Bengaluru:

The MUDA scam that had been occupying headlines in Karnataka has been pushed aside by a new scam – alleged misappropriation of funds to the tune of crores meant to fight Covid during the BJP rule in the state led by then Chief Minister BS Yeddiyurappa – raising allegations of tit-for-tat scams. A preliminary report on the matter by Justice John Michael  D’Cunha was discussed by the cabinet today, which apparently mentioned many other irregularities.

Of these, sources said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made three crucial observations at the meeting. 

He said the judge has made very serious observations about hundreds of crores of rupees being misappropriated. The report has also said that there are many files missing that weren’t placed before him despite his repeated requests, sources said.  

The overall spending during Covid in the state was to the tune of Rs 13,000 crore. While no figure was mentioned officially, sources indicated that around Rs 1000 crore was siphoned off.

The report is expected to be finalized within the next six months and can even be tabled during the winter session of parliament. The government has extended the tenure of the committee by six months, so it can submit the final report.

Sources said the 1000-page multiple-volume interim report will now be analysed by officers and submitted to the government in less than a month.  

Asked about the scam versus scam allegations, Law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil said it is “unfortunate” that whenever an important report comes it is termed eye for an eye. 

“MUDA is less than two months old. The Cunha committee was appointed a year back. How can you bring that analogy here? It was an administrative measure”. 

The Cunha report is seen as a boon to the Congress and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, whom the BJP has been trying to corer over the MUDA scam. Mr Siddaramaiah has gone to court challenging the Governor’s clearance to prosecute him in the matter.

The alleged scam is linked to irregularities in land allocation by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority or MUDA. There have been allegations that the allocation of compensatory land parcels to BM Parvathi, Siddaramaiah’s wife, far exceeds the value of the land given in exchange.

Bengaluru:

The Karnataka government has convened a meeting with medical organisations here in the aftermath of the incident of the rape and murder of a woman doctor in Kolkata, and announced the formation of a task force to ensure the safety of doctors.

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has announced the formation of a task force to provide a report on the safety measures to be taken for doctors in the state.

The minister held a meeting on Tuesday at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru with office bearers of medical organisations and officials from the health department.

He emphasised the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety of the many women working in the medical sector.

Speaking after the meeting, the minister stated that the task force will be responsible for providing a report within a month on the measures to be taken for the safety of doctors, including the implementation of laws.

Senior officials from medical organisations and the health department will be part of the task force, he said.

The recent incident in Kolkata has drawn national attention and raised awareness about the insecurity and protection of women.

More than 50 per cent of those working in the medical field are women, and it is difficult for them to work in an atmosphere of fear, Minister Rao said.

He said that 10-12 different organisations participated in the meeting.

“Discussions were held on the safety of doctors and paramedical staff on duty. Suggestions were made to enhance security and take precautionary measures,” the minister said.

“There are several laws in place to protect doctors. An amendment has been introduced that provides for a punishment of 3-7 years for those who assault doctors. The existing law has been further strengthened, and a notification regarding this was issued yesterday,” he stated.

Doctors have suggested raising public awareness about these laws.

They have also recommended installing CCTV cameras in hospitals, providing wristbands, panic buttons, conducting regular inspections in coordination with the police department, and fast-tracking the resolution of cases, Mr Rao said.

Taking all these suggestions into consideration, the decision has been made to form a task force to provide a report on what measures need to be taken for the safety of doctors.

Future actions will be based on this report, said Dinesh Gundu Rao.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bengaluru:

Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot’s move to authorise the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, will have dire consequences, a Congress leader has warned. But the statement of Ivan Dsouza has turned controversial, with him drawing a parallel with Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

“If the Central Government does not recall the Governor in connection with the MUDA scam, the Governor may have to face a situation similar to that of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. And the Governor may have to run away,” Mr D’Souza said in Mangaluru at a protest organised by the party against the Governor.

Mr Siddaramaiah has appealed to the High Court challenging the Governor’s move.  He called it “illegal and without authority of law”, and claimed that prosecution at this point could irreparably harm his reputation. 

