Punjab government offered to supply rice to K’taka for its Anna Bhagya scheme

AAP Karnataka convener Prithvi Reddy took a dig at the BJP government at the Centre for allegedly declining to provide extra rice to Karnataka.

AAP leader and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

BENGALURU: The AAP-ruled Punjab has come forward to supply rice required for Karnataka's free rice scheme, Anna Bhagya, the party's state unit has said.

The AAP's Karnataka unit said the Punjab government, led by Bhagwant Mann was willing to help Karnataka by providing the rice required to implement the scheme, which offers 10 kg of food grain to each member of a family living below the poverty line.

In a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday, AAP Karnataka convener Prithvi Reddy said, “The AAP government of Punjab is ready to provide the rice required for the implementation of Anna Bhagya scheme in Karnataka.” He stated that he had a detailed discussion on the issue with Punjab Chief Minister Mann.

”Mann reacted positively and has in-principle agreed to supply rice in the state from Punjab,” Reddy claimed.

The AAP strongly believes that irrespective of political differences, all parties must support initiatives that are meant to help the people of our country, he said.

Reddy also took a dig at the BJP government at the Centre for allegedly declining to provide extra rice to Karnataka.

“It is both surprising and sad to note that the BJP-led central government has refused to provide extra rice to our state for the fulfilment of the new Anna Bhagya scheme proposed by your government,” the AAP state chief said in his letter.

Slamming the Centre, Reddy said the alleged refusal to provide the extra rice not only exposes the ‘anti-poor attitude’ of the BJP government but also their ”step-motherly” treatment to non-BJP ruled states”.

Later, addressing reporters he flayed the Congress for coming to power in Karnataka without any prior preparations.

He also charged the Siddaramaiah-led dispensation with completely ‘copying’ the programmes of the AAP and announcing many hasty guarantees for vote bank politics.

While five kg rice was already being given by the Centre, the state government wants to provide an additional five kg from its resources, according to a senior state government official.

The union government recently discontinued the sale of rice and wheat from the central pool under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) to state governments.

According to an order issued by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), The sale of wheat and rice under the OMSS (domestic) for state governments is discontinued. However, the sale of rice under the OMSS will be continued for northeastern states, hilly states and states facing law and order situations, and natural calamities at an existing rate of Rs 3,400 per quintal, it said.

The move comes amid the slow progress of the monsoon and rising prices of rice and wheat. Rice prices have increased by up to 10 per cent in the last year at the mandi level and by 8 per cent in the last month, as per official data.

According to Siddaramaiah, the state needed 2.28 lakh metric tonnes of rice. On June 12, the FCI had agreed to provide the required quantity of rice but two days later it backtracked, he alleged.

Karnataka has approached the National Consumer Cooperative Federation, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation, and Central Warehousing Corporation to procure rice.

PM Modi To Inaugurate Airport, Launch Development Projects In Karnataka

The inauguration of the Shivamogga airport coincides with the BJP strongman and former chief minister B S Yediyurappa's 80th birthday in his hometown. 

The new airport has been developed at a cost of around ₹ 450 crore.

Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Shivamogga airport with a lotus-shaped terminal and lay the foundation for various development projects in Belagavi.

The inauguration of the Shivamogga airport coincides with the BJP strongman and former chief minister B S Yediyurappa's 80th birthday in his hometown.

The two cities of Karnataka have decked up to receive the Prime Minister with festoons, party flags, banners and posters.

A thick security blanket has been thrown in Belagavi where the Prime Minister is scheduled to hold a roadshow.

According to an official statement, the Prime Minister will arrive at the Shivamogga airport at about 11 am.

He will also undertake a walk-through and inspect the Shivamogga Airport. He will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple projects at Shivamogga.

The new airport has been developed at a cost of around ₹ 450 crore. The passenger terminal building of the airport can handle 300 passengers per hour.

The airport is expected to improve connectivity and accessibility from Shivamogga and other neighbouring areas in the Malnad region.

PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone for two railway projects in Shivamogga, which are Shikaripura–Ranebennur new Railway line and Koteganguru Railway coaching depot.

The Shivamogga–Shikaripura–Ranebennur new Railway line will be developed at a cost of ₹ 990 crore and will provide enhanced connectivity for Malnad region with Bengaluru-Mumbai mainline.

