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Karnataka budget: Petrol, liquor, tobacco to be costlier

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Karnataka budget

Bengaluru: Liquor and tobacco products are set to become more expensive as CM Siddaramaiah increased the VAT on them from between 17 to 24 percent, while presenting his 10th state budget on Friday.

He also announced 1 percent hike in tax on petrol and diesel in the state budget for 2015-16.

There was a small relief for consumers as he made mobile phone chargers, footware, manufactured sand, wick stove, industrial cables, solar panels and solar inverters cheaper.

There was also some tax relief low-salaried individuals as professional tax for those earning up to Rs 15,000.

Siddaramaiah said he was presenting a responsible budget by keeping fiscal deficit within 25 percent for 2015-16 as mandated in Karnataka Fiscal Responsibility Act.

The total receipts are estimated at Rs 1,39,476 crore from this budget, while the total expenditure is pegged at Rs 1,42,534.

As usual, Bengaluru got the CM’s attention: in order to make city roads safer for pedestrians, Siddaramaiah announced 25 new skywalks that will be built under PPP model. Meanwhile, Rs 80 crore has been allocated to develop underpass and flyover at Hebbal junction, which witnessed a horrible road incident last month. Rs 44 crore has been allocated for a flyover at Doddanakundi.

Besides, several CCTV cameras will be installed across Bengaluru at an estimated cost of Rs 8 crore and free WiFi zones will be established across the city in phased manner.

25 skywalks

In much needed investment to develop sky-walks and underpasses in the city, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today announced 25 new sky-walks would be built under the PPP model.

Rs 80 crore was also earmarked for extension of underpass and flyover at Hebbal junction where last month two people were crushed to death and five other injured by a speeding tanker. The BBMP has already come up with the design of a proposed skywalk to be constructed at the busy junction and expects to complete it within two or three months. Ballari road and Jayamal road to be widened.

He also announced Rs 44 crore for flyovers and Doddanakundi while providing Rs 270 crore to deal with the garbage situation in the city. 50 solid waste removal machines are also to be procured.

Rs 2,900 crore has been alloted to BBMP for development work. Rs 1000 cr also allotted for Bengaluru under CM’s city improvement scheme. For better security management CCTVs are to be installed across Bengaluru at a cost of Rs 8 cr.

(Agencies)

Siddaramaiah announces Pashu Bhagya scheme for farmers

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Photo: IE

Photo: IE

Bengaluru: Presenting his state budget for 2015-16, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced Pashu Bhagya scheme to provide subsidies to farmers to set up cattle, sheep, goat, pig and poultry units.

The new scheme, which was announced in the State budget-2015 presented by the chief minister, seeks to provide subsidy to the tune of 33 per cent to farmers from the Scheduled Castes/Tribes and 25 per cent to other small and marginal farmers on the loans to a maximum extent of Rs. 1.20 lakh availed from commercial banks.

The Chief Minister also announced setting up of a Centralised Helpline facility to provide veterinary services at the farmers’ doorsteps by levying service charges.

Similarly, it has also been proposed to provide interest-free short-term loans through co-operative banks on the lines of crop loans for taking care of expenses towards cattle feed and other maintenances. To encourage sheep/goat rearing, grants to the Karnataka Sheep and Wool Development Corporation has been proposed to be increased by fourfold. In the present year, an allocation of Rs. 25 crore would be made to this Corporation.

The budget also proposes to widen the network of Karnataka Milk Federation by setting up 750 new milk producers’ co-operative societies in north Karnataka at a cost of Rs. 16 crore.

(Agencies)

LDF, Yuva Morcha activists lay siege around Kerala Assembly

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LDF Yuva Morcha Kerala Assembly

Thiruvananthapuram: Hundreds of activists of LDF and Yuva Morcha have converged around the state Assembly Complex here as part of a protest siege to check state Finance Minister K M Mani from presenting the budget today over the bar bribery issue.

