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Karnataka government seizes 62 Uber two-wheeler taxis

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ubermoto

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Friday seized 62 two-wheeler taxis belonging to app-based cab aggregator Uber for violating the Motor Vehicles Act and continuing to operate without requisite permission.

“We have seized 62 Uber bikes (two-wheeler taxis, uberMOTO) today (Friday) for operating illegally. We will take stern action against them (Uber) in accordance with the Motor Vehicles Act.,” Karnataka Transport Commissioner Rame Gowda told IANS.

Gowda pointed out that white number plated uberMOTO two-wheelers do not comply with the rules and the drivers also lack a badge which a commercial vehicle driver should have.

The transport commissioner clarified that any commercial vehicle must first make an application to the Road Transport Authority (RTA) in their respective district or area to start business operations.

He said a committee including the deputy commissioner of a particular district or area as the chairman, RTO as the secretary and SP or DCP as the member will consider the application and deal with it according to the requirement.

“Without doing all these things, it is an illegal operation. Everybody should know what they (Uber) are doing, what business they are doing, how they are conducting,” said Gowda.

“Let them follow the rules, we are not coming in their way. It should be transparent. If anything goes wrong ultimately who is responsible. It is not fair on their (Uber) part,” Gowda told IANS.

On being asked if there would be any monetary penalty on Uber, Gowda said the court will decide.

According to media reports, Uber’s rival Ola stopped its version of two-wheeler taxis Ola Bike which was also confirmed by Gowda leading to only Uber two-wheeler taxis being seized on Friday.

Despite several attempts by IANS to elicit the reasons for halting the two-wheeler taxi services and whether it received a notice from the government, Ola did not respond.

Interestingly, IANS succeeded in booking and cancelling an Uber two-wheeler taxi from the Bengaluru Press Club near Cubbon Park in the heart of the city.

The app confirmed a bike taxi to IANS reporter being operated by one Harish using a Bajaj Platina motorcycle to deliver the service.

On being asked if Uber informed the driver that the two-wheeler taxi service he is listed for is currently illegal, Harish, the bike driver said: “Uber did not inform me that the service is illegal.”

He disconnected the call on being questioned further while Uber did not respond to IANS despite several attempts.

Uber and Ola launched pilot on-demand two-wheeler taxi services uberMOTO and Ola Bike, respectively, on March 3. Ola Bike later stopped its services and even removed the option to book a bike taxi on its app.

uberMOTO’s minimum fare is pegged at Rs.15 per km followed by Rs.3 per km and Re.1 per minute of travel.

(IANS)

CM Siddaramaiah hands over the controversial watch to Assembly Speaker

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Siddaramaiah-watch

Bengaluru: Mired in a controversy over a luxury watch gifted to him, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday handed it over to the Speaker amid uproar in the state Assembly, declaring it a state asset.

As the Assembly was rocked by the controversy for the second consecutive day, an angry Siddaramaiah gave the watch and a letter to Speaker Kagodu Thimappa as BJP and JDS members continued to stage a dharna in the well of the House.

Siddaramaiah’s dramatic gesture came when the House reassembled after two adjournments with BJP and JDS persisting with their demand for a discussion on the issue. The Chief Minister said in the letter to the Speaker, who read it out, that he had paid “advance tax” for the watch.

He said the pre-owned “HUBLOT BIG BANG-301-M” wrist watch was presented to him by his Dubai-based NRI friend Dr Girish Chandra Varma in July last at Bengaluru as a personal gift. Siddaramiah also said Varma has no official dealings with Government of Karnataka or its organisations.

Opposition BJP leader Jagadish Shettar dismissed Siddaramaiah’s action as “high drama” and said he was doing so thinking that the controversy would end. A high-level probe by a central agency should be conducted, he said.

The Chief Minister is in the eye of a storm over the diamond-studded watch.

As controversy erupted, he declared last week that the watch, claimed to be worth Rs 70 lakh, would be declared as state asset and handed over to the government. As the Assembly met for the day, BJP members entered the well of the House and demanded that a discussion on the issue be allowed and Speaker should reconsider his decision on not allowing an adjournment motion on the issue.

