BENGALURU:  The zero bill for energy consumed under the Gruha Jyothi scheme kicked in on August 1. Energy Minister KJ George on Tuesday said that 1.42 crore consumers are eligible for the scheme and will not pay power bills. In many districts, including Bengaluru, officials from various energy supply corporations (Escoms) handed over zero bills to consumers on Tuesday.  

George told the media the department had identified 2.16 crore consumers. After detailed scrutiny, 1.42 crore consumers were found to be eligible for the scheme. The minister said the billing cycle for the scheme starts on August 1, but for many, the cycle ranges from the 5th to the 16th of the month. But if they are eligible for zero bills under the scheme, the respective Escoms will reimburse the difference amount, along with bank interest. 

George added that though the scheme came into effect on July 1, and the billing cycle reflects from August 1, it will be formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Opposition Leader in the Rajya Sabha and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, and IT-BT and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge in Kalaburagi. “The government wants to unveil the five guarantee schemes in different districts. Since the Shakti scheme was launched in Bengaluru, this one will be done in Kalaburagi,” George said. 

On why registration was low compared to the number of consumers, George said: “Many have not registered for the scheme, saying they don’t want it. Some were rejected because they have more than one RR number. Many others are yet to apply,” he said. As per department records, of the 1,41,23,240 consumers who registered for the scheme, 1,23,10,788 consumers registered under Gruha Jyothi scheme directly, while 18,12,452 consumers were those who defaulted under the Kuteera Jyothi, Bhagya Jyothi and Amrutha Jyothi schemes. 

George said that consumers who have registered under KJ and BJ will get zero bills if their energy unit consumption is less than 58 units. Also, consumers under AJ schemes will get free power if their unit consumption is less than 83 units. He said consumers falling under these installations will not get the benefit of the Gruha Jyothi scheme.

He said if consumers fail to pay their arrears within three months, their connections will be disconnected. He said that separate guidelines will be issued soon for proper implementation of the scheme. The government will pay the Gruha Jyothi subsidy amount and Fuel Power Purchase Adjustment Charges amounts to all Escoms in advance to implement the scheme.

Mangaluru: In an incident reported on Sunday morning a 21-year-old medical student lost his life after accidentally falling from the 5th floor of an apartment located in the Kadri-Shivabhag area.

The young man, identified as Samay, resided in Kadri but hailed originally from Adyar. According to reports, on the fateful morning, Samay was engrossed in reading on the balcony of his apartment while his mother went downstairs to the ground floor to wash their car. During her absence, Samay went to the bathroom. Upon returning to the balcony, he inquired whether his mother had taken the bucket to wash the vehicle parked in the parking area below.

Unfortunately, the balcony floor had become slippery due to the ongoing rainfall. Tragically, Samay slipped and fell from the balcony, sustaining severe injuries. He was immediately rushed to the hospital, where medical professionals made valiant efforts to save him. Despite their best endeavors, Samay succumbed to his injuries, leaving his family and friends in shock and grief.

Samay’s father worked as a civil engineer, while his mother was a homemaker. He was the elder of two sons in the family.

Following the completion of the post-mortem examination, the mortal remains of the young student were handed over to his family. The Kadri Police Station has registered a case in connection with the incident.

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah got a shot in the arm after convening the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting as he created an opportunity to establish himself as the top leader with his supporters backing him fully. Also, the MLAs, led by Aland legislator BR Patil — who had written to the chief minister urging him to hold the CLP, apologised to him for writing the letter. 

“The chief minister told them it was not proper to write the letter as it looked like a signature campaign and he would have responded to their request even if they had asked him orally. He told them that the practice of writing letters should stop. Telling him that they did not want to launch a signature campaign, they apologised to both the chief minister and KPCC president DK Shivakumar,” Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara told reporters in Tumakuru on Friday. 

Siddaramaiah, during his earlier tenure During between 2013 and 2018 too, had resorted to a similar strategy to sort out the differences among MLAs and consolidated his position, political analysts said. This time, too, he has responded quickly to address MLAs’ concerns that ministers were letting them down, they added.

Interestingly, both Patil and former minister Basavaraja Rayareddy, who had signed the letter, are followers of Siddaramaiah. They both joined Congress from other parties. 

On Friday morning, former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi met Siddaramaiah. Meanwhile, PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, a staunch supporter of Siddaramaiah, issued a statement that he is not in the race for the chief minister’s post in the present tenure, indicating that he will back Siddaramaiah as chief minister.