Though a high level security was placed and barricades had been set up by police in the vicinity, activists began to pour in large numbers in the area since last evening.

Tension mounted in the state capital after CPI(M)-led LDF opposition warned the Congress-headed UDF government that they would go to any extent if Mani, facing allegations in the bar bribery case, would try to present the budget and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy made it clear in the Assembly that Mani himself would present the budget as he has the constitutional right for it.

Putting pressure on the ruling Front, the LDF MLAs stayed in the Assembly complex last night as part of their plans to check Mani inside the House while he comes to present the budget in the morning.

Apparently fearing the blockage and siege, Mani and some of his cabinet colleagues also stayed back inside the Assembly complex last night.

Taking up the challenge of the Opposition, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy maintained in the Assembly yesterday that allegations against Mani were part of a “political conspiracy” and asserted that the minister himself would present the budget.

Reacting to Chandy’s stand, CPI(M) veteran and Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan said the government would have to face consequences if it let “tainted” Mani present the budget and Chandy alone would be responsible for that.

Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau had registered a case against Mani in December last year in connection with the allegations that he had accepted bribe from bar owners to renew liquor licences.

The allegations were levelled by Kerala state Bar Hotel Owner’s Association Working President Biju Ramesh.

(PTI)

Corporate espionage case: CBI raids eight places, three arrested

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petroleum-L-N

New Delhi: The CBI on Thursday raided eight places, including offices of various ministries and private establishments, in New Delhi and Mumbai in another case of leakage of confidential government documents and arrested three people, an official said.

A Central Bureau of Investigation official said they conducted raids at six places in New Delhi and two in Mumbai in the leakage of documents related to foreign investments in the finance and commerce ministries.

Clarifying that it was a case separate from the espionage case being probed by Delhi Police, the official said the stolen documents were being sold for consideration by certain government officials to Mumbai-based chartered accountant (CA) Khemchandra Gandhi.

“The CA along with two other people have been detained. The CA used to pass the stolen documents to various corporate houses. We have recovered Rs.60 lakh from the office and house of the the CA,” said the official.

The three people were later arrested.

Reports said that apart from cash, the CBI also recovered several documents.

Delhi Police has so far arrested 16 people in connection with two separate FIRs in the leakage of government documents related to the ministries of petroleum, coal and power.

These documents were then supplied to the corporate companies to benefit them, police said.

(IANS)

Bengaluru: Cop beats up daughter in public

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cop-beats-daughter

Bengaluru: In a shameful incident reported in Bengaluru, a father who is also a policeman was seen thrashing his 25-year-old daughter in the middle of the street on Thursday, March 12.

It is said that the parents of the girl who are settled in Madurai thought that the girl, who works in Bengaluru had a relationship with a boy, and were “teaching her a lesson”.

Reportedly two women from the city, Nivedita and Archana who were on their way to work rescued the young women and handed her over to the police.

Speaking to media, the women stated that they were shocked to see the educated parents including the mother who is a teacher by profession, involving in such a disgraceful act on the street.

“More shameful was the sight of nearly 50 people standing dumbstruck and enjoying the scene. We freed her and made her sit inside our car. Her father sat on the bonnet, refusing to move. By then the police arrived,” said the women.

The trio were taken to the Ulsoor police station. Apparently no case has been filed against the man as the girl said that she did not want a complaint and that the family would sort out the matter at home.

(Agencies)

Crude bombs hurled at Tamil TV channel's office

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puthiya-thalaimurai

Chennai: Unidentified persons today hurled crude bombs at the office of a popular Tamil TV channel here, police said.

No one was injured in the attack. The incident happened in the early hours today when four motorcycle-borne youths hurled two crude bombs packed in tiffin boxes, police said.

No one has been detained in this connection and police were examining various clues.

Journalists in the Puthiya Thalaimurai channel said nobody was injured in the incident and that no major damage to property was reported. They said the incident had been caught on CCTV camera.