More importantly, it could “disrupt governance… and potentially result in political destabilisation,” he has argued.

The court has granted him some relief, ordering that no action be taken against him before it hears the case on August 29.

“Since the matter is heard by this court and pleadings are to be completed… till the next date of hearing the concerned court (the trial court) should defer its proceedings…” the High Court said.

The alleged scam is linked to irregularities in land allocation by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). It has been alleged that the allocation of compensatory land parcels to BM Parvathi, Siddaramaiah’s wife, during his previous term as the chief minister of Karnataka, far exceeds the value of the land given in exchange. 

Activists have alleged that the 14 premium sites in Mysuru allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife as compensation for acquired land was illegal and led to a loss of Rs 45 crore to the exchequer.

Samit Dravid, son of former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid, showcased his power-hitting skills in the ongoing KSCA Maharaja T20 Trophy. Samit finally got some runs under his belt, scoring 33 off 24 balls for Mysuru Warriors in their match against Gulbarga Mystics. The 18-year-old also slammed a six in the 10th over of the innings. He picked up Praveen Dubey’s googly and went inside-out to cover the ropes near the deep-cover region. A video of the same went viral on social media.

..

Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 | | LIVE NOW #StarSportsKannada #MaharajaTrophyOnStar @maharaja_t20 pic.twitter.com/MO1SgEGkE7

— Star Sports Kannada (@StarSportsKan) August 18, 2024

Here’s how internet reacted:

Genetics Andre idu magazine

— X (@SarcoPolitical) August 18, 2024

Rahul dravid son Samit Dravid another six! pic.twitter.com/vtZVnkgAOg

— Sports with naveen (@sportswnaveen) August 18, 2024

Samit Dravid is going to be picked up in IPL if he puts his name but I think he will be asked not to. pic.twitter.com/InJqINFrAy

— Shri Ganesh (@QuickrOlx) August 18, 2024

Samit smashed a 24-ball 33 with the help of four 4s and a solitary six. Meanwhile, Karun Nair‘s 35-ball 66 and a 13-ball 40-run knock from Jagadeesha Suchith took the Warriors to a strong score of 196/8 in their 20 overs.

However, the night belonged to Mystics’ K Smaran, who smashed an unbeaten century to guide his team to a win from a tricky situation.

Mystics were reeling at 104/5 in the 12th over, following a top-order collapse. However, Smaran build key stands with Wahid Faizan Khan (18) and Dubey (37) before winning the game on the final ball of the match.

With the scores tied on the penultimate ball, Smaran hit the winning boundary to stay unbeaten on 104 off just 60 balls.

This was Warriors’ second straight defeat after their narrow loss to Bengaluru Bulls a couple of days back.

Meanwhile, Warriors acquired the services of Samit, a middle-order batsman and a seamer, for Rs 50000.

“It’s good to have him in our side as he has shown a lot of promise in various age-group tournaments for KSCA,” a Warriors team official told PTI.

Samit was part of the Karnataka under-19 side that won this season’s Cooch Behar Trophy, and he has also played for KSCA XI against the visiting Lancashire side earlier this year.

Mysore Warriors squad: Karun Nair, Karthik CA, Manoj Bhandage, Karthik S U, Suchith J, Gowtham K, Vidyadhar Patil, Venkatesh M, Harshil Dharmani, Goutham Mishra, Dhanush Gowda, Samit Dravid, Deepak Devadiga, Sumit Kumar, Smayan Srivastava, Jasper EJ, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Sarfaraz Ashraf.

(With PTI Inputs)

Mysuru (Karnataka):

Launching a scathing attack on Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, former chief minister and senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa said on Saturday that he will fight until his last breath to remain in politics and ensure that the former was booted out by the people of the state.

Addressing a public gathering at Mysuru, Mr Yediyurappa said, “Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had asked me to retire from public life. Until my last breath, I will be in politics and ensure your (Mr Siddaramaiah’s) ouster. Is there any example of a Chief Minister getting 14 sites for his family in the history of the state? He is demanding Rs 65 crore, claiming that he would return it. Whose money is it going to be?”

