Alleviating fears over the survival of the JD-S-Congress coalition government, Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday said the union accomplices would give a steady government for the following five years.

“I might want to tell the skeptics that we will give a steady and productive government, which will last its full five-year term. May there be no uncertainty about it,” he told correspondents in the wake of leading the principal meeting of the extended bureau here.

Miffed over media investigates the lifespan of the government because of deferral in cabinet expansion and distribution of portfolios, Kumaraswamy said as the May 12 election hurled a hung Assembly, the alliance needed to shape the government after the three-day BJP government ended on May 19.

“Framing a coalition government and choosing ministers for the service require significant investment as we need to do justice to every one of the partners and in sharing the cabinet posts as alliance partners,” he said.

Looking for a breathing time to settle down and get the official machinery splitting, the Chief Minister said he and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara have been working extra minutes from the day they assumed office on May 23 to address governmental issues.

“I have effectively guided authorities to go to the issues identified with potholes in Bengaluru and help works in rain-hit areas over the state,” said Kumaraswamy.

Underwriting Kumaraswamy’s perspectives, Parameshwara said the coalition government would be dependable and responsible to the public in providing services.

“There is no perplexity or uncertainty about the capacity of the government. The Chief Minister will allocate the portfolios for every minister, including me, in a day or two and everyone will begin their works,” he said.

Conceding that there was disgruntlement in a portion of the legislators left out for the cabinet extension, Parameshwara, who is additionally the Congress’ state unit President, said their worries would be tended to and offered chance to serve in different ways.

“In spite of the fact that there are five-six bureau billets empty to be filled by our party, the Congress has only 22 posts for its officials, including me, as the state bureau can have just 34 ministers, with 12 from the JD-S, including its Chief Minister,” illuminated Parameshwara.

The Congress and JD-S are planning to suppress the preparing protests in both the parties by guaranteeing their officials of making them chairman of the different statutory boards and corporations with cabinet rank.

U.T.Khader is won in the recent Legislative Assembly elections from Udupi and Mangaluru districts now become the sole minister from the two districts after receiving a ministerial berth in the cabinet of the new JD(S)-Congress coalition state government.

BJP showed its dominance by winning the 12 positions of the 13 positions in the two undivided districts during the recent Legislative Assembly elections. By gaining victory in Mangaluru constituency (former Ullal constituency), former minister U.T.Khader saved the honour of Congress in Karavali.

After facing decisive defeat in Karavali, the Congress party leaders are hoping to resurrect the party through Khader’s responsibilities as Minister of city development and Housing.

Political observers have opinioned that the Congress leadership has displayed its faith in Khader by giving him an important ministerial berth in the cabinet instead of the newly elected MLC Harish Kumar who is also the president of D.K.district Congress president and MLC Ivan D’Souza, who is the opposition leader in the Legislative Council.

Law graduate

U.T.Khaser, who is a law graduate, entered the arena of politics through N.S.U.I. group. He became N.S.U.I district chief secretary in 1992-94, district president in 1994-2000 and state vice president in 2000-2001.

He has served as Ullal Block Congress president in 2001, as Akhil Bharat Congress Seva Dal Instructor and K.P.C.C. secretary in 2002, and as the state additional chief organizer of Congress Seva Dal in 2003.

Political path

U.T.Khader’s father U.T.Fareed was the MLA of Ullal constituency in 2004 and after his death on February 6th 2007, U.T.Khader contested in the by elections held the very same year and won, thereby entering the legislative assembly for the first time. After this, he has never looked back. He again won in the 2008 state elections and became a people popular MLA in his 5 year term. Later, he won in the 2013 state elections and was given the ministerial berth of Health and Family Welfare in the Siddaramiah led state government cabinet. He also simultaneously served as the district in-charge minister of Kolar district. In the cabinet reshuffle of 2016, his ministerial berth was changed to Minister for Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department.

In the last five years he has successfully delivered his service and gained honour under two different portfolios has been provided with a new important portfolio of City development and Housing. Previously, Vinaya Kumar Sorake of Karavali, handled the ministerial berth of city development and housing in 2013-2016.

Two soldiers were injured on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district in a gunfight with militants trying to sneak into the state from Pakistan.

Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia told IANS said that the incident took place near the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran Sector.

“Two soldiers suffered non-fatal injuries. Our troops retaliated. The operation against the terrorists is in progress,” the spokesman said.

The spokesman said a Rashtriya Rifles patrol intercepted two to four infiltrating militants, triggering the gunfight.

The injured soldiers have been shifted to a hospital.

Thursday’s incident came on a day when Indian home Minister Rajnath Singh is visiting Jammu and Kashmir to decide whether or not the conditional Ramadan truce against militants should be extended to the coming Amarnath Yatra.

The President Ram Nath Kovind will visit Tripura on Thursday (June 7 and 8).

This will be his first visit to Tripura as the President of India and the 26th state visited by him since he assumed office as the President of India.

On June 7, the President will inaugurate the National Highway from Matabari to Sabroom in Udaipur. He will also lay the foundation stone for the re-development of Matabari Temple complex in Udaipur.

In the evening, the President will attend a civic reception hosted by the Government of Tripura in his honour and the declarement tothe Queen Pineapple as the State Fruit of Tripura in Agartala.

The President will return to Delhi in the morning of June 08 (Friday).

