Bengaluru: Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Wednesday said the elephant population in the state has increased by 346. Releasing the elephant census report conducted in May this year, he said in 2017 census, there were 6,049 elephants in the state and now there are 6,395 pachyderms.

”Although elephants are mighty wildlife species, they are under threat worldwide, including in India. In order to protect the endangered animal, the World Elephant Day is being celebrated on August 12 to create awareness about conservation of their habitat so that they can also live comfortably,” the minister said at a press conference here. According to Khandre, the elephant census is conducted every five years and the previous census was held in 2017.

In 2022, an attempt was made to take survey part of the All India Tiger Census but it did not include sample block count and population structure assessment of elephants. This method is very important for census and numerical classification of the jumbos (sex and age), he said. The minister said the elephant census was conducted from May 17 to May 19 this year simultaneously by Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. A similar census was conducted in Andhra Pradesh on the same period, he said.

The census was carried out by the Karnataka Forest Department with the technical assistance of the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) headed by Prof R Sukumar, who guided in preparing the format of the census, training the field staff, analysis of census results and report preparation, he said. According to Khandre, more than 3,400 personnel from 32 divisions of the state participated in this elephant census, which was undertaken in three ways – direct enumeration or block enumeration, transect survey or dung count method, and waterhole counting. The census was conducted in 32 divisions of the state and pachyderms were found in 23 divisions. The total number of elephants enumerated directly on the day of survey was 2,219. It was conducted in 6,104 sq km area out of 18,975 sq km area in these 23 divisions, he explained.

”Since this is the first time such a large area has been surveyed, this survey and report are highly accurate and reliable,” the minister said.

MANGALURU: Two shopkeepers, who were arrested from Mangaluru on July 19 for selling drug-laced chocolates, have been charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act after forensic reports revealed traces of ganja in the sweets.

Police on Monday said the results from the forensic science laboratory have been received and the two accused have additionally been charged under the provisions of the NDPS Act.

A bulk of bhang chocolates seized by Mangaluru North and South police from the two accused had been sent to the laboratory for tests.

Manohar Shet, one of the accused, was arrested from Car Street and Bechan Sonkar from Falnir in the city on July 19.

They were produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody.

UDUPI: The Karnataka government has handed over the case of the three girls allegedly filming a fellow girl student inside a college washroom to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday.

“There is an allegation that a video was filmed in the toilet of a private college in Udupi, and as this is a sensitive case, it has been handed over to the CID for further investigation,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted.

The incident was portrayed in certain circles in a communal manner because the victim and the accused belong to different religious communities.

National Women’s Commission member Khushbu Sundar, who is also a member of the BJP, visited Udupi on July 26 to ascertain the truth behind the incident.

As the victim had not filed a formal complaint, police registered a suo motu case in this connection on July 26 at Malpe police station in Udupi and a DySP-level investigation was going on.

The BJP held state-wide protests on the issue demanding the arrest of the three girls and an investigation by a special investigation team (SIT) into the incident.

Udupi Superintendent of Police Hakay Akshay Machhindra too confirmed that the case has been handed over to the CID. He declined to elaborate on the reason behind handing over the case to the CID.

According to the Netra Jyothi College director Rashmi Krishna Prasad, the incident took place on July 19 and after learning about it, the three girls were suspended from the college the next day.

The three girls brought a phone into the college, which is not permitted as per rules, and then they allegedly filmed a girl in the toilet, she said.

The girls later told the victim that they filmed her by mistake whereas their target was someone else and then deleted the video, Prasad told PTI.

The other college girls got alarmed and reported the matter to the college management when the victim told them about the conduct of the three girls.

However, some girls later alleged that the filming in the washroom had been going on for the past six months and that the accused had allegedly shared these videos with some boys to blackmail them.

However, police said they had found no such videos.

On July 27, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara had called it “a small incident blown out of proportion”.

“That is a small incident. Reports say it happened amongst friends. Should it be blown out of proportion and given a political colour?” Parameshwara had asked.

“If a criminal activity has taken place beyond it and if a complaint has been given, then it will come under the jurisdiction of the police department. However, there is neither complaint nor anything else,” he added.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student’s wing of the RSS, staged massive protests in the town for several days seeking action against the accused.

BENGALURU:  Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chose not to rake up issues related to Karnataka during his maiden visit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Parliament House, in the national capital on Thursday.
It was his first meeting with Modi after he became chief minister of the Congress government, and he restricted it to a courtesy call during which the duo exchanged pleasantries for about five minutes, according to sources. During his next visit, Siddaramaiah is likely to come up with a solid proposal to the Prime Minister, sources quoted him as saying after he called on Modi. 

Siddaramaiah honoured Modi with a Mysuru Peta, Karnataka’s traditional headgear, a shawl and a wooden memento of the Mysuru Dasara palanquin, in which an elephant carries a howdah. 

Meanwhile, during his meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Siddaramaiah requested to organise an air show on the occasion of Dasara in Mysuru in October. He also called upon Union Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman and discussed the GST compensation-related issues. During his next visit, he is likely to give a separate proposal from the state, a source said.

Incidentally, Siddaramaiah turned 76 on Thursday and celebrated the occasion with his supporters in the national capital before wrapping up his two-day trip.

BENGALURU: Congress leaders from Karnataka, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar, will meet the party high command in New Delhi on Wednesday (August 2). Though the main agenda of the meeting is to chalk out an action plan for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, other issues plaguing the two-month-old Siddaramaiah government are also likely to be discussed, sources said.

The meeting assumes significance as it comes in the backdrop of a few legislators writing to the CM over lack of funds for their constituencies and working style of ministers. Also, remarks regarding the CM’s post by senior Congress leader and MLC BK Hariprasad had caused much embarrassment to the government.

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and former MP Rahul Gandhi will hold a meeting with 37 top leaders, including Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, 19 ‘key’ senior ministers, and AICC functionaries between 3 pm and 5.30 pm where the strategy for the 2024 LS polls will be discussed. This will be followed by a separate meeting with Siddaramaiah and his cabinet colleagues, sources added.

“The meeting has been called to discuss the Lok Sabha elections, party interests, election strategy, and sharing of responsibilities. Not only the ministers, but also the MLAs, MPs and senior leaders of the party have been invited to the meeting that will be held in three parts,” a senior party leader said.

Also, the issue of MLAs not being consulted on several issues such as transfer of officials will be discussed, the source added.

MLC BK Hariprasad, who is reportedly miffed after he was not made a minister, is among the 37 top leaders invited for the meeting. “He is expected to raise several issues, including alleged corruption, against the government,” the source added.

Interestingly, Minor Irrigation Minister NS Boseraju, the floor leader in the Legislative Council, has been left out of this meeting.

The senior leaders who will be attending the meeting are ministers Dr G Parameshwara, MB Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, Ramalinga Reddy, Eshwar Khandre, HK Patil, KH Muniyappa, Dinesh Gundu Rao, KJ George, Priyank Kharge and Krishna Byre Gowda. KPCC working presidents Saleem Ahmed and Chandrappa, former union minister Veerappa Moily, AICC communication head Jairam Ramesh, former CM Jagdish Shettar, former DyCM Laxman Savadi, former ministers RV Deshpande, Vinay Kulkarni and Ramesh Kumar, MP DK Suresh, and Rajya Sabha members Dr Naseer Hussain, GC Chandrashekhar and Dr L Hanumanthiah will also be at the meeting.

Siddaramaiah is also likely to get the nod from the high command to fill the three vacant MLC posts by nominating former minister MR Seetharam, Mansur Ali Khan and Sudham Das to the Upper House.

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.