Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / Archives for Siddaramaiah

Delay in getting appointment with Modi upsets Siddaramaiah

by

siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said he was disappointed that the appointment he had sought with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss various issues, including implementation of the Kalasa-Banduri project and drought condition prevailing in the State, had received no response.

Speaking after holding a meeting with elected representatives and various organisations from Dharwad and Belagavi, who have been spearheading a movement seeking the implementation of the Kalasa Banduri irrigation project, said, in a federal system the Centre needs to respond positively towards the problems faced by the states.

Siddaramaiah said his office had written to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) 15 days ago seeking time with Modi. However, the State is yet to receive a reply, he said. Recently, Water Resources Minister M B Patil had visited New Delhi seeking that the meeting be held before the conclusion of the current parliament session (August 13). Siddaramaiah said he was not politicising the issue but sought that the PMO finalise the meeting at the earliest.

All-party meet on Aug 23

The chief minister said that an all-party meeting will be convened on August 23 to discuss the implementation of the Kalasa-Banduri project. Floor leaders of political parties in both the Houses of the State Legislature and MPs would be invited to the meeting to be held in Bengaluru. He urged the organisations, which have been protesting for the last 15 days demanding the early execution of the Kalasa Banduri project, to withdraw their agitation.

The project seeks to improve drinking water supply to the districts of Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag. It involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, two tributaries of the Mahadayi river, to divert 7.56 tmc of water to the Malaprabha river. Goa has raised objections resulting in the project not taking off.

(Agencies)

All-party delegation, CM Siddaramaiah to meet Modi over farmer suicides

by

siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: “The state government has written to the Prime Minister’s office to finalise the date to discuss with all-party delegation the issue of farmer suicides, pending irrigation projects and financial assistance required for it”, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday August 5.

After meeting families of farmers who committed suicide, the CM said that he would lead a delegation of leaders of all parties and ask Prime Minister Modi to seek his intervention in view of the drought situation and increasing number of cases of farmer suicides.

He also mentioned that the state government has commenced a survey of districts which received scanty rainfall this year, adding that several taluks would be declared drought-hit soon. He assured early implementation of inter-state Kalasa-Banduri irrigation project with the intervention of Mr Modi.

“We are expected to go after August 10. All bottlenecks for Kalasa-Banduri project will be cleared soon,” he assured.

(Agencies)

Karnataka: Angry Siddaramaiah flings copy of budget into well of Assembly

by

Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Ruling Congress and BJP members were locked in a verbal clash in Karnataka Assembly today over alleged cut in funding of centrally-sponsored schemes, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, angry with disruptions, flinging a copy of the budget into the well of the House.

Amidst chaos and charges, the Assembly passed demands for grants by various departments and the money Bill by a voice vote.

The two parties sparred during the Chief Minister’s reply to the discussion as he accused the NDA government of reducing funding for centrally-sponsored schemes.

Angered by BJP’s repeated disruption and allegations of giving wrong information, Siddaramaih threw a copy of budget into the well of the House, which led to heated arguments between both sides.

Following this, the BJP members entered into the well of the House shouting slogans against the Congress government and the Chief Minister.

As repeated attempts by Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa to convince BJP members to allow Chief Minister to continue with the reply failed, he put the demands and money Bill to vote, and amidst protest and sloganeering they were passed by a voice vote.

In his reply, Siddaramaiah claimed his government is transparent and corruption free.

“Ours is a corruption free, pro-people government. There have been no allegations of corruption against our government in the last two years,” he said.

He also measured transparency standard of his government by pointing out that it has handed over six cases till date to CBI while the previous BJP government had not handed over even a single case.

(Agencies)

Siddaramaiah puts onus on Governor to remove Justice Bhaskar Rao

by

KARNATAKA JOINT SESSION

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday distanced himself from the efforts being made by the Opposition for removal of Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao by saying that Governor Vajubhai Vala should take a decision on the matter.

The governor is understood to be in consultation with legal experts on the growing demand for Justice Rao’s removal.

Vala has reportedly sought a detailed report from the State government on the recent developments in the anti-corruption watchdog, including charges against Justice Rao’s son, Ashwin.

An attempt by the Opposition parties, the BJP and the JD(S), to move a motion in both Houses of the Legislature seeking removal of the Lokayukta, is unlikely to materialise.

100 signatures

Advocate General K Ravivarma Kumar has reportedly told the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting attended by leaders of all political parties that signatures of minimum 100 MLAs and 50 MLCs are required to submit a memorandum seeking to move the motion, as per the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

The memorandum submitted by the Opposition parties last week to the presiding officers of the Assembly and the Council had signatures of 57 MLAs and 33 MLCs.

The BAC meeting was convened at Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi to take a decision on the memorandum. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar were among the leaders who attended the meeting.