Hindusthan Samachar/Shri Ram Shaw

Children are the worst victims of conflicts, natural or man-made disasters and other social upheavals as they are often rendered abandoned and homeless. Securing a future for children without families is only possible when the government extends support to NGOs dealing in such issues, says SOS Children’s Villages International head Siddhartha Kaul.

“There has been a lack of political will in bringing a change towards the status of children and women which at times becomes a little frustrating. No NGO can provide the best care solely. Help from any government is very much necessary,” Kaul told IANS in an interview.

Kaul was initially elected as the president in June 2012 and re-elected for a second four-year term in June 2016. His association with the child care NGO started around 40 years ago when he was appointed Director of the SOS village in Madras, now Chennai.

“We want to partner with anyone who wants to partner us. The approach has to be long-term and for that, support from the central authorities is very important; else it will be difficult to fix the issues. The solutions have to come from the states and not from private houses,” he further added.

According to SOS, migration is the major reason for leaving children homeless. In the recent past, there has been mass migration across Europe and, closer home, the crisis caused by some 600,000 Rohingyas fleeing to Bangladesh to escape persecution in their native Myanmar.

Talking about offering sustainable solutions to such situations, Kaul said SOS alone could not do so.

“The problems are big; the world is far worse than imagined. We can only present a model of how to take care of a situation. We need to create such conditions in their home countries so that no one has to leave their land,” he noted.

Currently, SOS Children’s Villages International comprises 118 national SOS Children’s Villages associations globally. Its General Assembly, which convenes every four years, is its highest decision-making body.

Talking about major challenges that SOS faces, Kaul stated that improper utilisation of resources has always remained a major area of concern.

“There are countries where there are resources, but they remain unused, whereas there are countries where there are no resources and the demand is huge; the challenge comes in there, like in African countries,” he noted.

According to the UN, globally, there are more than 220 million children living without parental care and need alternative care like foster homes and orphanages, among others.

In India, SOS villages are home to around 17,000 children across 22 states. Apart from financial instability where parents often leave their children at shelter homes, Kaul also pointed that in India, children born out of wedlock is another major reason for children having to live in shelter homes.

“It is very much a social stigma in India. Unmarried woman being pregnant is not accepted in our society. In such cases, the child is left to be brought up in a shelter home. The society’s approach towards women and children needs to be changed,” Kaul contended.

Can a shelter home offer the same atmosphere as that of a proper home?

“An SOS village is the best alternative to a family. We are focused on giving the young souls the value of love and respect and make sure they are brought up in a good environment. Each and every child under our care is being provided with education and employment, leading to sustainable development.”

Asked about his future plans globally, Kaul said reaching out to poorer countries is the prime focus.

“Our target is to continuously grow even if it is minimal. We have plans to invest in poor countries. We want to give sufficient amount of assistance so that the children don’t have to seek refuge in other countries,” he explained.

In a bitter incident which happened at the swearing-in ceremony of new ministers, security staff blocked entry of Assembly Speaker, K R Ramesh Kumar, into Raj Bhavan.

In protest thereof, the Speaker has shot a letter to state chief secretary, K Ratna Prabha.

“In response to your invitation, I had arrived at Raj Bhavan to attend the swearing-in ceremony. I waited for thirty minutes in front of the venue before returning helplessly. I do not know who is responsible for this situation. You might be aware that in addition to the chief minister and chairperson of the ceremony, assembly speaker’s is a constitutional position,” the letter reads in part.

“The government system owes a responsibility to make arrangements for receiving the chairperson of the function and assembly speaker in a way that they are treated with due respect. Arrogance and lack of knowledge of the government officials and haughtiness prevalent within the Raj Bhavan are responsible for these things. Which were the vehicles that had filled the space within and out of the Raj Bhavan? I am curious to know who gave permission to them, and which positions they enjoy in public life. I end my letter by registering my protest against this inexcusable violation,” he stated in his letter.

Some reports said that the Speaker reached the venue little late as he was stuck in heavy traffic. But the officials still failed to make arrangements to take him to the place where the swearing-in was held.

Later the Speaker said that chief secretary and Bengaluru police commissioner phoned him to apologize. “Hence the matter is closed now,” he said.

Union Home Minister on a two-day visit to J$@$#K from today

The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir (JnK) from today (Thursday, June 07).
During his visit, Singh will meet the Chief Minister of JnK Ms Mehbooba Mufti. He will review security arrangements for Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra – 2018.
The Home Minister will also hold meetings with various delegations during the visit.

Hindusthan Samachar/Shri Ram Shaw

State BJP president B S Yeddyurappa here on Wednesday, June 6 of every an undeniable reference to Janata Dal (S) supremo, H D Deve Gowda and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said “Both father and son, have planned to finish off the Congress,”

Addressing media here, Yeddyurappa cautioned that the Congress would fall off the worst in the coalition it had framed with the JD(S).

“There is definitely no uncertainty about this. It is difficult to say how long this coalition government will last,” he said.

Taking note of that the JD (S) and Congress had proceeded with their alliance notwithstanding for the Jayanagar election and Council elections, he announced, “Regardless of what they do, we will do our best to win as we have lost by a little edge in 20 constituencies,”

An Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar crashed in Gujarat on Tuesday, killing its pilot, an official said.

An IAF spokesperson said the aircraft was on a routine training mission when it met with the accident at Jamnagar around 10.30 a.m.

“The pilot, Air Commodore Sanjay Chauhan, sustained fatal injuries during the crash,” the spokesperson said.

A Court of Inquiry has been ordered.