At a time Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said there was a conspiracy to destabilise the government from Singapore, the CLP meeting boosted the morale of Congress leaders and Siddaramaiah, said a senior Congress leader. Siddaramaiah is starting visits to districts from Monday to review the progress, and he is already in Haveri district. His aim is to take control of the bureaucracy amid a cash-for-transfer controversy, as alleged by opposition parties, especially JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy.

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will start his tour of districts on Monday to review the flood situation and agricultural activities.

“Most probably, I will start my tour on Monday to Mangaluru, Udupi, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru districts,” he told reporters after holding a video conference on Wednesday with deputy commissioners and chief executive officers (CEOs) of zilla panchayats on the flood and drought situation in the state.

“Sixty-four people died between January 1 and July 25. These deaths, due to disasters, could have been avoided if the district administrations had been alert,” he said during the five-hour meeting.

He directed the officials of agriculture, rural development, revenue, police and other departments to work in tandem. He asked the DCs to spend grants available with them on emergency works.

Siddaramaiah said district-level officials should stay put in their headquarters and monitor the rain and flood situation. “Don’t wait for the disasters to happen to shift people to safe places,” he added. He took the officials to task for not taking steps to repair anganwadi centres, school and hospital buildings 
that are in a dilapidated state despite the government releasing funds for the same. “Such indifference and neglect will not be tolerated,” he warned them.

“There are many complaints from people that the houses built by the previous BJP government are not fit for occupation. Hence, precautionary measures should be taken,” he told the officials. Siddaramaiah lauded the Udupi district in-charge minister when she stated that the opening of war rooms in the district some time ago had helped in taking steps to tackle flash floods.

The CM said that a separate meeting on sea erosion will be held soon. A permanent solution has to be found to prevent sea erosion, he added. Referring to 12 bridges that have been submerged in Belgaum district, the CM said people living in flood-hit villages should be shifted to rehabilitation centres. There is no restriction on payment for work under SDRF and NDRF and also on taking up new works immediately, Siddaramaiah said. He directed the police to ensure that money lenders did not harass farmers.

Stating that sowing is now picking up with most districts receiving good rainfall, he asked the Agriculture Department to ensure adequate seeds, fertilizers and pesticides.

Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah on Tuesday night said that all efforts are being taken to ensure that problems stemming from the rains would be tackled. “To ensure safety, Deputy Commissioners have declared holidays for schools and colleges in the vulnerable regions and it is advised for all citizens to adhere to the instructions of local administration,” he said.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, School Education Commissioner Cauvery BB said that the decision to declare a holiday to educational institutions is being made on the basis of rain severity in districts.

BENGALURU: From August 1, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, tractors and other agricultural vehicles will not be allowed to enter the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway. 

A notification was issued on July 12 and will come into effect from August 1, a top official from National Highways Authority of India told The New Indian Express. 

While there were demands before NHAI to allow two-wheelers with high cubic capacity (indicating power output of the engine) to be allowed, with the toll fee, all requests were declined and a blanket ban was imposed on all kinds of two-wheelers. 

The 6-lane expressway, which reduces travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru, was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March, but was opened to traffic months earlier. Ever since, it has been in the news for one or other reason, including fatal accidents, controversy over the toll fee, and lack of a continuous service road. 

Home Minister G Parameshwara had stated that the e-way lacks scientific planning and the police department, led by Additional Director General of Police (Traffic and Road Safety) Alok Kumar inspected the stretch in June and started penalising overspeeding vehicles. Of the 296 accidents on the e-way since January, 132 were fatal. The maximum speed limit allowed on the e-way is 100 km/hour.

After being heavily criticised for the increasing number of accidents, NHAI set up a three-member committee to inspect the stretch and is expected to submit a report by this month-end.

Additional Director-General of Police (Traffic and Road Safety) Alok Kumar inspected the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway on Tuesday along with Ramanagara SP Karthik Reddy and IGP (Central Range) BR Ravikanthe Gowda. Alok Kumar examined the safety measures taken to curb the increasing accidents on the expressway.

BENGALURU:  Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda on Monday clarified that the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from Karnataka, who were stranded due to rain-related damage, were brought to safety to relief camps, and they will be brought back home soon.

“Already, 129 pilgrims who were rescued and taken to the CRPF camp have been safely brought to Kashmir. However, the weather has worsened in the Baltal camp and the road has been closed due to heavy fog. Once the situation improves by Wednesday, the road operation will begin.

After that, those in the Baltal camp will also be brought to Kashmir and to Karnataka,” he informed the Assembly.

The Chief Minister’s Office is communicating with four senior IAS and IPS officers from the state, who have already been sent to Kashmir. “The families of pilgrims need not panic as it is our responsibility to bring everyone home safely,” he said, expressing confidence.

