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.

Bengaluru: In a bid to create a more conducive learning environment for school children in Karnataka, the Education Department has issued a circular directing all schools in the state to observe the third Saturday of every month as ‘bag-free day’, to be known as ‘Sambhrama Shanivara’.

The initiative aims to alleviate the burden of heavy textbooks carried by students during their studies. The new system of a ‘bag-free day’ will be implemented in schools starting from the academic year 2023-24.

To support this initiative, the Education Department has developed an instruction manual for teachers and ten self-explanatory modules covering various subjects for students. These resources aim to actively engage students in co-curricular and extracurricular activities, fostering the development of their civic consciousness. Teachers will receive further guidance on implementing these activities during progress review meetings conducted at different levels within educational institutions. District and block-level officers, as well as Cluster Resource Persons (CRP), have also been instructed to visit schools on bag-free days to provide additional support and guidance to teachers.

The Education Department has made student activity books and teachers’ guidance manuals available on the website of the Department of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT). Teachers from primary and high schools will receive instructions on effectively utilizing these learning materials.

The department emphasizes the active participation of schools in this project to ensure its success in creating an enjoyable educational experience for children. It further highlights that schools must submit comprehensive monthly reports on the activities conducted, including the observation of ‘bag-free day’, to the Educational and Vocational Guidance branch of the DSERT at.

CHIKKABALLAPUR:  A man took his friend to an isolated place and tried to drink his blood after making a small cut on his neck. The incident occurred at Suddapalli Cross of Chintamani taluk in Kolar district, and the police arrested two persons in this connection.

The accused, Vijay Kumar, hailing from Bathalapalle, and Maresh from Madanpalle, reside in Chintamani town and are both drivers. Sources said that recently, Vijay came to know that Maresh allegedly had a relationship with his wife.

He wanted to avenge the humiliation and hatched plans to kill his friend. Accordingly, he invited Maresh, took him to an isolated place, made a small incision on the neck and drank the blood oozing from the wound.Advertisementhttps://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2023/jun/26/karnataka-man-slits-friends-throat-drinks-his-blood-for-revenge-2588519.html

As he was performing the act, he asked Maresh to videograph the entire incident on the mobile phone. The incident occurred three days ago. The police arrested Vijay and another person. Maresh is out of danger.

BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said a total of Rs 59,000 crore to Rs 60,000 crore is required annually, for the implementation of Congress’ five poll ‘guarantees’.

He said, the fresh budget of the new Congress government, which he will be presenting on July 7, is likely to be of the size Rs 3,35,000 crore.

The Chief Minister, who also holds the finance portfolio, was speaking after inaugurating the training camp organised for the newly elected MLAs of the 16th Legislative Assembly.

“The first budget after independence was twenty one crore three lakh rupees, today it is about three lakh nine thousand crore rupees.

I will be presenting a new budget on July 7 it may be (of the size) three lakh thirty to thirty five thousand crore rupees,” Siddaramaiah said.

Addressing the newly elected legislators, he said, “The present budget is around three lakh nine thousand eight hundred and ninety-six crore rupees, as I’m implementing five guarantees, I will have to provide rupees forty thousand crore for it, for the remaining period. A total of fifty-nine thousand to sixty thousand crore rupees is required for five guarantees.”

Noting that the previous BJP government had presented a budget in February by taking a vote on account for four months, the CM said, the budget he will be presenting on July 7 will come into force from August 1.

Urging the legislators to try to learn and understand budgets, he also asked them to learn about taxation, stating the rich should be taxed, not the poor.

The five guarantees are: up to 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of free rice to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), Rs 3,000 every month for unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 for unemployed diploma holders, both in the age group of 18-25 (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti).

While the government has already launched the scheme which will provide free travel for women in public transport buses, the other four schemes are in various stages of implementation, and the timeline has already been fixed for their rollout.

Speaker of the Assembly U T Khader, Chairman of Legislative Council Basavaraja Horatti, Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, Assembly Secretary M K Vishalakshi were present at the inaugural of the training.

The Legislature Session is scheduled from July 3 to 14.

Suggesting that MLAs and MPs should understand the “meaning” of budget, the CM said, “in the 12th century, ‘Kayakayogi’ Basavanna spoke about budget. ‘Kayaka’ and ‘Dasoha’ are the key factors of the budget. Kayaka means production, Dasoha means sharing.”

He explained that the value of the budget is just understanding where the production is and to whom we distribute it in the society.

The Assembly is the temple of democracy, Siddaramaiah said, as he called upon legislators to raise people’s problems effectively in the Lower House and develop a mindset to seek solutions.

Those who do not read and understand the Constitution cannot become good legislators and parliamentarians, he said, “So read the Constitution and understand its basic principles and objectives.”

“We made the rules of the House ourselves. He said that if you read and understand it properly, people’s problems can be brought before the house in a proper manner. We cannot make laws contrary to the Constitution. Therefore, reading the Constitution is essential,” he said.

Out of 224 MLAs, 70 have entered the Legislative Assembly for the first time.

Former MP and former Union Minister K H Muniyappa (now a minister in state government), and former Minister and mining baron G Janardhana Reddy are among them.

BJP National General Secretary C T Ravi

Chikkamagaluru (K’taka), Jun 16: BJP National General Secretary C T Ravi on Friday urged leaders of the community and pontiffs or heads of various maths across the state to convene a “Maha Panchayat” to “save Hindu society and the country”.

The former Karnataka Minister was reacting to Congress government’s decision to repeal the anti-conversion law brought in by the previous BJP government in the State.

“Is Congress in favour of forced conversion? The anti-conversion law prohibits religious conversion by force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means. So what is the stand of the Congress party? Are they in favour of forceful conversion?” Ravi asked.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, “if they are in favour of forced conversion, to save the country and the Hindu society, inevitably various mathadipatis, jagadgurus and sanyasis representing various communities, and leaders of communities — to stop religious conversion by force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means like Love Jihad — should call the Maha Panchayat.”

“Through the Maha Panchayat for the sake of self-defence and to save the country and the society, we should take certain self defence measures, and going a step ahead those who have gone away from the Hindu society should be brought back by using “Sama, Dama, Danda, Beda’..using these techniques measures should be taken for reconversion,” he added.

The Karnataka Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday decided to repeal the anti-conversion law brought in by the previous BJP government. The government will introduce a bill in this regard in the upcoming legislature session, which starts on July 3.

Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka on Friday extended the stay on the FIR against Congress party leaders Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh and Supriya Shrinate till June 23, over the alleged copyright violation of music from the hit film ‘KGF Chapter 2.’

MRT Music, a sister concern of Lahari Music, had filed the complaint alleging that the music from the film to which it has the copyright was used by the Congress party in a promotional video of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The complaint is filed under Sections 120B, 403, 465 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 63 of the Copyright Act and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act.

MRT Music had approached a Commercial court against the copyright violation which had directed the blocking of the social media handles of the Congress party. It was subsequently revoked by the HC after assurances by the party that the offending videos would be removed. MRT Music then filed a criminal complaint against the violation which was challenged by the party and was heard by the High Court on Friday.