However, Thimmappa, who rejected BJP’s appeal on Tuesday to allow adjournment motion, stuck to his decision. Following this, BJP continued its protest, stating that affidavit, documents and receipt relating to the watch had to be made public by Verma, who is said to have gifted it.

As both opposition and treasury benches were involved in war of words, the House was adjourned by the Speaker who called the floor leaders for a meeting. When the House reassembled, opposition members again entered the well and demanded a discussion.

Amidst sloganeering and protest by opposition, the Speaker even allowed introduction and passage of Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pension and Allowances (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015, aimed at making provision to provide family pension to family members of the member deceased before December 26, 1978 operative from February 22, 2014.

As the protest continued, the Speaker once gain adjourned the House till afternoon.

(PTI)

Karnataka assembly rocked by CM’s luxury watch controversy

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Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Karnataka Legislative Assembly was today rocked by the controversy over a luxury watch gifted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, as the BJP pressed for an adjournment motion on the issue, triggering a war of words between the ruling and opposition sides.

As the issue was raised soon after obituary reference, Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa allowed Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Jagadish Shettar to make a preliminary submission to convince the chair to take up the issue as an adjournment motion, amidst resistance to it from the ruling Congress members.

In his submission, Shettar while calling the watch issue a matter of public interest accused Siddaramaiah of violating the code of conduct for ministers and Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and demanded discussion and response from the government on the issue.

After hearing the matter, the Speaker said it could notbe taken up as an adjournment motion and asked the opposition to discuss it during the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address.

Following this, BJP members entered the well of the House in protest, leading to adjournment for lunch. Defending himself, Siddaramaiah alleged that the Opposition was indulging in “character assassination”. “I have already stated in public that I got the watch as gift in July from a Dubai-based NRI friend, by March I will declare about it in my IT returns. To Lokayukta I have to declare in June, I will be doing it. I have also said that I will deposit the watch to the state government,” he said. “FCRA is not applicable to this case as the person who gifted it is not a foreign national, but an NRI,” he added. Siddaramaiah has come under attack over his luxury diamond studded Hublot watch.

As the controversy erupted, he declared last week that the watch, claimed to be worth Rs 70 lakh, would be declared as state asset and handed over to the government. As Shettar questioned Siddaramaiah who claims himselfto be a “socialist” and “follower” of Ram Manohar Lohia for his conduct, Siddaramaiah in a rebuttal reminded BJP of Prime Minister Narendra Modi wearing a “Rs 10 lakh monogrammed suit”.

When the House met after the lunch, BJP members continued with the protest by entering the well of the House demanding discussion on Siddaramaiah’s watch issue. As Speaker’s attempts to conduct the proceedings failed, he adjourned the House till tomorrow.

The controversy was stoked by JD(S) leader H DKumaraswamy after which the Chief Minister disclosed that the expensive watch was gifted to him by his close friend DrGirish Chandra Verma who visited India last July.

(PTI)

Siddaramaiah to declare luxury watch as state asset

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Siddaramaiah-watch

Bengaluru: Under attack from the Opposition over his luxurious watch, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddarmaiah on Thursday said he would declare it as a state asset and hand it over to the government.

“About the expensive watch I was wearing, which has been discussed almost everyday and reported in the media, I have this much to say that I will be declaring it as a state asset and deposit it with state secretariat,” he told reporters here.

(Agencies)

Congress leads in ZP, TP polls; BJP wins in DK, Udupi

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bjp-congress

Bengaluru/Mangaluru: The Congress in the state managed to secure a lead in more than 12 of the 30 zilla panchayats (ZP) in the recent elections held in two phases.

Trends indicated that the Congress was leading in Bidar, Chamarajanagar, Chitradurga, Gadag, Haveri, Kalaburagi, Kolar, Koppal, Ramanagaram, Tumakuru, Uttara Kannada and Yadgir ZPs.

The story was different in other districts with the BJP leading in Ballari, Bengaluru Urban, Chikkamagaluru, Davanagere, Kodagu and Shivamogga and in coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.

The JD(S) secured a lead in Mandya and Mysuru.