Stating that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has declared his support for Mr Siddaramaiah, Mr Yediyurappa added, “Mr Shivakumar’s sins are overflowing. You don’t know what is going to happen to you (Mr Siddaramaiah) and when it will happen. He speaks lightly about State BJP President BY Vijayendra and Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka. Mr Shivakumar would be better off bothering about his future,” Mr Yediyurappa said.

“The BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) are marching ahead together. The people are going to send you (Mr Siddaramaiah) home soon,” said the BJP leader.

“I will throw a challenge. Will you dissolve the government now and face the election? The BJP and JD(S) will emerge victorious in 130 to 140 seats in the state and attain a majority,” he added.

“There is open loot and daylight robbery taking place in the state. The people have grown wary of your government. There is no trace of development works in the state. The government has turned pauper. Not a single kilometre of road is being laid. The chief minister and deputy chief minister are involved in rampant corruption. They are not capable of running the administration in the state,” he said. 

“I am an 82-year-old man, I will take up a tour throughout the state and send you (Mr Siddaramaiah) home. I will end the corruption by the Congress government and their misrule,” he said.

“The chief minister and deputy chief minister also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda respects him and discusses bringing a change in the state. The people need to bless the BJP and JD(S) and bring them to power,” Mr Yediyurappa said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bengaluru:

The Karnataka Cabinet that met on Monday night under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has given its approval for adopting three resolutions, including one against the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), PTI reported quoting official sources.

The other two resolutions are said to be against ‘One Nation, One Election’ and delimitation of constituencies for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

The resolutions are likely to be tabled during the ongoing legislature session, probably on Tuesday itself, the sources said.

The cabinet is also said to have cleared the ‘Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill 2024’.

A four-member committee led by former chief secretary B S Patil, formed to restructure the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, submitted its report to the government earlier this month.

In the draft bill, the committee is said to have proposed the creation of a Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) with planning and financial powers to govern the city, and it also provides for multiple corporations and makes provision for up to 400 wards.

Amid the ongoing controversy on NEET, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had recently urged the Centre to scrap the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, and allow states to conduct their own entrance tests.

The High-level Committee on Simultaneous Elections constituted under the chairmanship of Former President Ram Nath Kovind had submitted its report on ‘One Nation, One Election’ to President Droupadi Murmu in March.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier said that the census and delimitation processes will begin soon after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bengaluru:

Four people were killed and three others went missing in a massive landslide triggered by heavy rains in the Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka, a senior officer said.

The landslide occurred near Shirur village in Ankola Taluk on National Highway 66 on Tuesday.

Seven people include four members of a family, Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner Lakshmi Priya told ANI on Wednesday.

“There was a major landslide in Shirur in Ankola Talluk. There was a tea stall with five members: husband, wife, two children and one elderly person. The landslide had happened on the opposite side of the river. There were two houses, in which one person was missing,” she said.

“So these six people and there were gas tankers, of which one driver was suspected to be missing. Of these seven people, we have recovered four bodies. Three people are still missing,” DC Priya added.

DC Priya further added that, out of three tankers, two are unloaded. “So those two are safe. The one that is inside the river is loaded. It has gas.”

DC Priya further added that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team of 24 members, including a fire service team has undertaken the rescue operation.

“We have the support of the Navy and Coast Guard, who are within the district. They have given us their safety gear as well as personnel to handle the operation. We also have this quick response team from the gas companies.”

She said that the National Highway Authority of India is trying to clear one side of the road to allow traffic, which came to a halt following the landslide.

“As per NHAI’s report, they are trying to clear one side of the road so that they can allow the traffic to pass, which will happen again depending on the rain. We expect it to be done in another 24 to 48 hours, but the entire excavation will take some time…,” she added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bengaluru:

Lokayukta sleuths on Thursday conducted raids at 56 places across the state and found that 11 government officers and engineers had amassed assets worth Rs 45.14 crore that are disproportionate to their known sources of income, the office of the Lokayukta said.

