Inter-State River Wars: Aab Ya Paap, Tai Karlo Aap

Penned By B D Narayankar

Inko nahin denaa
Unko denaa
Kyon karte ho aise aap
Miyaade tai 
nahi karte aab
Toh kyon 
karte ho yeh paap?

Humney bass itna chahaa
Ki hum aaye kisi kaam
Na ki hum 
badhaye apna hi daam
Yeh soch aataa hi kyon
Inko dey, Unko na dey
Hain kaise ye log, Hai Ram!

Note: This is a piece on Cauvery and other river issues, which disturbs me to the core.

I am unable to understand, the same people who protest never refuse to give water to a stranger knocking at their doors. They give in spite of shortage in the house.

Then why not show that magnanimity in giving it to other states? Why this double standards?

Why we do not understand that politicians use such issues to gain political mileage.

Expert from Delhi to probe Chennai train blast: Kharge

B D Narayankar reports

Bangalore, May 1 (PTI) Railway minister Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said an expert from New Delhi will visit Chennai to find out the cause behind the blasts in the Bangalore- Guwahati Express at the Chennai Central Railway station that left a woman dead.

A TV grab of the blast site at Chennai Central railway station. (Agencies)

"One of the experts from New Delhi will visit Chennai and will find out the reasons. Our people are taking quick action and also providing relief works," Kharge told reporters in Bangalore.
Kharge said the woman killed in the blast has been identified as 24-year-old Swati who was travelling from Bangalore to Vijayawada and "was to go to Guntur further."

"When the train came to a stop at Chennai Central, two minor intensity bomb blasts took place in sleeper coaches S4 and S5. As a consequence of these blasts, one lady passenger by lost her life", he said.
He said two passengers received major injuries while seven others suffered minor injuries.
Kharge also announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs. one lakh to the family of the deceased passenger, Rs. 25,000 each to the seriously injured and Rs. 5,000 each to those with minor injuries. Treatment expenses for the injured would be borne by the Railways department.
"Investigation is going on and both the railway board and Tamil Nadu Police are cooperating with each other. When we get the detailed report, we will be able to know the cause of the incident," he said.

Karna accepts K'rangan report to stop mining, but not quarrying, sand mining

B D Narayankar reports

Bangalore, Apr 28 (PTI) Karnataka today said it has
accepted the Kasturirangan committee report on the Western
Ghats to stop mining but said it would not stop quarrying and
sand mining in the ecologically sensitive area.
     "We have accepted the recommendation to stop mining in
Western Ghats but disagreed to stop quarrying and sand mining
in the ecologically-sensitive Western Ghats," Law and
Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandhra told reporters
here.
     He said the state cabinet had taken the decision as lack
of sand supply had already crippled developmental and
infrastructural activities across the state.
    The government is not against Kasturirangan report but
against demarcation of ecologically-sensitive areas in the
Western Ghats, the minister said.
    "Instead of including 1,580 villages in ecologically-
sensitive areas of the Western Ghats, the cabinet has decided
to include 850 villages," he said.
     The Kasturirangan Panel had recommended a ban on
development activities in 60,000 sq km ecologically-sensitive
area spread over six states of Gujarat, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
     Jayachandra said the state is confident of convincing the
Centre to delete those recommendations that would 'adversely'
affect the people.
     He also said the cabinet has decided to give Rs 40,000
assistance for one hectare to farmers who were hit by untimely
rains and hailstorms."The amount is more than what Maharashtra
government has announced, Rs 25,000 per hectare," he added.
    Asked why the government has decided to provide aid to
only one hectare, the minister said most farmers hold one to
two hectares of land.
    Government would utilise the fund released from National
Disaster Response Fund to compensate farmers and others who
had suffered crop and property loss due to hailstorm,he said.
     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.
    The minister said government had submitted a memorandum to
a central study team, which toured the state in March, and
urged the Centre to calculate financial aid on the basis of
the extent of loss. 

