Toll protest: villagers will get concession, CM

       
Bangalore, May 8 (PTI) Amid persistent protests against
the toll hike on the National Highway leading to international
airport, Chief Minister Siddaramaih today said there will be
concession on toll for villagers within the proximity of the
highway.
        "Toll will be collected at concession rate from villagers
in about 40 km radius, that is Rs 220 per month for any number
of trips they commute," he told reporters here.
     Villagers within a five kilometre radius need not pay any
toll, he said.
        Siddaramaih said service road should be made available for
the sake of local villagers next to tolled road, adding that
he is in touch with Union Minister for Road Transport and
Highways Oscar Fernandes over the toll issue.
     Meanwhile, Karnataka State Lorry Owner's and Agent's
association has called for agitation tomorrow, demanding
rollback of toll hike. They are likely to be joined by taxi
drivers and several pro-Kannada organisations.
        Private taxi drivers and transporters are up in arms
against the nearly four-fold hike on the 22-km stretch of the
elevated road to the Kempegowda International airport but the
increase has been justified by NHAI citing the relevant
provisions under the National Highway Fee (Determination of
Rates and Collection) Rules.
        The toll for a return journey by car or other such
vehicles has been increased from Rs 30 to Rs 115 with effect
from Saturday last. The concessionaire of the public-private
partnership project has been allowed to hike the toll in
accordance with provisions of the agreement with NHAI.
        Both BJP and JDS have protested against the toll hike.
PTI KSU 

Karnataka CM directs officials to speed up drought relief

       
Bangalore, May 8 (PTI) Facing flak over handling of the
drought situation, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today
directed top officials to ensure relief works on a war footing
in the state where 125 taluks have been declared drought-hit.
        Addressing top officials of different departments in the
presence of senior ministers, Siddaramaiah said funds were not
a constraint for providing drinking water and fodder and added
that Rs 516 crore had been released so far for drought relief
works.
        Governor H R Bhardwaj had last week openly expressed his
unhappiness over the government's handling and said the Chief
Minister must activate the administration to deal with the
drought conditions.
        KPCC Chief G Parameshwara had also asked the Chief
Minister to speed up relief works by taking "proactive steps."
        Principal opposition BJP had in a memorandum to the
Governor yesterday had accused the government of "gross
negligence" and sought his intervention to "wake up
Siddaramiah and his cabinet colleagues from their deep slumber
and focus their attention on combating drought with all
seriousness."
        In the meeting today, Siddaramaiah said 10,163 villages
in 125 taluks were facing scarcity conditions, of which 1086
villages were hit severely. Badly affected villages were being
water through tankers.
    Fodder banks had been opened and there was enough stock to
meet the needs for the next 26 weeks, he said.
        Rural and Panchayatraj Development Minister H K Patil,
Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, Law and Animal Husbandry
Minister T B Jayachandra and Revenue Minister V Srinivasa
Prasad and senior officials of the departments concerned were
present at the meeting. 

Legislature session likely after June 15, Council chairman

B D Narayankar reports

Bangalore, May 8 (PTI): The month-long monsoon session of the state legislature is likely to be held after June 15, Legislative Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy said today. 

"Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has told me that the government will for the first time hold a 30 working day legislature session. It is likely to be held after June 15," he told reporters here. 

Shankaramurthy said the renovation work, which was taken up to give a new and modern touch to the majestic Council Hall, will be completed by June 12. 

"All civil and electrical works would be completed by June 12 and the renovated hall would be ready to host the monsoon session," he said. 

The Public Works Department had invited tenders for taking up renovation work, which included installation of the latest electrical and audio-video systems, Shankaramurthy said. Renovation work was pending for the last two years. 

Latest earphones and lighting system would be installed as per specifications, he said. 

To a query, he said the Election Commission will announce the dates for conducting polls to the Upper House. The process of elections and nominations will be held to choose 16 MLCs, of which three are already vacant and the rest will fall vacant by June end. 

Former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda of BJP and former Union Minister M V Rajasekaran of Congress are retiring. In the 75-member strong Council, BJP has 39 members including Shankaramurthy, Congress 19, JD(S) 12, Independents 2 and three vacant posts. 

Of the 13 retiring members, nine are from BJP, three from JD(S) and one from Congress, he said. Of 16 vacancies, seven members will be elected from the assembly, five members would be nominated by the government, and four seats, two each from graduate and teachers' constituency, will witness an electoral battle, Shankarmurthy said.

Guv asks Siddaramaiah govt to activate admin on drought issue

PTI Bangalore Bureau

Bangalore, May 2 (PTI) Reflecting a sense of unease with Siddaramaiah government, Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj today said the Chief Minister must activate the administration to deal with the drought conditions looming large in the state.

Bhardwaj, with whom Siddaramaiah had a meeting yesterday, said he had told him about the drought conditions and "...So he kept quiet.. Then I said you activate your government. I feel for one and a half months, I have not seen any activity (to tackle drought)".

"There will be shortage of water very soon... A monsoon failure, all your reservoirs are drying up and on this...So I said you must anticipate some solution for this so people don't suffer from all these things," Bhardwaj told reporters here on the sidelines of a function here.