BENGALURU: Even a week after the commencement of the budget session in Karnataka, the Legislative Assembly remains without a Leader of Opposition (LoP), since the BJP top brass are yet to take a decision. The ruling Congress party criticised the BJP, terming the latter’s indecision as undemocratic.

According to BJP legislators, the appointment of LoP is unlikely anytime soon and the session will continue like this until the end.

Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai’s son Bharat was blessed with a baby boy on Monday. The entrepreneur and industrialist, Bharat, tweeted about the glad tidings, with many of his and his father’s friends greeting him.

NEW DELHI:  Amid the din of Opposition unity talks, 16 states opposed the Congress-ruled Karnataka government’s demand to allow states to buy cheaper rice through the Open Market Sales Scheme (OMSS) of the Centre. The Union government has discontinued selling stocked grains (rice and wheat) to state governments under the OMSS on June 13.

In a recently concluded state food ministers’ meeting in New Delhi, 16 states opposed the demand of the Karnataka government to participate in OMSS, said Sanjiv Chopra, secretary of the Food and Public Distribution Department.

According to Chopra, states and Union Territories (UTs), including Tamil Nadu and Odisha, are of the view that the Centre’s surplus food stock should be used in the larger interest of 140 crore population and “not for a particular section and particular class of people”.Advertisementhttps://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/jul/11/16-states-oppose-karnatakas-demand-for-rice-at-cheaper-rate-centre-2593603.html

States supported the Union government’s move to sell grains to private traders to control food grain inflation. However, the Union government has failed to sell the grains to private traders. Under the first e-auction on July 5 across 19 states, traders showed a very lukewarm response to the OMSS of rice.  Only 12 buyers turned up. Out of it, only five traders registered bid 170 MT of rice out of a total of 3.86 LMT which the Food Corporation of India offered to sell.

Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh has criticised the Union government over the failed e-auction as the government has played petty and vindictive politics on poor food security in Karnataka. “Government’s e-auction has flopped miserably and more than 99.9% of the rice offered for e-auction remains unsold. In any case, it is clear that the Modi government has greater faith in private traders to control inflation than in state government than the public distribution system” states Ramesh.

Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh has criticised the Union government over the failed e-auction as the government has played petty and vindictive politics on poor food security in Karnataka

BENGALURU:  Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to launch the ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme by distributing cheques to a few beneficiaries at the Conference Hall of Vidhana Soudha at 5 pm on Monday.

Since the government cannot procure the required quantity of rice for the scheme, it is giving cash of Rs 170 per month per beneficiary against 5 kg of rice at Rs 34 per kg. Around 4.42 crore people from 1.28 crore families, including BPL and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) card holders, are expected to benefit. The CM, who is also the finance minister, allocated Rs 10,275 crore for the scheme for the 2023-24 fiscal year in the budget at Rs 856.25 crore per month.

The government had promised to launch the scheme on July 1. But it faced hurdles, as the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry and Department of Food and Public Distribution took a policy decision to discontinue the sale of rice and wheat to states under the Open Market Sale Scheme-Domestic (OMSS-D).
Caught in a bind, the state government decided to pay cash, instead of rice, to beneficiaries until the rice supplies were ensured. Now, the government has called for tenders to get the staple.

Of the five guarantees Congress had promised in the run-up to the Assembly polls, the government has launched the Gruha Shakti, allowing women to travel free in all non-premium KSRTC buses, while the process is on to start Gruha Jyothi, which provides 200 units of free electricity, Gruha Laksmi to give Rs 2,000 per month for women heads of every family, and Yuva Nidhi, which gives Rs 3,000 for unemployed graduates and Rs 1,5000 for diploma. Siddaramaiah allocated Rs 35,410 crore in the budget for all the five guarantees for the 2023-24 financial year.

Sharanu Salgar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Basavakalyana

Bidar: A case has been registered against Sharanu Salgar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Basavakalyana, and eight others for allegedly issuing threats and attempting to attack a Muslim family in connection with cow slaughter allegations. The case was filed at the Basavakalyana Police Station based on a complaint lodged by Mehraj, a resident of Hiremath Colony in the town.

According to the complaint, on June 29, MLA Sharanu Salgar and his supporters visited Mehraj’s house during the occasion of Bakrid and questioned the family about the sacrificial ritual being performed. The legislator allegedly subjected Mehraj and the entire community to verbal abuse. He forcefully entered the house and issued threats, warning the family that they would be taught a lesson for their actions, as per the complainant.

The Basavakalyana Police have taken cognizance of the complaint and registered a case against Sharanu Salgar and the other accused. The charges include making threats, trespassing, and promoting enmity between different groups based on religion, race, or place of birth.