Govt plans revival of slew of infra projects: Baig

B D Narayankar reports

Bangalore, April 24 (PTI) The Karnataka government is planning to revive a slew of infrastructure projects, including high-speed rail network and an international convention centre near Kempegowda International Airport near Devanahalli.

The government also plans to revive the construction of film city at Hesaraghatta and introduce uniform ticket rates at multiplexes on the lines of the system in Tamil Nadu, Infrastructure Minister Roshan Baig told reporters here.

He said government is exploring high speed rail connectivity across Karnataka for decongesting important cities and towns. "The high speed rail project is being explored to connect Bangalore-Mysore, Bangalore-Kolar, Bangalore-Hubli and other important towns to solve the problem of decongestion."

Baig also said an international convention centre on 35 acres will soon come up near Kempegowda International Airport at Devanahalli for holding international conferences, seminars and meetings by corporate houses.

Of the 419 acres of government land near the airport, 35 acres will be allotted for the project, Baig said. The centre will also house budget and five-star hotels, he added.

The proposal was made by Department of Tourism in 2007 and the estimated cost of constructing the convention centre at present is Rs 500 crore and may go up Rs 600 crore.

The Minister also said the government plans to revive the construction of film city at Hesaraghatta. "I am visiting Hesarghatta tomorrow and take an initiative to reclaim government land for the purpose," he said.

The Devaraj Urs government allocated 360 acres of land in the 60s for developing a film city. No attempts were made by the crisis-ridden Kannada film industry for all these years. He said government plans to encourage international players to set up hightech studios at Hesaraghatta.

He said government planned to introduce uniform ticket rates at multiplexes on the lines of the system in Tamil Nadu. He flayed multiplexes for charging exorbitant rates and said, "If Tamil Nadu has a policy for the theaters, why can't we? We will stop this looting by the multiplexes."

In Tamil Nadu, ticket prices are controlled by the government, with a cap on the maximum rate at Rs 120. Tickets for two front rows are sold at Rs 10. "At least multiplexes can reduce eatable prices, which are exorbitant."

The government is also planning to set up Janata theaters under PPP model to encourage screening of Kannada films, Baig said.

No compromise on Cauvery: Karnataka's Min

B D Narayankar reports

Bangalore, Apr 22 (PTI) Karnataka government will not
compromise on protecting the state's interest in implementing
the Mekedatu Hydel Project across the Cauvery, a state
minister said today.
        "We will not compromise on protecting the interests of the
state with respect to the Cauvery water issue including
Mekedatu Hydel Project," Energy Minister D K Shivakumar told
reporters here.
        Shivakumar was responding to former Chief Minister and
Opposition Leader in Legislative Council D V Sadananda Gowda's
charge that Congress was trying to sacrifice the interests
of the state to woo voters in Tamil Nadu.
        Gowda had taken exception to the reported statement of
Shivakumar during an election campaign in Tamil Nadu that
Karnataka had dropped plans to implement Mekedatu hydel
project in the wake of the objections by the lower riparian
state.
        The proposal for taking up the project comprising two
generating units with a capacity of 200 MW each has been
pending for nearly 15 years.
        When Law Minister T B Jayachandra announced last year that
the state would take up the project, Tamil Nadu opposed
it and even moved to the Supreme Court.
        "Until they give us the NOC we are unable to take up the
Mekedatu project," Shivakumar said.
        Asked about loadshedding in the state, Shivakumar denied
any such thing happening but retorted, "Those were due to
technical problems."
        Shivakumar also said the government has taken all steps to
ensure people are not hit by power crisis in summer.
        "The government has purchased 650 MW in March last week
and generated 450 MW wind energy," he added.
        The Minister said the government has met the villagers'
demand for ensuring uninterrupted power supply.
        "We will continue to supply seven-hour uninterrupted
three-phase power to villages where he had promised to do so,"
he said.