Bengaluru: Conceding that the delay in installing LED streetlights in Bengaluru has created “dark spots” in the city, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said three lakh such streetlights will be installed by December.

The Chief Minister, who is also in-charge of Bengaluru City Development, was replying to a question raised by Dasarahalli JD(S) MLA R Manjunath in the state assembly on the delay caused in the project to replace all street lights with energy-efficient LEDs, and the inconvenience caused to people at night due to dysfunctional streetlights.

The project to replace all streetlights with LEDs was approved in 2019, and the government entrusted this work to BSPL, a consortium of Shapoorji Pallonji, SMC Infrastructure and Samudra Electronics Systems, under a public-private partnership.

“This issue came up when I reviewed projects relating to Bengaluru after taking over as the Chief Minister. I had clearly said during the review that there is a delay in starting the work, it has to start immediately. They (company) have said the project will be completed in five phases, and it is decided that by December 31, three lakh LED bulbs have to be installed,” Bommai said.

He said the work has begun in some places, while it is yet to start in a few places due to various reasons.

As per the project pact, 4.85 lakh street lights in the city’s municipal limits are to be replaced with LEDs in five phases, and the work was to be implemented in 30 months.

It is said that the project will lead to energy savings of up to 85 per cent.

Responding to Manjunath’s question as to what action will the government take in case of failure on part of the company, Bommai said, as per the clause of the agreement the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in case of delay or damage can impose a penalty of Rs 1 lakh per week.

Senior Congress MLA from BTM Layout Ramalinga Reddy, noting that it is the issue of all the 28 assembly constituencies in Bengaluru, pointed out that for the last three years, constituencies have not received any grants for streetlights citing the global tender for the LED project. “You can ask any MLA from the city.” BJP MLAs Ravi Subramanya (Basavanagudi) and Arvind Limbavali (Mahadevapura) seconded Reddy’s statement.

The Chief Minister, conceding that two years of the project went into approvals and contracts, said “This was not right. This has created several dark spots in all the wards under BBMP limits.” “I have asked officials to take up all five phases at once immediately and in case of delay, measures will also be taken to re-examine the contract. I will also issue instructions to the BBMP to do repairs and maintenance of existing streetlights,” he added.

Bengaluru: In protest against the “imposition of Hindi”, Kannada organisations on Tuesday held a twitter campaign and picketing in front of banks in several parts of Karnataka, on the occasion of Hindi Diwas.

The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) has organised a Twitter campaign with hashtag “#StopHindiImposition” from 10 am to 10 pm on Tuesday, while its activists staged picketing in front of banks in different parts of the State.

KRV has tweeted pictures of its activists staging picketing in Sedam, Chincholi, Ron, Hungund, Hiriyur, Pandavapura, Bengaluru, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Chikkaballapura, Thirthahalli, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Kolar, Mandya and Dharwad, among several other places.

They submitted a petition to managers of the banks urging them to stop alleged Hindi imposition and to provide services in Kannada.

According to Arun Javgal, state organisation secretary of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), the intention behind conducting protests in front of nationalised banks is also to raise awareness among the masses and thereby tell the people of Karnataka about the way, “Hindi Imposition” has snatched thousands of jobs from Kannadigas in Banks operating in the state.

“Using the Taxpayers money from across the country and yet, giving undue importance only to Hindi in a multilingual country like India is something KRV opposes vehemently,” he said in a tweet.

KRV state President Narayanagowdru T A termed Hindi Diwas celebrations as “anti-democratic and immoral”.

“It (Hindi Diwas) is against the intent of the constitution which says all citizens are equal ,” he said, as he called on all non-Hindi speaking communities and those Hindi speakers, who believe in equality, to oppose it.

Coming in support of voices against Hindi Diwas celebration, JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy in a tweet said “Kannada is first in Karnataka. Hindi Diwas celebration is unnecessary. Let’s not disturb the peace in multilingual India by imposing Hindi.” Several other organisations like Karnataka Janaadhikaara Paksha observed it as ‘Black Day’.

Bengaluru: A research scholar at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science here, allegedly died by suicide at his hostel room in the campus, police said on Tuesday.

The victim, hailing from West Bengal, in his twenties was having some health issues.

As there was no response to the repeated knocks on the door of his room on Sunday, the IISc authorities with the help of police broke open the door and found him lying dead. According to IISc officials, the student committed suicide by consuming poison.

Later, the institute in a press release said, “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of a student by suicide on 12 September 2021 at IISc. The student was pursuing PhD from the Department of Organic Chemistry. We express our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the student.”