News Analysis India

Tag: Karnataka government

  • MEA processing Karnataka request on Prajwal Revanna

    NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: The external affairs ministry has received a request from the Karnataka government to cancel the diplomatic passport of Janata Dal (Secular) MP and alleged sex offender Prajwal Revanna, and the matter is being “processed”, said people familiar with the matter.

    “The ministry has received a letter from the Karnataka government for cancellation of diplomatic passport in respect of MP Prajwal Revanna. It is being processed,” said one of the persons, who did not wish to be identified.

    Revanna, who is seeking re-election to the Lok Sabha from Hassan as NDA candidate, left the country a day after the April 26 polls using a diplomatic passport.With pressure mounting to nab absconding Revanna, who is wanted in cases of alleged sexual abuse of women, the Karnataka government wrote to the external affairs ministry seeking a cancellation of his diplomatic passport on the basis of an arrest warrant.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesThe external affairs ministry had earlier said that a passport could be revoked if a requisite judicial order was obtained in this regard from a court. “As far as the matter of revoking a diplomatic passport of a person is concerned, it comes under the Passport Act of 1967. And as per its provisions, a direction should come from the court. Only then it can be revoked,” the ministry’s official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said earlier this month.Earlier on Wednesday, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah wrote a second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to take “prompt and necessary” action to cancel Revanna’s diplomatic passport and help the state government secure his return to the country. “It is disheartening that my previous letter raising similar concerns on the issue has not, to the best of my knowledge, been acted upon despite the gravity of the situation,” the CM said in a two-page letter.

  • Karnataka government tables bill mandating 60% Kannada on signboards

    The Karnataka government on Tuesday tabled the Bill mandating the 60% use of Kannada on business’ sign boards in the Legislative Assembly, two weeks after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot returned an ordinance to the same effect.

    Kannada shall be displayed in the upper half of the name board, according to the Bill. It would be amending the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act 2022.

    The Congress regime had opted to go the ordinance route in order to mollify the pro-Kannada protests searing the state over the issue. In December last year, civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had issued a notice that all business’ nameplates need to be at least 60% in Kannada by the end of February, under threat of losing their licences. The government had come out in support, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah insisting on strict compliance with the policy on use of local language on sign boards as well. Protests on the issue however, turned violent, with pro-Kannada activists vandalising malls and blackening Hindi and English signs on prominent outlets like Starbucks, Third Wave Coffee, Theobroma, and House of Masaba. The government was forced into damage control mode with industries minister MB Patil issuing a warning, saying that such actions damaged the state’s reputation as an investor-friendly place.

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  • Central team arrives in Karnataka to assess loss and damage due to rains

    By PTI

    BENGALURU: An inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) has arrived in Karnataka to assess loss and damage caused due to floods and landslides triggered due to rainfall during October-November, the state government said on Thursday.

    The government has sought Rs 1,281 crore from the Centre as relief for the damage caused.

    The seven-member team is led by Sushil Pal, Chief Controller of Accounts, Ministry of Home Affairs.

    The IMCT will split into three teams of two members each, and has been constituted for on-the-spot assessment of flood affected areas, an official release said.

    They are visiting Karnataka for three days from December 16-18 and will visit Tumkur, Hassan, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru rural, Haveri, Dharwad and Chikkamagaluru districts.

    Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority Commissioner Manoj Rajan made the presentation to the IMCT on Thursday.

    The overall estimated damage due to October-November rains is Rs 11,916.30 crore and as per SDRF norms, the loss stands at Rs 1,281.92 crore.

    The floods and landslides have damaged crops in more than 9.9 lakh hectares besides around 20,083 houses have been damaged.

    This apart there is extensive damage to roads, bridges and culverts, electrical infrastructure, schools, hospitals and anganwadis and government buildings.

    Also damaged are 19,366 km of state highways, major district, village and urban roads, 1,258 bridges and culverts, 7,204 poles, 1,008 power supply transformers upto 11KV, 446 Km power supply lines, 439 minor irrigation tanks, 977 water supply schemes and 7,711 government buildings.

    Noting that claims as per norms of assistance is Rs1,281.92 crore, the government said, to provide some relief in terms of ensuring input subsidy to the next crop, the state government on mission mode started disbursing input subsidy to the affected farmers, and as of today around 12.66 lakh farmers have been paid Rs 852.41 crores directly to their bank accounts.

    From October 1 to November 21, the state received 307 mm rain as against its normal of 166 mm, recording 85 per cent more rainfall.

    Twenty-three of 31 districts have recorded excess to large excess rainfall.

  • Karnataka govt wants “development-free corruption”: Modi

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched a blistering attack on the JDS-Congress coalition government in Karnataka, alleging it was interested only in “development-free corruption”.

    He also said the agricultural loan waiver announced by the H D Kumaraswamy government was the “most cruel joke” on farmers.

    “People want corruption-free government, but Karnataka government wants development-free corruption,” Modi told BJP’s booth-level workers of the state during an interaction with them through video conferencing as part of the party’s ‘Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot’ programme.

    The outreach is aimed at engergising party cadre ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

    Modi said people of Karnataka had reposed faith in the BJP and it was the duty of the party workers to become the voice of people if the government was neglecting their welfare.

    “It seems people in power in Karnataka are playing the game of musical chair. When people in power are not interested in the welfare of people, it is the duty of our workers to become the voice of people,” he said, and referred to reported strains between the ruling coalition partners.

    Responding to a question about farm distress and farmers suicide in the state, Modi said only a handful of agriculturists benefited from the government’s loan waiver programme.

    “Those who go around the country claiming credit for the farm loan waiver will they also take the blame for farmers suicide?” he asked.