Page 4 - Karnataka

Ahead of polls, states lure farmers with interest payout for defaulters

In the last assembly polls in MP, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, the incumbent BJP lost power to Congress due to discontent among the farming class that saw consecutive years of low prices

Prohibitory orders clamped as Banjara community protests against SCs' quota

The agitators gave vent to their anger, alleging that "less" reservation was given to the 'Scheduled Caste-Touchables', to which the Banjara community belongs

Karnataka bribery case: SC seeks BJP MLA's response on Lokayukta's plea

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the response of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa on a plea of the Karnataka Lokayukta challenging grant of anticipatory bail to him by the high court in the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents (KSDL) contract scam case. A bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and Sudhanshu Dhulia issued the notice to the BJP legislator. On March 14, the top court had agreed to hear the Lokayukta's plea against the Karnataka high court order in the case. The BJP MLA's son Prashanth Madal, who is the chief accounts officer of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, was arrested by the Lokayutka police on March 2 while allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs 40 lakh on behalf of his father at the KSDL office. A single-judge bench of the high court had granted the anticipatory bail to the MLA after hearing his petition. Virupakashappa had resigned as chairperson of KSDL following his son's arrest. While granting the conditional bail, the high court had directed the MLA to appear .

Decide on sanction for prosecution against govt officers within 6 mths: HC

The High Court of Karnataka has quashed the cognizance taken by a Magistrate court in 24 criminal cases against a former executive officer of a Panchayat as there was no sanction obtained for prosecution from the competent authority in any of the cases. The Court also directed the authorities to decide on granting sanction for prosecution against government officers within six months of such requests being made. "In the wake of such litigation being generated on indecisiveness of respective Competent Authorities either on the ignorance of the Investigating Agency in not requesting for sanction or the indecisiveness of the respective Competent Authorities in not passing necessary orders, I deem it appropriate to observe that the concerned Competent Authority shall henceforth decide on the requisition sent by the Investigating agency, with an outer limit of six months, if not earlier, as only on account of want of sanction the proceedings are quashed even in cases where corruption is .

Centre approves nearly Rs 700 crore for NH widening project in Karnataka

The Centre has approved a sum of Rs 698.08 crore for the widening of the Belur to Hassan section of NH373, with the addition of paved shoulders, in Karnataka, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Sunday. "This project, executed under the NH(O) Annual Plan 2022-23 (Package-II), will be carried out in the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) mode, " he tweeted.

Will restore scrapped 4% quota for Muslims in Karnataka, says Cong

Flaying the BJP-led Karnataka government for its decision to scrap the reservation for Muslims under Category 2B in the OBC list, the Congress declared on Sunday that it would restore the quota to the minority community in the event of the party coming to power in the State, where Assembly elections are due by May. The Cabinet meeting on Friday also decided to split this quantum (four per cent) equally between Vokkaliga and Veerashaiva-Lingayats at two per each in jobs and admissions in educational institutions, which was welcomed by the two politically influential communities. The government moved Muslims into the 10 per cent Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) pool. President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) D K Shivakumar termed the step "unconstitutional" "They (the government) think that reservation can be distributed like a property. It's not a property. It's a right (of minorities)", he told reporters here. "We don't want their four per cent to be scrapped

PM Modi's security breach during roadshow in Karnataka's Davanagere

A man tried to run towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's convoy during his roadshow here but was caught by the security personnel on Saturday. However, police denied any security breach in this regard. The video of the man trying to approach Modi's car after apparently slipping through the security barricade has gone viral in the social media. The man, learnt to be from Koppal, has been detained and was questioned, police sources said. The Davangere Superintendent of Police C B Rishyanth ruled out any security breach. "Nothing like that (security breach) happened. He was not even near the Prime Minister. He was caught well before that," Rishyanth told PTI. ADGP Law and Order Alok Kumar tweeted : "As being reported in a section of media, there was no breach in security as such of Hon'ble PM at Davangere today. It was an unsuccessful attempt. He was caught immediately by myself and SPG at a safe distance. Appropriate action is being taken in this regard".

Congress releases first list of 124 candidates for Karnataka Assembly polls

The Congress on Saturday announced its first list of 124 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka with former chief minister Siddaramaiah being fielded from his Varuna seat. Pradesh Congress Committee chief DK Shivakumar will contest the elections from his Kanakapura assembly constituency, according to the list. The party has fielded former deputy chief minister G Parameshwara from the Koratagere (SC) constituency. Former ministers KH Muniappa and Priyank Kharge will contest from Devanahalli and Chitapur (SC), respectively. Priyank is the son of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. The party's central election committee cleared the first list of candidates after a meeting in Delhi on March 17. The committee is chaired by Congress chief Kharge. Rahul Gandhi was also present at the meeting. The Congress is the first party to release its candidates' list for the elections in Karnataka. The Election Commission is yet to announce the schedule for assembly polls in the .