The Koteganguru Railway coaching depot at Shivamogga city will be developed at a cost of more than ₹ 100 crore to help start new trains from Shivamogga and decongest maintenance facilities at Bengaluru and Mysuru.

The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for multiple road development projects of more than ₹ 215 crore, including construction of new bypass road for Shikaripura Town on NH 766C connecting Byndur – Ranebennur, widening of NH-169A from Megaravalli to Agumbe; and construction of new bridge at Bharathipura in Teerthahalli Taluk on NH 169.

He will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multi-village schemes worth more than ₹ 950 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

This includes inauguration of one multi-village scheme for Gowthamapura and 127 other villages and laying the foundation stone for three other multi-village schemes to be developed at a total cost of more than ₹ 860 crore.

The four schemes aim to provide functional household piped water connections and are expected to benefit a total of more than 4.4 lakh people.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate 44 Smart City Projects worth more than ₹ 895 crore in Shivamogga city. The Prime Minister will fly to Belagavi where he will release ₹ 2,000 each to farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme (PM-KISAN) scheme. A total of more than ₹ 16,800 crore will be deposited directly in the accounts of more than eight crore farmers under the scheme.

PM Modi will dedicate the redeveloped Belagavi Railway Station building to the nation, which has been redeveloped at an approximate cost of about ₹ 190 crore to provide world-class amenities to the passengers.

He will also dedicate to public the rail line doubling project between Londa-Belagavi worth ₹ 930 crore.

The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of six multi village scheme projects under Jal Jeevan Mission in Belagavi, which will be developed at a cumulative cost of about ₹ 1,585 crore and will benefit about 8.8 lakh population of more than 315 villages.

PM Modi's visit to Shivamogga on Monday will be the fifth to Karnataka this year. He had come to Hubballi on January 12 to inaugurate the Hubballi Youth Festival. He also dedicated to public the Narayanpur Left Bank Canal and took part in Hakku Patra distribution to Lambani nomadic tribes at Yadgir on January 19.

The Prime Minister had also inaugurated the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's helicopter manufacturing facility at Tumakuru on February 6 and inaugurated the biennial event Indian Aero Show in Bengaluru on February 13.

The Assembly elections in Karnataka are due sometime in April-May.

'People's duty to submit evidence': CM Bommai attacks Kharge amid PSI scam

 In April, Congress leader Priyank Kharge claimed to have evidence of the PSI recruitment scam, but failed to appear before the CID to present the same for investigation.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday, May 7, said that those issuing statements in connection with the police sub-inspector (PSI) recruitment scam are responsible for what they say, and it is their duty to furnish documents and other evidence. The statement came against the backdrop of Chittapur Congress MLA and former minister Priyank Kharge’s denial to depose before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with his claims in a press conference on April 23 regarding the recruitment scam.

“People are responsible for what they say. It is their duty to provide documents and evidence to substantiate their claims,” CM Bommai told reporters. He added that the documents submitted by them will be used for investigation. During the April 23 press conference, Kharge had released an audio clip of a purported conversation between a candidate who had successfully passed the exam, and a middleman suspected to have put the candidate in touch with officials responsible for appointing sub-inspectors who pass the exam.

Regarding Kharge’s statement that corruption was rampant in the incumbent BJP government, CM Bommai said Congress is the ‘Gangotri’ of corruption. “Being a person coming from a Congress family, Kharge knows it better,” he added. The CM further said he did not need to “learn lessons on honesty” from Kharge.

The CID has served three notices to Kharge asking him to depose before it in connection with his statements in a press conference but he turned it down saying that the notices were served with mala fide intention.

In Belagavi, former Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Saturday alleged that Karnataka Higher Education Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan’s relative secured fifth rank in the sub-inspector examination. “Ashwath Narayan’s relative has also got selected. He scored fifth rank. He alone was spared and others were sent to jail. According to me, without the involvement of the government and ministers, this scam would not have happened,” the Congress leader told reporters.

Stating that getting justice from the government in the PSI recruitment scam was difficult, he alleged that police officers, politicians and their relatives are also involved. “The CID can be influenced. We demand that a court monitored investigation should be carried out,” Siddaramaiah said.

