Corporation Commissioner Mayanna Gowda said the corporation spends Rs 5-6 lakh every year for the ABC programme, where 500-600 stray dogs are neutered. Many stray dogs are coming from rural and adjacent areas into the city as they find easy food. The ABC programme should be carried out continuously for two years in all city corporations and gram panchayat to tackle the problem. A census conducted 5-6 years ago revealed that there were 4,000 stray dogs. From January to October 2022, 15,810 dog bite cases were reported in the district.

Kalaburagi
Dog bite incidents are rampant in Kalaburagi city as a large population of stray dogs is found in many localities, including Mominpura, Darga, Hagarga, Aiwan-E-Shahi Road and Gazipura.

Kalaburagi Mahanagara Palike Commissioner Bhuvanesh Patil said the city has around 4,000 stray dogs and of them, 1,200 have been sterilised. Maharashtra-based Azad organisation is conducting the ABC programme. District Surgeon Dr Ambaraya Rudrawadi said from April to December, 10,939 people have been treated for dog bites. The highest number of 266 cases was reported in Chittapur taluk in November, said District Health Officer Dr Rajashekhar Male.

Gadag
The Gadag-Betageri twin city is facing the stray dog problem in Hamalara Colony, which has witnessed 11 dog bite cases in one month. An official from Gadag Betageri Municipal Council said, “We have collected information about the stray dog problem in some areas and it will be sent to higher officials. We will address the issue at the earliest”.

Kolar and Chikkaballapur
Stray dog attacks on people and cattle are increasing in Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts. A majority of stray dogs are being vaccinated by private doctors. K Jayaraman, a pharmacist, said that as compared to previous years, the sale of anti-rabies vaccine Rabipur has increased four times this year.

KOLAR: Veteran Congress leader and seven-time MP KH Muniyappa took exception to a group of partymen in Kolar projecting senior party leader Siddaramaiah as the chief ministerial candidate by saying that there are 10 other contenders for the post.

“The focus of the party should be on the overall development of the state”, he said. While addressing a meeting of Congress leaders and workers for the first time after it was reported that Siddaramaiah could possibly contest from Kolar, Muniyappa said that it was “very painful” for him to note that neither the state Congress leaders nor the party high command has taken any step to look into the manner in which he was defeated in the Lok Sabha poll, apparently referring to alleged infighting in the party which led to his defeat.

Muniyappa said in his speech that senior Congress leader V.R. Sudharshan will take up with the state high command and apprise them of the issues discussed in the meeting. On Siddaramaiah’s proposed candidature from Kolar, Muniyappa said he would welcome the senior leader as his only concern was that the Congress should become stronger in Kolar and Chikballapur districts.

He, however, made it clear that some leaders should immediately refrain from creating groupism by arranging meetings at village and hobli-levels. “If I open my mouth, there will be a rift in the Congress,” he said. “All should join together and ensure that all 11 Assembly segments vote in favour of the Congress in Kolar and Chikballapur districts,” he said. 

BENGALURU: A woman allegedly murdered her octogenarian neighbour and escaped after hiding the body in a wardrobe. The incident took place in Attibele of Anekal taluk. Police said the deceased has been identified as Parvathamma (80), a resident of Neraluru village.

The police are on the lookout for the accused, Payal Khan (aged about 26). “Parvathamma had moved with her family to a rented house on the second floor of a building about nine months ago and the accused lived on the third floor of the building for 10 months. Parvathamma had left the house on Friday evening, informing family members that she was going out to buy betel leaf and would be back soon. However, she did not return and her family started searching for her,” police said.

On Saturday, her son, Ramesh, lodged a missing person complaint.  “Meanwhile, Ramesh’s wife informed him that Parvathamma had told her that the neighbour upstairs was inviting her home and they should check there once, but the house was locked on Saturday evening. As it was locked even on Sunday morning, Ramesh grew suspicious and informed the police.

When the house was searched, the body was found in a wardrobe,” the police said. The miscreant had smothered the elderly woman and hidden her body in the wardrobe after tying her limbs. “About 80 grams of gold the woman was wearing are missing. It appears to be a murder for gain. We are looking for the killer,” the police added.