The presiding officers have reserved their ruling. The need for amending the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, 1984, to enable the State government to intervene and take appropriate steps to protect the dignity of the institution was also discussed at the BAC meeting.

(Agencies)

BBMP polls must be conducted after trifurcation process: Siddaramaiah

by

BBMP-BUILDING

Bengaluru: “The government is planning to move the Supreme Court on holding the BBMP elections”, confirmed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday June 28.

Addressing an event at the Maratha Bhavan the CM said, “We are mulling over approaching the Supreme Court over the High Court’s directive to hold the BBMP elections before August 5. I feel that the elections should be held after the trifurcation process of the local body is complete”, he added.

On May 5, the High Court had said that the BBMP elections should be held within three months (by August 5). Last week, the State Election Commission announced that the elections will be held on July 28, a week before the last date.

The model code of conduct is already in force and will remain till August 1.

(Agencies)

Tamil Nadu to get Rs 5-crore bill from Karnataka for Jayalalithaa case

by

Jayalalithaa

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government is sending over a bill of more than Rs. 5.11 crore to neighbour Tamil Nadu soon. That is what it has spent on conducting the trial of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and three others in a corruption case over the last 12 years.

“We will claim Rs. 5.11 crore plus money from Tamil Nadu government which was spent on handling the case in Bengaluru,” Law Minister TB Jayachandra of the Congress told reporters in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Mr Jayachandra said the state government would also bill Tamil Nadu for expenditure incurred on matters related to the Home department, including security cover for Ms Jayalalithaa, who returned as Tamil Nadu chief minister two weeks ago after the Karnataka High Court acquitted her, quashing her conviction by a Bangalore trial court in September last year.

“The home ministry is working on calculating expenses incurred on providing security to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister,” Mr Jayachandra said.

Four days ago, the Karnataka government said it will file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the acquittal of Ms Jayalalithaa.

The Supreme Court had transferred the case to Bengaluru on November 18, 2003, after K Anbazhagan, a politician from the DMK, Ms Jayalalithaa’s arch rival, contended that a fair trial was not possible in Tamil Nadu with her Chief Minister.

In September last year, the trial court held Ms Jayalalithaa guilty of amassing wealth beyond her income. She was jailed for three weeks before being granted bail. The conviction forced the chief of Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK to resign as chief minister.

She appealed in the Karnataka High Court, which acquitted Ms Jayalalithaa on May 11 in the 19-year-old case.

(Agencies)

PFI hails Congress government for withdrawal of cases; BJP calls it minority appeasement

by

PFI

Mangaluru: Popular Front of India has hailed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah led Karnataka government for deciding to drop cases against dozens of Popular Front of India activists, accused of involving in communal riots in different parts of the state in recent years.

Mohamed Shakib, PFI state president, has welcome the step and described it as a bold decision of the state government to withdraw cases booked against “innocents” by the erstwhile “communal regime” in Karnataka in the past.

“We see this as a very bold step second in the series, taken by the CM Siddaramaiah after the decision to conduct the caste wise survey in Karnataka,” said Mohamed Shakib, PFI state presided. “We congratulate the chief minister for this courageous step,” he added.

K Pratapsimha Nayak, president, DK district unit of BJP, said the decision to withdraw cases smacks in face of fact that PFI and Karnataka Forum for Dignity volunteers indulged in large scale arson, and caused damage to public property in Udayagiri and Narasimharaja police station limits of Mysuru in April 2009 besides attacking the policemen on bandobast duties. Mysuru City Police had registered 40 different cases in this connection and named 241 persons as accused.

Hassan and Shivamogga saw communal clashes over a Kannada daily publishing a translated version of Bangladeshi writer Tasleema Nasreen’s work Parda Hai Parda resulting in serious loss to public property. While 114 cases were registered in Shivamogga, 21 cases were registered in Hassan, Pratapsimha said adding 1,400 persons were considered as accused in these two districts. The state cabinet decision to withdraw these cases is appeasement of minorities, he noted.

Mr Nayak said the move further erodes the morale of the police force, which had already been dented with political interventions in illegal cattle transportation and other kinds of smuggling. The government was resorting to cheap publicity tactics. It had not thought about the long-term impact of the decision, he added.

(Agencies)

Karnataka cabinet decides to challenge acquittal of Jayalalithaa

by

Jayalalithaa

Bengaluru: Ending three-week long suspense, Karnataka government today decided to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against acquittal of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and three others in the disproportionate assets case.

The decision to challenge the May 11 verdict by Justice C R Kumaraswamy of the Karnataka High Court was taken at a cabinet meeting after the advice by the Special Public Prosecutor in the case B V Acharya and state Advocate General Ravivarma Kumar as also the state Law Department.

“The Chief Minister has directed me to file an appeal in the Supreme Court immediately,” Law Minister Jayachandra said.