Ashwath Narayan has come under the attack on previous occasions as well but the minister refuted the charge of being involved in the PSI recruitment scam and termed it “baseless”.

Meanwhile, 12 police officers including a deputy inspector general of police have been suspended for their role in the PSI scam. The government has annulled the PSI recruitment exam after large-scale irregularities came to the fore.

Over 35 people including a BJP leader Divya Hagargi, the principal of a college in Kalaburagi, a few police officers, and the gunman of a Congress MLA have been arrested in connection with the case. The exam was conducted in October last year to fill up 545 posts and over 54,000 people had written it. It is alleged that Rs 75 lakh was collected from a few candidates by middlemen.

Congress demands judicial probe into Karnataka Police recruitment scam, dismissal of ministers

 

Karnataka Congress leader Siddaramaiah has demanded a judicial probe into the Police Sub-inspector recruitment scam. He has also called for the dismissal of state home minister, Araga Jnanendra and higher education minister, CN Ashwath Narayan.

The Karnataka Congress has demanded a judicial probe into the Police Sub-inspector (PSI) recruitment scam. They have also called for the dismissal of the state home minister and the higher education minister.

“They have no right to continue as ministers,” said former Karnataka Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, as he called for the sacking of both the state home minister, Araga Jnanendra, and higher education minister, CN Ashwath Narayan.

The Congress leader further demanded the formation of a judicial commission under a High Court judge to probe the matter.

ASHWATH NARAYANAN CONNECTION

Siddaramaiah has alleged that minister CN Ashwath Narayan was involved in the scam. He said, “Darshan Gowda secured Rank 5 in the final list. He scored 19 marks out of 50 in the first paper (theory). In the second paper (Objective) he got 141 marks out of 150.”

“Nagesh Gowda, who secured Rank 10, secured 29.5 in the first paper while securing 127.875 in the second paper. They are both the relatives of CN Ashwath Narayan,” said Siddaramiah.

“Darshan Gowda and Nagesh were called for questioning by CID. On whose influence were they released? When others were arrested and sent to judicial custody, why were these two released immediately? What is their statement? What evidence did the CID have when they called them for questioning,” asked Siddaramaiah.

Another accused in the scam, Darshan, is said to have links with a person named Satish. The Karnataka Congress alleged that Satish was the brother of minister CN Ashwath Narayan.

However, the minister has rubbished these allegations.

CONGRESS CALLS FOR JUDICAL PROBE

The Congress leader further alleged that politicians and officials were part of this scam and called for a judicial enquiry by a sitting judge of the High Court.

“They say the scam is worth around Rs 300 crores. Now, the CID investigation is going on. Since the government, ministers, officials and police officers have been connected to this, we can’t expect justice from this investigation,” said Siddaramaiah.

To know More:https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/congress-demands-judicial-probe-karnataka-police-recruitment-scam-dismissal-ministers-1945299-2022-05-04

Karnataka BJP wary of corruption allegations fallout; keeps Yediyurappa at hand, mulls revamp

 

‘Communal narrative will not yield results if corruption issue is not addressed,’ says a BJP functionary.

When Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attended a political rally for farmers in Bengaluru on April 21, one of the issues he spoke about was corruption in Karnataka during the tenures of BJP and Congress-led governments.

“The government before this (Congress) was a 20 per cent (commission) government, the current government (BJP) is a 40 per cent government. In Delhi, we have a zero per cent government,” Kejriwal told the audience.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener touched on what is a growing concern in the state BJP. The ruling party is worried about the repercussions of the corruption allegations — several have surfaced in recent weeks — in next year’s Assembly elections

“There is a concern in the party that corruption may be a big factor in the Karnataka polls. There is no clarity on how to deal with it — whether serious measures to show a willingness to tackle corruption are needed or whether the status quo will continue,” said a senior BJP leader on the condition of anonymity.

The leader added that a Gujarat-style makeover of the government — last September, 14 months ahead of the state elections, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his entire Cabinet were replaced by a team led by first-time MLA Bhupender Patel — had not been completely ruled out in Karnataka. A major organisational overhaul is also rumoured to be on the cards.

Readmore:https://indianexpress.com/article/india/political-pulse/karnataka-bjp-wary-of-corruption-allegations-fallout-keeps-yediyurappa-at-hand-mulls-revamp-7884928/