Karnataka scraps 4% reservation for religious minorities, adds them in EWS

The Karnataka government on Friday announced its decision to abolish the four per cent quota for religious minorities' and add it to the existing quota of two dominant communities of the poll-bound state. The four per cent reservation will now be divided into two equal parts and added to the existing quota for the Vokkaligas and Lingayats for whom two new reservation categories of 2C and 2D were created during the Belagavi Assembly Session last year. The cabinet decided to bring the religious minorities under the EWS category. The decision comes ahead of the assembly elections. Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the religious minorities quota would be done away with and brought under the 10 percent pool of the EWS group without any change of condition. The four per cent (reservation for minorities) will be divided into two between 2C and 2D. The four per cent reservation for the Vokkaligas and others will enhance to six per cent and

Govt okays electronic manufacturing cluster in Hubli; second in Karnataka

Govt eyes investments worth over Rs 1,500 cr, creation of over 18,000 jobs. Nine companies have already committed to making investments of Rs 340 crore with an employment potential of 2,500

Centre clears third electronics manufacturing cluster for Karnataka

The Centre has cleared the third electronics manufacturing cluster for Karnataka, which will be set up in the Dharwad district, Minister of State of Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Friday. According to the documents shared by the minister on Twitter, the electronics manufacturing cluster (EMC) project will cover an area of 224.5 acre at a cost of over Rs 179 crore, comprising central financial assistance of over Rs 89 crore. "Today a new Electronics Manufacturing Cluster in Hubli Dharwad is also approved - further expanding Karnataka's leadership in Electronics," Chandrasekhar said in a tweet. The EMC will be spread over two villages of Kotura and Belura, covering an area of 88.48 and 136.02 acre, respectively. An official statement mentioned that the government expects the new greenfield EMC is likely to catalyse investments of over Rs 1,500 crore in the near future and generate employment for over 18,000 people. "9 companies and start-ups have already committed t

PM Modi to visit poll-bound Karnataka on March 25 to inaugurate projects

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit poll-bound Karnataka on March 25 for a day-long visit.

Foxconn deal: Karnataka labour laws in focus, Tamil Nadu may follow

Allowing 12-hour shifts for all and nighttime work for women was meant to benefit software firms, but is said to have clinched Foxconn's Rs 8,000 cr investment

Rectify discrepancies in voters list to ensure fair elections: Karnataka HC

The High Court of Karnataka directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to rectify discrepancies in the voters list of the Shivajinagar and Shantinagar Assembly constituencies in Bengaluru to ensure free and fair elections. Disposing of two petitions filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party and one of its party workers, the High Court recently directed the Election Commission to act swiftly and complete the process before March 26. "The Commission must bear in mind that these discrepancies are to be rectified for the conduct of elections to be free and fair. Elections being free and fair is of paramount essence in a democracy. In fact, it is the lifeblood of a democracy, Justice M Nagaprasanna said in the common judgment on both petitions. The BJP in its petition regarding Shivajinagar constituency contended that its complaints and representations about voter discrepancies have not been considered. It was contended that voters who are either dead or have shifted out of the constitue

Ahead of Karnataka polls, Bommai govt keen to score high on investments

Of proposals worth Rs 9.8 trillion in last year's investors' summit, 52 per cent have been realised, so far, claim state officials

Will come back as Karnataka CM again after assembly polls, asserts Bommai

Quoting Lingayat sect founder Basaveshwara and extolling his government's development agenda, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said he will return to power again after the assembly election, which is due by May. Addressing a public gathering at Hungund in northern Karnataka's Bagalkote district here on Tuesday night, the Chief Minister said he has performed sincerely to offer social justice to every section of the society, which resulted in increase in the annual per capita income by Rs 1 lakh in the last four years. "I will come back as chief minister again. God has given me an opportunity to serve Mother Karnataka. I have done sincere work," Bommai said during an election rally. The Chief Minister said he is treading on the path of "work is worship" and social equality, as advocated by 12th Century social reformer and founder of Lingayat sect Basaveshwara. "I tried to give social justice to every section of the society. People had asked for corporations of various ..

Congress making fake promises, says CM Bommai as campaigning intensifies

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday hit out at the Congress for trying to fool people by making fake promises in its bid to return to the helm of the state

Top headlines: Govt to bring down tax burden, Foxconn gets Karnataka's nod

Business Standard brings you the top headlines at this hour

Karnataka govt started Rs 2,800 cr irrigation projects in Krishna basin: CM

The record development in the fields of agriculture and industry, he said is because of the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government

Karnataka to provide drinking water to 464,000 houses in Vijayapura: CM

CM Bommai said under the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme, piped water has been provided to 12 crore houses in the country of which 4 mn houses in Karnataka in the last three years