Bhardwaj said Siddaramaiah replied citing the Model Code of Conduct and "all these and that" in view of the Lok Sabha polls. "I said I had been a Law minister, this code of conduct is a model code of conduct for the political parties, it does not bring the government to a standstill."

Siddaramaiah, however, dismissed reports that the Governor had conveyed displeasure about the handling of the situation by his government.

"Drought relief activities are happening continuously. We have given enough money for drinking water. About Rs 500 crore has been released from Rural Development department. I, myself have released Rs 100 crore relief for drinking water. There should be no problem for drinking water supply."

"Wherever possible borewell should be dug there. Where there is no water source there tankers should be used to supply water. We are doing all this," he told reporters here.

"We are also providing employment through Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme," Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters in Hubli, he said, "We will have to give water, jobs, fodder for cattle to people and stop them from migrating. We are doing our work."

The governor has in recent weeks been making critical remarks about the functioning of the government on several issues. During the meeting with Siddaramaiah yesterday, he had reportedly expressed unhappiness over government spending huge sums to renovate the official residence of PWD Minister H C Mahadevappa, a close aide of the Chief Minister. PTI KSU

Govt to go ahead with formation of new taluks: Karnataka Minister

B D Narayankar reports

Bangalore, April 23 (PTI) Karnataka government has decided to go ahead with the proposal of the previous BJP regime on formation of new taluks, Revenue Minister V Srinivas Prasad said today. 

"We have not dropped the proposal made by the previousJagadish Shettar government on formation of new taluks. We will go ahead to form new taluks," he told reporters here. 

As the principal opposition, Congress had criticised the then BJP government's decision on carving out new taluks, terming it as part of the "election strategy" to woo the electorate during the May 2013 State Assembly elections. 

Government will also consider forming more new taluks apart from 43 new ones proposed by the Shettar government, Prasad said. 

"We have received several new proposals on carving out new taluks from the existing ones," he said. 

"The move is aimed at ensuring effective delivery of public services," he added. Karnataka has 220 taluks. 

Prasad however said before announcing new taluks the Siddaramaiah government wants to put in place basic facilities to taluk administration. 

Government would provide Rs 326 crore assistance to farmers for replanting horticultural crops hit by untimely rains and hailstorms early this month in the state, he said. 

"We have decided to give Rs 40,000 per hectare assistance to farmers, especially in Bagalkot and Bijapur areas, who have been hit by untimely rains and hailstorms. The amount is more than what the Maharashtra government has announced, Rs 25,000 per hectare," he said. 

Government would utilise the fund released from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to compensate farmers and others who had suffered crop and property loss, owing to hailstorm. 

The hailstorm had damaged rabi crops, including wheat, pulses, oilseeds and horticultural crops in over two lakh hectares in Yadagir, Gulbarga, Bijapur, Bagalkot, Raichur, Koppal, Tumkur and Chitradurga districts. 

Government had submitted a memorandum to a central study team, which toured the state in March and appealed to the Centre to calculate the financial assistance on the basis of the extent of loss, Prasad said.

No CBI probe into killing of youth by anti-naxal force: Karnataka Home Minister K J George

B D Narayankar reports
       
Bangalore, Apr 22 (PTI) Karnataka Home Minister K J George
today refused to pay heed to the demand for a CBI probe into
the killing of a youth by Anti-Naxal Force personnel at a
checkpost near Sringeri in Chikmagalur district, even as a
section of his partymen insisted on probe by the central probe
agency.
        "The CID is competent to investigate the incident and the
government would take appropriate action once the probe report
is submitted," he told reporters here.
        The Anti-Naxal Force personnel allegedly had shot dead
Kabeer at Tanikodu check-post on Sringeri–Karkala Road on
April 19. The police, however, had clarified that the ANF
officials mistook him for a Maoist.
        George said he has told the CID officials to expedite the
preliminary report and they have assured him that they would
submit it in the next two to three days.
        The Karnataka Muslim Federation, led by Information
Minister Roshan Baig and veteran Congress leader Janardhan
Poojary have urged Siddaramaiah to hand over the investigation
to CBI.
        George said there is nothing wrong in Poojary demanding a
CBI enquiry into the matter, but he could only decide after
the submission of the preliminary report.
        "Moreover, I am only a recommending authority. The
decision to hand over any case to the CBI rests on the Chief
Minister," he contended.
        He also argued that handing over the case to CBI would
demoralise his department, however, he was not against taking
such a step.
        On several occasions in the past the government has given
some cases to CBI, George said.


        To a query, George said the final report on Mallikarjun
Bande encounter case would be submitted to the government in
the next 10 days.
        "I had placed a preliminary report in the Assembly. Now I
am waiting for the ballistic and IT report on reconstruction
of sequence of crime. They have told me that they would submit
these two reports in next 10 days," he said.
        Bande, known for daredevilry in dealing with criminals,
along with another policeman, was injured in the shootout with
alleged criminal Munna Darbar, who was also shot dead, on
January 8.
        Bande died of bullet wounds on Januray 14 at a hospital in
Hyderabad where he was shifted from Gulbarga on January 9
after he sustained head injuries and had been kept on
ventilator.