The counting of votes began on Tuesday morning at 8. The fate of 17,000 candidates was decided in the two phased-elections held on February 13 and 20.

(Agencies)

Women to have 20% representation in Home dept jobs in Karnataka

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G Parameshwara Karnataka

Bengaluru: Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Monday that priority would be given to women while filling up vacant posts in the police department.

Speaking to reporters after an inspection of the all-women police station in Basavanagudi, he said, “I have received inputs that proper representation should be given to women in police stations. The government will reserve about 20 per cent of the seats for women when recruitments happen in future,” the Home Minister said.

“Only about six per cent of the staff in all ranks of the Home department are women, which is very less. The government aims to increase the representation up to 20 per cent. Hence, women will be given priority during the recruitments,” he said and added that the hurdles for the promotion of women staff would be removed soon.He said 10 new women’s police stations were opened recently and the government would soon open a women’s police station in every district, he added. Parameshwara was at the police station for about one and half hours. He held separate meetings to redress grievances of the staff. He obtained inputs about the women’s police station and duties of the staff of various ranks.

The Home Minister checked the attendance register, crime statistics, cells, drinking water supply, rifles among other things.Parameshwara held a separate meeting with DCP (South) B S Lokesh Kumar and obtained some details.

The all-women police station in Basavanagudi was commissioned in 2003 and about 45 police stations come under it. The station has a sanctioned staff strength of 24 and at present, 14 posts are vacant. As many as 24 cases were registered in 2015, of which 11 pertained to dowry harassment. The staff seek the assistance of male police if the situation demands.

The assistance of the male police was sought in arresting two persons from Bihar in a dowry harassment case in January.

(Agencies)

Karnataka origin IPS officer reportedly commits suicide

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N Harish

Chennai: IPS officer of 2009 batch N Harish allegedly committed suicide at the police officers’ mess in Egmore in Chennai on Thursday morning. He was 32.

He was currently posted in Chennai as the assistant commissioner at the state directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption. He hails from Karnataka.

Two theories have surfaced over his alleged suicide. According to few sources, Harish was not considered for promotion since he did not speak Tamil while some others claim that he was in love with a woman IPS officer, as the relationship failed, he resorted to the extreme step of committing suicide.

(Agencies)

Bypoll to three assembly constituencies, first phase of ZP, TP polls begin

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(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Bengaluru: Byelections to three Assembly constituencies, Hebbal in Bengaluru, Devadurga in Raichur district and Bidar and election to 550 Zilla Panchayat (ZP) seats and 1,945 Taluk Panchayat (TP) seats across 15 districts is being held on Saturday.

District administrations and the police have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure smooth conduct of the polls. Electronic voting machines would be used in both the elections. The voting would be held from 7 am to 5 pm.

The ZP/TP elections in Betadur in Dharwad district, where Lance Naik Hanmanthappa Koppad was cremated on Friday, has been put off to February 15.

The ZP/TP elections are being held in two phase. In the first phase on Saturday – Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Kolar, Chikaballapur, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Belagavi, Haveri, Bagalkot, Uttara Kannada, Dharwad, and Gadag is going to polls.

Byelections to the three Assembly constituencies, including Hebbal in Bengaluru, and polls to 550 zilla panchayat (ZP) seats and 1,945 taluk panchayat (TP) seats across 15 districts, will be held on Saturday.

The polling will be held between 7 am and 5 pm. While the bypolls to the three Assembly segments of Hebbal, Devadurga, reserved for the Scheduled Tribe in Raichur district and Bidar will be monitored by the Election Commission of India, the ZP/TP polls will be held under the aegis of State Election Commission.

The district administrations and the police have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure smooth conduct of the polls.

As many as 20 candidates are in fray for the high-profile the Hebbal seat, which witnessed high-voltage campaigning by political parties in the last 10 days. The Congress has fielded C K Abdul Rahaman Sharief, while two-time MLC Y A Narayana-swamy is contesting on a BJP ticket. Ismail Shariff is the JD(S) candidate.

Up north, Bidar is witnessing a pitched battle between Rahim Khan of the Congress and Prakash Khandre of the BJP with Ayaz Khan of the JD(S) in the fray. In Devadurga, it is an all-in-the-family fight between Rajashekhar Naik (Cong), K Shivanagouda Naik (BJP) and Karemma Gopalakrishna (JD-S).

The results of the three bypolls will be out on February 16.

ZP/TP elections

Saturday will also witness the ZP and TP elections being held in 15 districts in the first phase. These include Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagaram, Chitradurga, Davangere, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Belagavi, Haveri, Bagalkot, Uttara Kannada, Dharwad, and Gadag.

A total of 2,087 candidates are in the fray for 550 ZP seats and 6,288 candidates for 1,945 TP seats. The second phase of the ZP/TP elections for the remaining 15 districts will be held on February 20.

Election officials said carrying the electoral photo identity card (EPIC) or documents specified by Election Commission of India is mandatory to exercise franchise. Taking photographs using camera or mobile phones inside the polling stations is prohibited. Counting of votes for both the first and second phase of the ZP/TP elections will be taken up on February 23. For both the Assembly byelections and the local body elections, electronic voting machines would be used.

The outcome of both the bypolls and the ZP/TPs will once again prove to be a litmus test for the popularity of the Siddaramaiah government. The Congress, after managing to gain control over the BBMP despite the BJP emerging the number in terms of seats, is facing the polls with more confidence.

(Agencies)

Four Ikea stores in Karnataka to bring Rs.2,000 crore investment

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Photo: Bloomberg

Photo: Bloomberg

Bengaluru: Home furnishings retailer Ikea India on Thursday announced Rs.2,000 crore investment in Karnataka with a promise to incorporate 50 percent women in the workforce.

“We will set up four stores in Karnataka. Each store will come with an investment of Rs.500 crore and create direct employment to 500 people and indirect employment to 1,500 people,” said Ikea India CEO Juvencio Maetzu at Invest Karnataka 2016 Global Investors Meet (GIM).

Considering the state as a key market for the company, Maetzu said Ikea India is committed to invest both in terms of retail and supply chain operations.

Making a strong statement on gender equality at a panel discussion on Promoting Women Entrepreneurship, Maetzu said: “We will continue our world leading gender equality legacy of Ikea by hiring 50 percent women workforce. Gender equality is in our DNA. Gender equality is a basic human right which is non-negotiable for us.”

According to Maetzu, 52 percent of Ikea’s global workforce constitutes women who also make up 48 percent of the company’s managerial ranks.

The company has identified three focus areas in its operations: Co-workers, supply chain and community.

“We have decided that all Ikea stores will have a kindergarten in India. We are now establishing what does it take to support transport, health insurance,” said Maetzu.

Ikea has been sourcing in India for their supply chain for the past 30 years. Currently its sourcing value from India stands at $400 million which it wants to double it to $800 million.

The company has 50 suppliers in India with 45,000 direct employees and 4,00,000 people involved in the extended supply chain.

The first store of the Swedish giant in India will come up in Hyderabad in 2017 followed by stores in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

(IANS)

Invest Karnataka 2016: Centre Assures Full Cooperation to Karnataka

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Karnataka

Bengaluru: Centre on Wednesday extended full support to Karnataka Government that has organised a global investors meet, Invest Karnataka 2016 to attract investments in various sectors.

Speaking after inaugurating the summit, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Centre and State will work together in attracting investment and ensuring overall development of the state. In terms of attracting investment, Karnataka has natural advantage with its best human resources and natural instinct to learn and innovate, he said.

Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari said Centre is fully committed to extend all possible cooperation to the state government in developing infrastructure which is crucial in attracting investment.

“By the end of next year, my department alone will invest Rs 1 lakh crore in various infrastructure projects including development of roads and ports,” the minister announced. “Of them, works to the tune of Rs 60,000 crore will be taken up by end of this year and rest of the projects during next year,” he added. He appealed to the investors to invest in Karnataka.

Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Ananth Kumar too listed out various projects being taken up by their respective departments and termed Karnataka as one of the best states to invest in.

(PTI)

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