In an early morning operation, about 100 officials carried out simultaneous raids in nine districts against government officers who allegedly accumulated disproportionate assets (DA).

The superintendents of the districts supervised the raids and carried out searches in 56 locations.

The officers who were raided include Assistant Executive Engineer in Panchayat Raj Engineering Department in Belagavi, D Mahadev Bannur; Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited Executive Engineer DH Umesh; Assistant Executive Engineer at BESCOM Vigilance Police Station in Davangere, MS Prabhakar; Belagavi Nirmiti Kendra Project Director Shekhar Gouda Kuradgi; Retired PWD Chief Engineer M Ravindra; and PWD Chief Engineer KG Jagadeesh, a statement issued by the Lokayukta said.

The other officers are retired Executive Engineer of the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Division Mandya, S Shivaraju; Harohalli Tahsildar in Ramanagara. Vijayanna; Superintending Engineer in Irrigation Department, Mahesh K; Panchayat secretary N M Jagadeesh; and Mahadevapura Revenue Officer Division of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, Basavaraj Magi.

According to the Lokayukta office, Shekhar Gouda Kuradgi was found to be in possession of the highest amount of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income — worth Rs 7.88 crore — among those raided on Thursday.

Officers found having DA above Rs 5 crore are Umesh, Ravindra, KG Jagadeesh and Shivaraju, it added.

In all, the 11 officers were found to be in possession of Rs 45.14 crore worth DA, the statement said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bengaluru:

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday said that the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) should be “ashamed” for issuing a notice to the state government in connection with the alleged diversion of funds meant for SC/STs.

The deputy chief minister said that there is nothing wrong with using the SCSP (Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan) and TSP (Tribal Sub Plan) funds for guarantee schemes.

“After Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka is the only state in the entire country that has brought a law to allocate and use separate funds for the welfare of SC/STs. If the National Commission issues a notice, it should be directed to the Central government. Our government is utilising these funds for the welfare of Scheduled Castes,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has sought a detailed report from the Karnataka government within seven days regarding the utilisation of funds meant for the welfare of the Scheduled Caste and Tribe.

Joint Secretary Rajeev Kumar Tiwari of the commission said that suo-moto cognizance has been taken by the commission following the media report on the utilisation of SC/ST funds to welfare schemes.

“The Karnataka government decided to utilise funds allocated under the Karnataka Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) for implementing five guarantee schemes,” the commission said.

It said that the government of Karnataka has taken the decision to divert Rs 14,730.53 crore from SCSP and TSP allocation to guarantee schemes.

New Delhi:

The Karnataka government on Monday prohibited the use of artificial colouring agents in the preparation of vegetarian, chicken and fish kebabs in the state, saying it can have a serious impact on the health of the public.

Announcing the decision on X (formerly Twitter), state’s health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that the food vendors violating the rule will be dealt with “serious action” including seven years of jail time and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakhs.

“Artificial colors are harmful to the body and can cause adverse health effects,” he said.

Considering the safety of our citizens, Karnataka Government has banned the usage of artificial colors in Veg, Chicken and Fish Kebabs.

Recently, 39 samples of Kebabs were subjected to tests in the laboratory and 8 variants of kebabs were found to have harmful artificial colors… pic.twitter.com/0N1EmVNQCM

— Dinesh Gundu Rao/ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್ (@dineshgrao) June 24, 2024

Karnataka’s Food Safety and Standards Department had received various complaints that eateries across the state were using artificial colours in kebabs. The department then tested 39 samples of kebabs in the laboratories and found that as many as eight of them were unsafe due to the usage of artificial colour.

Sunset Yellow was found in seven samples while Sunset Yellow and Carmoisine were found in another sample.

The use of any artificial colours in the preparation of kebabs is not permitted under rule 16 of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. 

Earlier in March, the state government prohibited the usage of artificial colours in ‘Gobi Manchurian’ and ‘Cotton Candy’ as their usage causes adverse effects on public health, especially children.