Within hours of the apex court ruling in its favour, the Delhi government said on Wednesday it was taking back from the Lt Governor the power to transfer and post IAS and other officers.

“Two years back as per a High Court decision, the power to transfer and post officers was taken away from the elected government of Delhi and was reposed with the LG and other officials,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.

“Being the Minister of Services, I have now ordered that this system be changed with immediate effect and be given back to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister,” he told reporters here.

According to the system which prevailed hitherto, the power to transfer and post IAS officers, DANICS officers and officers equivalent to all India services was vested with the Lt. Governor.

The power to transfer and post Grade I and II DASS employees, private secretaries and senior personal assistants was vested with the Chief Secretary.

A Supreme Court Constitution Bench on Wednesday ruled in favour of the Arvind Kejriwal government saying the real powers of governance in Delhi rest with the elected representatives.

All India Congress has appointed Dinesh Gundu Rao as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president.

He was the working president of KPCC in charge of South Karnataka before this.

Rao will take over from Dr G Parameshwara who was leading KPCC till now.

Rao’s appointment comes at a time when the Congress is looking to gain the support and votes of those from communities.

48-year-old Gundu Rao is five-time MLA from Gandhinagar in Bengaluru.

In the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress is looking to use Rao’s organizational skills to keep the party together in what could be a united fight with the JD(S) against the BJP.

It is believed that former chief minister Siddaramaiah had lobbied for Dinesh Gundu Rao.

The leader of the Opposition in the Assembly B S Yeddyurappa, while responding to Governor’s address to the joint session of the legislature, said that the state had two chief ministers, Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy.

Yeddyurappa during his remarks here on July 3 said, “People are confused as to who the chief minister is, Siddaramaiah or Kumaraswamy. One remote control is in Delhi (Congress high command), while the other remote control is in Padmanabhanagar that is at JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda’s house. Siddaramaiah says there is no need for a new budget. People are tired of this talk and they are cursing this government.”

“The Governor’s address to the joint session of the legislature is directionless and lacked vision,” he said adding that after the budget session concludes on July 12, all 104 BJP MLAs would take the JD(S) manifesto to the people and point out promises that Kumaraswamy failed to keep.

Taking on JD(S) for its poll promises, Yeddyurappa further said, “If it wasn’t for the tall promises you made, the JD(S) would have got only 25 seats. Let me see how you waive farm loans worth Rs 53,000 crore, provide monthly pension of Rs 6,000 to senior citizens, give Rs 6,000 for six months to pregnant women among other initiatives. Kumaraswamy must come out with a White Paper on the state’s finances before tabling the budget.”

He further said, “The government’s loans are at Rs 2.38 lac crore and I have credible information that irrigation, public works, and other key departments have Rs 10,000-crore pending bills. Siddaramaiah laid foundation stones for projects worth Rs 6,000 crore. Then there is the Sixth Pay Commission recommendation that will cost Rs 10,800 crore.”
“Kumaraswamy calls himself a child of circumstance. Such a child won’t have legitimate parentage. It won’t live long. Calling yourself a child of circumstance is the reflection of the guilt in your conscience,” he said.

Ayanuru Manjunath, BJP MLC in his remarks at the Council, mocked Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy and said, ” The driver moves the bus only when signaled by the conductor that all passengers have either boarded or alighted from the bus. Now, Kumaraswamy is in the driver’s seat and Siddaramaiah is in the conductor’s seat. But Siddaramaiah hasn’t given the signal. Hence, the BJP is stressing the fact that the government hasn’t taken off.”

JD(S) MLC T A Sharavana replied to Manjunath saying that the coalition government was not a bus but a ‘double engine’ train to which latter said, “That’s true. Kumaraswamy is now with the Congress. But when one of the engines fails, he may switch sides to the BJP. He has already met Prime Minister Narendra Modi twice.”

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi who slammed opposition attempts at unity as based on hatred against him, Congress on Tuesday said “he has a mindset of conflict” and that in the “larger interest of the nation”, it was necessary to remove the BJP government.

Accusing Modi of giving “false statements” due to the “bitterness” in him, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said that he looks on the Congress as a “personal enemy”.

Noting the opposition has a responsibility and a duty to oppose the government on wrong policies, he said that Modi has not changed from “a mindset of conflict”.

“What does he (Modi) expect from the opposition and Congress that we will not oppose the government. It is surprising that the Prime Minister has complained that there is opposition to him. Modiji is so full of arrogance that he is comparing himself with the nation.”

“The Prime Minister and the government have to be defeated, it is necessary to remove it. It is necessary for the country’s interest. There is nothing wrong in attempting this along with all like-minded opposition parties,” he added.

Sharma said: “The Prime Minister said this ‘alliance’ was not in national interest. We have not sought his certificate. Not talking about him, but the government has to be removed for the country’s interest. We do not need his advice. We will think about it. We will also ensure that the job is completed.”

Slamming Modi for failing to deliver on his promises, he said this government should go because it has betrayed the people of the country.

“Atrocities against children and women have increased, mob lynchings, vigilantism. If this is good governance, then what would be bad governance?” he asked.

Former Jodhpur MP Krishna Kumari, of the Congress, has died following a heart attack, She was 92.

According to informed sources, the dowager maharani of the erstwhile princely state of Jodhpur was admitted to a hospital on Sunday after she suffered a heart attack. However, on Monday night, she again had second heart attack following which many of her organs stopped functioning.

A pall of gloom descended in Jodhpur and surroundings as the news the of the demise of the former “Rajmata” spread around.

Wife of Marwar’s former Maharaja Hanwant Singh, she is survived by three children, Chandresh Kumari, Shailesh Kumari and Gaj Singh.

Her last rites were performed later on Tuesday.

Her last journey started from Umaid Bhavan and culminated at newly constructed crematorium for royal family members at Jaswant Thada. Her last rites were performed by her son Gaj Singh. A huge crowd gathered outside Ummed Bhavan to pay last tributes to her, while a large number of lined both sides of the road to pay their final tributes.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat reached Jodhpur by a special plane to pay tributes on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Others present on the occasion included former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who had also condoled her death earlier and others.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje also reached Umaid Bhavan to extend her condolence to the bereaved family.

Rajasthan BJP President Madan Lal Saini also expressed his condolences on her demise.

The coordination committee of the coalition government has settled several issues between the partners in power including budget, loan waiver, common minimum programme etc. But interestingly, the government is yet to give its stamp of approval to this committee.

The government has not issued notification announcing about giving official identification for this committee. Only after this notification is issued, the chairperson and members of the committee will get government’s recognition. But chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy, has not touched this issue so far. This has given rise to anger in the minds of Congress leaders, particularly Siddaramaiah. It may be recalled that the committee had met twice after it was formed about a month back.

The leaders are pointing out that when UPA government was in power at the center, Sonia Gandhi was made the chairperson of UPA and the government had given its stamp of approval for the coordination committee headed by her. It is learned that the Congress leaders had asked the chief minister to accord official recognition to the committee in the very first meeting. But during the last one month, no step has been taken in this direction. Dr G Parameshwar’s statement about giving cabinet status to Siddaramaiah has also not been implemented. Once his post gets official approval, Siddaramaiah would be eligible to stay in the spacious bungalow he now occupies, and also get an office in Vidhana Soudha if necessary.

It is said that not only JD(S), but also deputy chief minister Dr G Parameshwar, has not been evincing much interest in this issue. It is also said that when Siddaramaiah demanded in the committee meeting to continue all the programmes of Congress party, Parameshwar had not come to his support. Because of this, sources say Siddaramaiah, who is the Congress parliamentary party leader in the assembly, has decided to become more active during the sessions and take more and more legislators into confidence.

Unfurling the vision of the new JD(S)-Congress government in Karnataka for the following five years, Governor Vajubhai Vala said full-scale attempts would be made to encourage farmers, women and youth.

In his first joint address to the state legislature after the new assembly’s constitution. he said “My government is focused on the welfare and development of all segments of society, particularly farmers, women, youth and the impeded individuals,”

“Evenhanded projects will be devised for the development of rural and urban territories. Measures will be taken to mitigate the distress of the farming community,” he said in his hour-long speech.

Naming farmers the backbone of the state, the Governor said they would be outfitted with most recent farming technology for higher efficiency.

Supporting Israeli model of horticultural practices, he said agri-authorities will visit the fields and exhort farmers on development in view of seasonal conditions and water accessibility.

“We have to get changes in farming practices and approaches. Horticulture crops should be urged to increase salary and profits from them. Present day marketing, packaging and storage systems must be received with an attention on export development,” he said.

With the state standing second in milk procurement, seventh in egg production and 11 in meat yield in the nation, a state fodder security policy will be drafted and a skin processing and training center will be set up soon.

In the meantime, openings for jobs will be made for the youth to empower skill development. “As education is power, skill-based vocational training will be made part of education,” he said.

Declaring that law and order and safety for women were principal across the state, the Governor said women’s strength in the police would be increased in the following 5 years.

He additionally said that the government will guarantee the overall development of children through the anganawadi centres and actualize nourishment programs for pregnant and lactating women.

District Stree Shakthi federations have been shaped and registered, while monetary aid is being given to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infected and effected children under ‘Vishesha Paalana’ scheme, he said.

Guaranteeing of revealing the state’s health insurance scheme (Arogya Karnataka) this year, Vala said well being and health care centers would be set up to offer quality primary health care services.

“The objective is to reduce maternal death rate and infant death rate to the most minimal level in the nation in the following seven years and focus on reproductive and child health,” he said.

Resolving to guarantee transparency in public distribution system, Vala said the online application for new ration cards and door-delivery have been introduced recently.

In the mean time, taking note of that the state is first in the nation in investment purpose, the government is executing the Karnataka industry policy to advance investment and create jobs for the poor.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday ordered an inquiry soon after a portion of a foot overbridge crashed on the Western Railway tracks in Mumbai, injuring three persons.

“Part of road overbridge has fallen on tracks near Andheri Station impacting rail traffic. Directed officials to speed up repair work and rapidly restore traffic in close coordination with other departments.

“I have also ordered an inquiry by Commissioner of Rail Safety,” Goyal tweeted.

A portion of the Gokhale Bridge, on S.V. Road, which connects Andheri East and Andheri West crashed on at 7.30 a.m following heavy overnight rains.

The crash has affected Mumbai’s lifeline — the suburban train services.