The incident comes close on the heels of the channel removing a controversial show about ‘Thaali’ (Mangalsutra) on Sunday when a fringe outfit, Hindu Munnani, opposed it and staged a protest during which some equipment was damaged and a video journalist allegedly attacked.

(PTI)

Disproportionate assets case: CBI court issues summons to Yeddy's sons

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Yeddyurappa

Bengaluru: A CBI special court has issued summons to former Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa’s sons B Y Raghavendra and B Y Vijayendra in a disproportionate assets case.

Sohan Kumar and Uday Kumar have also been summoned by the court. They have been asked to appear before the court on April 18.

A CBI court had earlier recorded the statement of the complainant in the alleged disproportionate assets case against Raghavendra. According to the complaint, Raghavendra had misused his position as a Member of Parliament when his father Yeddyurappa was the deputy chief minister and the chief minister in the State and amassed properties in Bengaluru, Shivamogga and other places.

(Agencies)

Amit Shah reconstitutes BJP's national executive, drops Smriti Irani, Najma Heptulla

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Amit-Shah

New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday reconstituted the party’s national executive which has 111 members, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior party leader LK Advani.

The list has 27 special invitees, including chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states.

HRD minister Smriti Irani and minority affairs minister Najma Heptulla are among the prominent faces whom BJP chief Amit Shah dropped from party’s national executive announced on Thursday.

The list announced on Thursday also did not include names of senior party spokesmen Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, a former union minister, and Sudhanshu Trivedi, a close aide of home minister Rajnath Singh.

Sultanpur MP Varun Gandhi, whom Shah dropped as the national general secretary, has been retained in the top panel that also includes the likes of Yogi Adityanath and Sadhvi Nirajna Jyoti.

Subramanian Swami, has been accommodated too.

Apart from 40 special invitees, all leaders of the party in state assemblies and councils and state presidents will also be invitees to the national executive, a party release said.

(Agencies)

Delhi HC quashes look out circular against Greenpeace campaigner Priya Pillai

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Priya Pillai, Campaigner Greenpeace India.

Priya Pillai, Campaigner Greenpeace India.

New Delhi: Exactly two months after Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai was stopped from boarding a flight to London to speak to British MPs, the Delhi High Court has asked the government to quash and set aside the lookout circular against her.

The court has also directed the government to expunge the passport entry where it has been stamped as “offload”.

The court told the government that democracy cannot be muzzled in a democracy and that citizens can have different opinions of development policies.

“I’m feeling very happy because this reposes our faith in the Indian judiciary. Big win for people who dare to have a different dream of development which may not coincide with the dream of the government… Big vindication of our work,” Ms Pillai said after the court order.

Ms Pillai, who was offloaded from the aircraft by immigration officials on January 11, was scheduled to visit London to make a presentation before British MPs regarding alleged human rights violation at Mahan in Madhya Pradesh where a proposed coal mining project was threatening to uproot the lives of the local communities.

Ms Pillai said her offloading was “illegal and arbitrary” and she had a valid business visa for six months to visit London where she was scheduled to address British parliamentarians on January 14.

Her name will now also be removed from any government database that prevents her from travelling abroad.

(Agencies)

Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar to be questioned in Sunanda murder case

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Mehr_Tarar

New Delhi: Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar is likely to be questioned in connection with the murder of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, police said on Thursday.

“Tarar is a relevant person in the case… If necessary, she will be examined,” said Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi.

Tarar’s friendship with Tharoor had reportedly led to a row between Tharoor and Pushkar.

Delhi Police constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) after registering a murder case against unknown people on January 1. Pushkar was found dead in a luxury hotel room on January 17, 2014 under mysterious circumstances.

The SIT probing the case has so far questioned at least 15 people, including Tharoor, his staff members, close friends of the couple and the staff of Leela Palace hotel where Pushkar was found dead.

(IANS)

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