Replying to a query, he said Acharya will be the SPP in the case in the apex court.

He said the SPP appointed on the direction of the Supreme Court had advised filing the appeal against the acquittal of Jayalalitha and three others and even the AG and law Secretary had concurred with it.

“….And now the cabinet has decided to file the appeal,” he said, adding it was being done “legally on merit”.

The Supreme Court had specifically said Karnataka has stepped into the shoes of TN and it is the sole prosecuting agency for all matters related to the disproportionate assets case, he said.

In the May 11 verdict that restored Chief Ministership to her, Jayalalithaa was acquitted of “all charges” in the 19-year old disproportionate assets case. Three other convicts, including her close aide Sasikala Natarajan, were also given a clean chit by the High Court.

A fresh legal challenge to 67-year old Jayalalithaa has come nine days after she made a triumphant return as Chief Minister with O Panneerselvam making way for her following acquittal by the High Court.

The state government had a 90-day deadline to file the appeal.

Karnataka is the sole prosecuting agency in the case, which was transferred to Bengaluru from Tamil Nadu by the Supreme Court for a “fair” trial.

Justice Kumaraswamy had set aside the trial court’s judgement which had sentenced Jayalalithaa and three others to four years in jail and allowed the appeals by all the four convicts.

Special Court Judge Michael D Cunha had on September 27 last held Jayalalithaa and three others guilty of corruption and awarded four years jail term, due to which she attracted disqualification as an MLA that divested her of Chief Ministership.The judge had also slapped a fine of Rs 100 crore on Jayalalithaa and Rs 10 crore each on three other convicts.

Giving a clean chit to Jayalalithaa, Karnataka High Court had held that the judgement and findings recorded by the trial court convicting her and three others suffers from infirmity and it is not sustainable in law.

Acquitting Jayalalithaa and three others of “all the charges levelled against them”, the single bench judge Justice Kumaraswamy, in his 919-page judgement, had also quashed the order of the trial court relating to confiscation of the properties both movable and immovable.

On disproportionate assets, the judge had held that “it is relatively small. In the instant case, the disproportionate asset is less than 10 per cent and it is within permissible limit.”

“The percentage of disproportionate assets is 8.12 per cent,” the judge had said.

AIADMK’s bitter rival DMK had raised the pitch for filing the appeal against acquittal while the original petitioner Subramanian Swamy had also said he would move the Supreme Court if Karnataka does not challenge the High Court verdict.

(PTI)

Karnataka government to take call on appeal against Jayalalithaa's acquittal soon

by

jayalalithaa

Bengaluru: Karnataka government would take a call “as early as possible” on “merits” on the issue of filing an appeal against acquittal of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case, State Law Minister TB Jayachandra said today.

“We had sought many clarifications and they have been answered by the Advocate General. On merits where are we – I am examining it, and I will take a final call as early as possible,” he told reporters in Bengaluru.

In the May 11 verdict that restored Chief Ministership of Tamil Nadu to her, Jayalalithaa was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court of “all charges” in the 19-year old disproportionate assets case.

Three other convicts, including her close aide Sasikala Natarajan, were also given a clean chit by the High Court.

Responding to questions, Jayachandra initially said, “We had sought some clarifications from Advocate General and we have received them. I will look into those recommendations and will take decision in three to four-days-time.”

But later, he said the decision would be taken “as early as possible.”

Jayachandra said the Advocate General has recommended to the government to file an appeal in the Supreme Court, but refused to share the details of Advocate-General’s views.

However, Jayachandra said, “As per law, 90 days is the limit. It is not even 15 to 20 days (since the verdict came), and … the law department has to go and study all aspects.”

Special Public Prosecutor BV Acharya also had advised the government to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against Jayalalithaa’s acquittal, saying it was a “fit case” to do so.

(Agencies)

Lottery scam: Siddaramaiah accuses HD Kumaraswamy of derailing investigation process

by

Photo: IE

Photo: IE

Bengaluru: The lottery scam in Karnataka including police officials is becoming a cause for political war in state.

Following the allegations by JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy that the Congress government at the state is suporting the tainted police officials involved in the lottery scam, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday retaliated saying that HD Kumaraswamy is trying to derail the  lottery scam investigation.

Addressing the media here, CM stated that baseless allegations were hurled at him and the government by the JD (S) Supremo Deve Gowda and his son HD Kumaraswamy.

“When Janardhana Reddy accused Kumaraswamy of accepting a bribe of Rs 150 crore from the mining lobby, why Deve Gowda did not advise his son  to hand over the case to the CBI?” questioned Siddaramaiah.

JD(S) leader has blamed the Congress government and Home Minister KJ George of being involved in the scam without any evidence, stated CM Siddaramaiah.

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives