Articles by "Karnataka"
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Hello Jammu News at 8:59:00 PM 0

Bengaluru, Jun 25  :   Finance Commission Chairman N K Singh Tuesday stressed the need for a dialogue between the commission and Goods and Services Tax (GST) council to address various concerns on the taxation regime.

He said the Commission had requested the Finance Minister, who is the Chairman of the GST council, regarding this, and has received a favourable response.

"One of our areas is how do we engage, how purposeful can the finance commission engage with the GST to be able to bring the concerns to the notice of that constitutional body- that what can done to improve the outcome of the GST, and what can be done to improve the quality of compliance , also fixation of rate structure," Singh said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said the mechanism fordialogue between the finance commission and the GST council was an area that deserves greater attention.

The chairman said he had written to the previous finance minister Arun Jaitley about the need for suitable consultative mechanism between the finance commission and GST council.

"..I have reiterated this request to the present Finance ministerNirmala Sitharaman.

I have received very positive and favourable response and we hope that the commission can havethe dialogue with the GST council at an early date to address the concerns," he said.

The 15th Finance Commission, which is on a visit to Karnataka, Tuesday held discussions with Chief Minister H DKumaraswamy, his cabinet ministers and state government officials.

Singh said Karnataka was upfront in pointing out to the commission that in the era prior to the GST their performance on VAT presented very high revenue growth and thishad got somewhat halted after the application of GST.

"Along with exemptions and the systemic relentless drive to fix rates, which are not revenue neutral, far from being revenue friendly is an area of worry for Karnataka, indeed the commission believes this is an area of worry for India as a whole," he said.

During his meeting with the commission, Kumaraswamy highlighted thatthe base tax rates in the VAT regime in Karnataka were much higher and today on account of reducing the GST rates in several items, the actual tax collection for Karnataka had been adversely affected.

"I urge the Commission to recommend to the Central Government to continue the compensation for another 5 years beyond 2022 or at least protect the compensation level of the year 2022 for an additional 5 years," he said.

Pointing out that both the Commission and the GST council were constitutional bodies, Singh said, "We have sought the Chairman of the GST council, who is the Finance Minister, to facilitate some dialogue between the two entities." 

Stressing on the need for a tax buoyancy, a member of the finance commission said, while the direct tax buoyancy seemed to be doing well, it was the indirect tax buoyancy "thatworries us."

"Key for that is a dialogue between Finance Commissionand the GST council, and try to see how we can fix this mechanism," he said.                                               [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 7:05:00 PM 0


Bengaluru ,Jun 18 : The BJP's Karnataka unit Tuesday demanded that the State government convene an assembly session immediately to discuss the sale of land to JSW steel.

Senior BJP leader andformer deputy chief minister R Ashoka said the party will intensify its protest on the issue.

The BJP will not accept the cabinet sub-committee report on it, he said.

"On Jindal issue our fight will continue, it will not stop here...we will not leave the issue until it reaches logical end. We are discussing on taking the protest on this issue to district and taluk level," Ashoka said.

He claimed that coalition leaders like Congress H K Patil and JD(S) A H Vishwanath and Basavaraj Horatti have raised objection to the sale of land to JSW Steel.

"..Congress party MLA from the region Anand Singh hasalso raised his objection to the sale of land." 

The assembly session should be called immediately, Ashoka asserted.

"We are ready to discuss the issue in detail. The CM has said he was ready to discuss with us the issue, instead let him call for assembly session, as not only BJP several leaders ofcoalition parties- Congress and JD(S)-- have also raised the issue," he said.

The BJP's Karnataka unit, which was on a round-the-clock sit-in since Friday protesting the sale of land to JSW Steel at Ballari and other issues, had even decided to "lay siege" to the chief minister's official residence Sunday, but they were stopped on the way and detained.

The Karnataka cabinet had recently decided to convert the lease of 3,667 acres to JSW Steel into sale, in accordancewith the initial agreement.

Caught in a row, the state cabinet Friday decided to refer its decision to a cabinet sub-committee for reconsideration.

Stating that there was no need for a cabinet sub-committee, Ashoka said the BJP will not accept its report.

"Decision of leaders of all the parties is that the land should not be given.

Other than Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, K J George (industries Minister) and D K Shivakumar (Water Resources Minister), every one is against the sale and have made open statements, also have written letters," he claimed.

There should be discussion on the land given to the firm and the purpose for which the company was usingit and how many jobs have been generated and number ofKannadigas given jobs, he said.

The Public Accounts Committee headed byAshoka which met on Tuesday is likely to take up the land sale issue during its next sitting in about 15 days, according to official sources.

The BJP leader also demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged IMA jewels fraud case in which thousands of investers have been left in the lurch.

BJP MPS would meet the Union Home Minister in a week's time and submit a memorandum demanding justice, he added.                                       [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 11:41:00 PM 0


Bengaluru, June 15 : The Karnataka BJP Saturday RPT Saturday demanded a CBI probe into the alleged financial fraud perpetrated by an investment firm here, leaving thousands of investors in the lurch.

The owner of city-based IMA Jewels, Mohammed Mansoor Khan, had disappeared few days ago after allegedly threatening to commit suicide while police have formed teams to trace him.

State BJP chief B S Yedyurappa put forth the demand for a probe by the central agency after a group of people belonging to the minority community, most of them investors in IMA Jewels, met him and submitted a petition.

Yeddyurappa assured them that BJP MPs from Karnataka would ensure the central governments intervention and steps to ensure the Enforcement Directorate probe into the case.

"We (BJP) feel that it is our responsibility to ensure that innocents who have lost their money get it back," Yeddyurappa was quoted as saying by BJP in a release.

Only a CBI inquiry can ensure justice to the affected investors, he said, as he held the state government responsible for the "injustice" to the IMA investors.

The BJP leader also promised those who met him that the centre would take all steps to find out the wherebaouts of IMA jewels owner Mohammed Mansoor Khan.

Earlier, speaking to reporters, Yeddyurappa raised questions about Minority welfare minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan's alleged links with Mohammed Mansoor Khan.

"While asking him (Mansoor) to come back, Zameer, who is a Minister, has said that government is with you (Mansoor), dont fear- what does this mean? Chief Minister has to answer this," he said.

Hitting back at Yeddyurappa, Zameer Ahmed Khan pointed out that it was he who took initiative after the incident came to light and sought a SIT probe.

"It was not Yeddyurappa. Making speeches sitting somewhere is not enough. We are doing whatever we can.

SIT is probing...," he said.

Nearly 30,000 complaints have so far been received by police in connection with the case, relating to which seven directors of the firm were apprehended on June 12 .

Mohammed Mansoor Khan went absconding after allegedly threatening to commit suicide in an audio clip.

As the audio went viral, panicked investors, most of them Muslims, had swarmed the firm's office at Shivajinagar in thousands, demanding action against the owner and directors.

Khan in an audio clip had purportedly said he was committing suicide as he was fed up with corruption.

He had also alleged the Shivajinagar Congress MLA Roshan Baig took Rs 400 crore from him and was not returning it.

Baig had rubbished the charge, alleging that his political adversaries had orchestrated the "series of events" to tarnish his character.

On June 12, The Karnataka government had formed a 11-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.

As reports emerged that Khan had fled to Dubai, the SIT had said they were investigating his whereabouts.

The Enforcement Directorate also filed a case of money laundering in the alleged ponzi scheme.

The agency's zonal office here filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to an FIR, and has pressed criminal charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), officials had said.                                        [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 6:33:00 PM 0


Bengaluru, Mar 29 :  Called a legend by his Mumbai Indians teammate Krunal Pandya, India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah says he backs himself to deliver no matter what the situation is and always focusses on his strengths.

Bumrah's 3/20 in four overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore was crucial to Mumbai Indians' six-run triumph in an IPL clash here on Thursday. 

"You go ball by ball and you try to control the controllables. You try to back yourself in the situation," the man of the match winner said in the presentation ceremony.

"You don't go too far behind, I was just focussing on my plan and trying to back my strengths. I always try to back myself in any situation and execute the plan to perfection. I have always taken care of my body," added the pacer, who had hurt his shoulder in the previous match but got fit just in time for this game.

All-rounder Krunal Pandya was gushing in his praise for the bowler, who is ranked No.1 in the ICC world rankings.

"It was a great game. We were in-out throughout the second innings. The way Bumrah bowled, he is a legend. The way he's giving consistent performances whether he is playing for India or Mumbai Indians; he is outstanding," he said.

Pandya also lauded his brother, Hardik Pandya for the 14-ball unbeaten 32 on Thursday.

"Whatever I have seen of Hardik this year, he's striking the ball very well. For me, it was excepted, what he did," he said.

"He's in a good mind space. I'm pretty sure he'll be delivering for MI consistently. It's important to get a win in the second game only, sets the momentum for the team," he said.          [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 4:39:00 PM 0



Bengaluru, Mar 22 :  Karnataka Municipal Administration Minister C S Shivalli died of heart attack at a hospital in Hubballi Friday, hospital sources said.

Shivalli (56) complained of fever and vomiting following which he was admitted to the hospital, where he died at around 1.40 pm, they said.

The three-time MLA from Kundgol in Dharwad district, once as an independent and twice from the Congress, had a history of heart disease, the sources said.

Expressing grief, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said Shivalli was with him till Thursday night and later, he got news about his death.

At a party event in Hassan, he said "My cabinet colleague Shivalli was with me till 9 pm yesterday during my visit to the building collapse site in Dharwad." 

Shivalli, a Kuruba community leader, was considered among those close to former chief minister and Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah.

He was inducted into the Kumaraswamy-led coalition Cabinet in December last year when it was expanded.                                                              [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 1:31:00 PM 0


Bengaluru, Feb 28 :  Glenn Maxwell would prefer batting higher up the order in ODIs, following his series-winning 113 at number four in Australia's seven-wicket victory against India in the second T20 International. 

Maxwell bats at number 7 in ODIs and would happily take a promotion in the five-match ODI series starting in Hyderabad on March 2. 

The 30-year-old slammed his third T20 international hundred on Wednesday night, an unbeaten 113 off 55 balls, to blow away India and win the series 2-0.

"In my case tonight, when I came out, it was 15 overs to go I think. And as long as I get a 80 or a 100 out of that even, if I am doing that at a No 6 or a 7, it doesn't really matter. It's just me making the most of the opportunities when I get them," said Maxwell.

"It's not easy to just come here and go like that because the ball is a lot older, the wicket's gone a lot quicker here. Even tonight at the end of the game, the wicket's sort of drying out and there was scuffs all over it," he added.

Maxwell believes that in ODIs, he will find it difficult to make a difference at No 7 in most occasions and a promotion up the order may just suit his game.

"In one day cricket, it's not as easy to go at the end. So it would be nice to bat higher up but it depends on what happens in the top four or top five. If the opportunity does come up, I'd like to take," he said.

Maxwell was on a rampage, hitting bowlers to all corners of the park for nine sixes and seven fours. However, he felt that he did not take any needless risk. 

"I think it's just got to be about picking your moments. I think a little bit of it is that I have to go hard but I think I had been just picking off balls I can hit the boundaries in. 

"Like today, I don't think I took too many ridiculous risks and I feel I read the game really well and was able to hit the ball in areas where the fielders weren't at all. There's not many times I hit the ball straight over a fielder's head but just place it in the gap and I feel that's okay for me. 

"When I had a successful innings, if I am mistiming and it's still falling in the gap but I have gotten in control and I really had a good read of the game and I was just one step ahead," said Maxwell.

He even negotiated pacer Jasprit Bumrah well to stay unbeaten.

"I was always trying to attack him. We needed 44 off the last four overs and he came back on. I suppose it was a key over. If that only went for four or five, suddenly you need 13 an over. And it only takes six good yorkers from him to push that up to 18-19. That can be quite difficult to get in the last two overs, or the two other overs.

Maxwell was well aware of the threat that Bumrah could pose.

"So I was just hoping he missed a couple of times and wanted to pounce on that. He's done me a fair few times in T20 cricket to his credit. I have sort of changed my approach to him a little bit. Been able to wait for a ball that's slightly off and capitalise on that. 

"I was able to get him for two boundaries in that over, and keep the run rate in check and I was able to target Siddarth next over and then we only needed 14 off 12 balls." 

Maxwell was batting in such a zone that he did not even feel the need to change his bat.

"I have been saying in the change room I've got the best bat ever. It's being held together by tape at the moment. Inside edge has been pretty badly hammered. There was a bit of it coming off in the third last over. They told me to change it and I was just like "no, not changing this bat, it's the best bat ever'." 

Following their maiden T20 series win over India, Australia go into the ODIs a more confident lot.

"I have been here a lot of times but haven't felt a lot of success. In 2013, we had that amazing series, record amount of runs and last game here Rohit got a double hundred. We tried to chase 380 and I think Faulkner got a 100 in that game but 

"That was one of the best series played here and to not win that is probably a sign of we played such good cricket in that tour and India still beat us and that's how difficult to win here. So to win here in the first two games of the tou, that starts really well," he added.                 [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 3:52:00 PM 0


Bengaluru, Feb 27 :  Australian fast bowler Kane Richardson was Wednesday ruled out of the limited overs tour of India due to a side injury with IPL regular Andrew Tye replacing him in the squad.

Although Richardson suffered the injury while batting in the nets in Hyderabad last week, he trained on the eve of the second and final T20 International here on Wednesday.

"Kane reported some left side pain at training prior to the opening T20I in Vizag," said Australia team physio David Beakley in a statement.

"Unfortunately he has not recovered well enough in order to play a further part in the tour. Kane will return home to continue his rehabilitation, and we (will) monitor his progress over the coming weeks." 

Richardson's absence is a significant blow for the visitors who are already missing the services of injured pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

The 28-year-old from South Australia was in top form in the recently concluded Big Bash League, ending as the highest wicket-taker for eventual champions Melbourne Renegades.

The injury to Richardson gives an opportunity to Tye, who last played for Australia in the drawn home T20 series against India in November. 

The 32-year-old from Western Australia has plenty of experience of playing in India, having been part of IPL teams Chennai Super Kings, Kings XI Punjab and now defunct Gujarat Lions.

Tye has played 26 T20 International and seven ODIs, taking 37 and 12 wickets respectively.

Australia, who have never been beaten in a T20 series, lead the two-match series 1-0. The T20s will be followed by five ODIs starting in Hyderabad on March 2.                [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 2:17:00 PM 0


Bengaluru, Feb 26 :  The focus remains firmly on the World Cup but India would also be desperate to ensure that a home series does not slip out of their grip when they take on Australia in the second and final T20 International here on Wednesday.

India are 0-1 down after an inexplicably poor batting performance led to a three-wicket loss in the lung-opener in Visakhapatnam.

The below-par 126 with the bat on Sunday denied bowlers a decent shot at securing a win even though the Jasprit Bumrah-led attack did all it could to keep the home team in the game till the final over of the match.

India skipper Virat Kohli has already said that his squad composition for the World Cup in May-July is "more or less sorted" but has not ruled out rewarding standout performances over the course of two T20s and five ODIs.

Considering the captain's current frame of mind, both K L Rahul and Rishabh Pant are likely to feature in most of the games against Australia.

India rested opener Shikhar Dhawan to give game time to Rahul, who grabbed the opportunity with both hands by smashing 50 off 36 balls in his comeback game.

He had a disastrous Test tour of Australia before he and Hardik Pandya were provisionally suspended for their loose talk on women during a TV show.

The ban was later revoked though they still face an inquiry.

With the series on the line, it remains to be seen if Dhawan is brought back into the side to open alongside Rohit Sharma or the team retains the opening combination which featured in Vizag.

"Anything is possible now. We want to give game time to Rahul and Pant to figure out what we need to do in the World Cup," Kohli said after the first T20. 

While Bumrah showed his class after coming back from a break, the other pacer in Umesh Yadav leaked runs and was not able to defend 14 in the final over.

India could replace Umesh with Siddharth Kaul or bring in all-rounder Vijay Shankar to beef-up the batting department.

The hosts played with a long tail in Vizag and that impacted their final total following an inexplicable batting collapse from 69 for one in the ninth over.

Pant, a strong contender for a World Cup berth, will be itching to perform after getting out cheaply on Sunday, and so will be Dinesh Karthik, who is left with just one game to make a compelling contribution before the World Cup. 

All eyes will once again also be on Mahendra Singh Dhoni the batsman who struggled to an unbeaten 29 off 37 balls as India managed 126 for seven in Vizag.

He was able to silence his critics with a solid showing in Australia and New Zealand but his rather slow innings on Sunday has got the tongues wagging again over his waning finishing abilities. 

Debutant leg-spinner Mayank Markande (0/31 in four overs) did not pick up a wicket but bowled well according to Kohli. The 21-year-old might get another game.

Australia, on the other hand, will be fancying a rare series win against India in recent times, especially after losing the Test and ODI series at home to Kohli's team. 

They would be happy with their bowling on a slow surface in the first game but made a mess of the 127-run target after cruising at one stage.

Australia somehow got over the line but they know that India won't be serving the series win on a platter and will come hard at them at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Captain Aaron Finch would love to be back among the runs and the team will be expecting another blinder from Glenn Maxwell, who hit 56 off 43 deliveries in Vizag. 

Squads: 

India: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, K.L. Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, M.S. Dhoni (wk), Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Sidharth Kaul, Mayank Markande.

Australia: Aaron Finch (c), D'Arcy Short, Pat Cummins, Alex Carey, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner, Adam Zampa.

Match starts: 7pm IST.            [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 1:30:00 PM 0



Bengaluru, Jan 11 : The launch of India's second Moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, is planned for the middle of April this year, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K Sivan announced Friday.


ISRO had earlier said Chandrayaan-2 will be launched in a window between January-February 16 this year.

The mission, costing nearly Rs 800 crore, is an advanced version of the previous Chandrayaan-1 mission about 10 years ago.

"Regarding Chandrayaan-2 schedule, right now Chandrayaan is scheduled from March 25 to April end. Most probably, the normal targeted date is April middle," Sivan told reporters here.

He said the space agency had earlier planned to launch the spacecraft sometime between January and February but it could not materialise because certain tests could not be conducted.

"Once we missed the February target, next available target is April. Right now it is planned for April," the ISRO chief added.             PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 7:10:00 PM 0
Belagavi (KTK), Dec 14 : The GST compensation to Karnataka was likely to be "less" during the current year, compared to Rs 7,500 crore in 2017-18, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said in the state assembly Friday.

He was replying to questions raised by opposition members during the discussion on The Karnataka Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2018 that was passed by the House.

"After receiving GST compensation of Rs 7,500 crore from the centre in 2017-18. This year it may be less....," Kumaraswamy said.

The Chief Minister, however, did not give any figure or cite any reason for the projected decrease in GST compensation from the Centre.

Earlier participating in the discussion, BJP members Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Basavaraj Bommai and others sought to know from the government whether the state was receiving adequate compensation from the central government, and was there any loss to the state from the new taxation regime.

Pointing out there were several loopholes in the GST, they advised the government to take up the issues with the centre and fix the leakage.

Noting that state government had limited powers with respect to GST, Kumaraswamy said, "we will find the loopholes and fix them. We will take all necessary steps to check leakage."

The amendment bill had been brought to implement the new return filling system and also to overcome the difficulties of filling return and payment of tax under the GST Act on the lines recommended by the Goods and Services Tax Council.

The assembly also passed the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2018, seeking to amend the parent act of 1999 to set up and maintain a public e-portal.

Though several BJP members demanded that the bill be referred to a joint select committee for detailed study, it was passed after clarifications by the Chief Minister.

The bill debars tenderers for a period not exceeding three years if they engaged in corrupt or fraudulent practices in competing or executing the contract.

The assembly passed the Karnataka Land Revenue (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018 to amend the required sections of the Karnataka Land Revenue, Act, 1964 to facilitate disposal of pending applications for regularisation of certain lands.   PTI 

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Hello Jammu News at 12:54:00 PM 0



New Delhi, Dec 12 (PTI) Two newly elected MPs -- V S Ugrappa and L R Shivarame Gowda -- Wednesday took oath as members of the Lok Sabha.

While Ugrappa was elected from Karnataka's Bellary, Gowda was elected from Mandya parliamentary constituency in the state.

Both members took oath in their mother tongue, Kannada.

Ugrappa is a Congress member while Gowda is a JD(S) member.

Soon after the oath taking of the two MPs, the House paid tributes to 11 former members who passed away recently.

The departed leaders include N D Tiwari, Madan Lal Khurana, C K Jaffer Sharief and Gurudas Kamat.


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Hello Jammu News at 5:50:00 PM 0

Bengaluru, Oct 8: Karnataka BJP president B S Yeddyurappa Monday rubbished reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the state, terming it "far from the truth".

He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates for the November 3 assembly and parliamentary by-polls in the state will be finalised at the party's core committee meeting on Wednesday.

"All this is far from the truth, unnecessarily such news is being spread. There is no substance in it," the former chief minister told reporters in response to a question about Modi contesting from Karnataka.

There were reports in certain sections of the local media that with an aim to increase BJP's influence in the South, Modi was likely to contest from one of the southern states, most probably from Karnataka along with Varanasi, the seat that he currently represents.

BJP is presently not in power in any of the south Indian states.

Karnataka is the only state where the party has considerable presence and has had its government in the past.

Yeddyurappa, who has been meeting several party leaders regarding finalising candidates for the Lok Sabha and assembly by-election, ssaid it would be finalised by Wednesday.

"Day after tomorrow (Wednesday) evening, we have called a core committee meeting where we will finalise our candidates for the three Lok Sabha constituencies and two Vidhan Sabha constituencies and send it to our national president for approval," he said.

Discussions have taken place about candidates for almost all constituencies that would go for the by-polls, the BJP leader said, adding, "We will hold further discussions today and tomorrow before finalising the names".

The Election Commission on Saturday had announced the bye-elections in three Lok Sabha constituencies (Shivamogga, Ballari and Mandya) and two assembly constituencies (Ramanagara and Jamkhandi). The elections will be held on November 3 and counting of votes will take place on November 6.

The by-elections had been necessitated after BJPs B S Yeddyurappa (Shivamogga) and B Sriramalu (Ballari), and C S Puttaraju of JD(S) (Mandya) resigned as MPs on their election to the assembly in May last.

Bypolls to Jamkhandi assembly seat was necessitated following the death of Congress MLA Siddu Nyamagouda, while Ramanagara fell vacant as Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy gave up the seat and retained Channapatna, the other segment won by him in the assembly elections. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 5:39:00 PM 0

Bengaluru, Oct 8: A 38-year-old elephant, released into the forest nearly two years after being captured, died within hours of being hit by a private bus at Mattigod in Kodagu district early Monday, a forest department official said.

The police said they had seized the private bus involved in the accident that occurred near the hilly Madikeri area.

"The elephant, 'Rowdy' Ranga, met with an accident in the morning and passed away subsequently. We have asked the jurisdictional police to book a case against the driver," Karnataka Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (head of the Forest Force) Punati Sridhar told.

Tragically, Ranga, caught in 2016 and sheltered at the Mattigod elephant camp, was released into the forest only on Sunday and met with the fatal accident within hours.

The elephant had earned the nickname of "rowdy" as it had trampled to death a few people and was caught near here in December, 2016 by a forest team.

The accident again brought to the focus the demand of wildlife enthusiasts for a ban on vehicular traffic in forest areas at night.

"It is a sad news. There should have been speedbreakers on the elephant corridors as a short-term measure, whereas the long-term step should be to ban vehicular movement in the forest areas at night," wildlife enthusiast D Rajkumar said.

However, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) C Jayaram said the accident took place in spite of the presence of speedbreakers in the area. (PTI)

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Hello Jammu News at 12:12:00 PM 0


Kalburgi (K'taka), Sep 17 :  Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Monday announced the coalition government's decision to cut petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2 per litre.


The announcement comes in the wake of political pressure building against Kumaraswamy after Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal governments reduced fuel prices.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has cut taxes on fuel by Rs 2 and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by Re 1.

"Today, this coalition government has decided to reduce both petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2 per litre," Kumaraswamy, who heads a JD(S)-Congress government, said while addressing an event here.

Fuel prices have been climbing since August 16.

The rising fuel prices have created a political storm with the Opposition launching a scathing attack against the Narendra Modi government, which has cited international factors for it.

Fuel prices are the steepest in Maharashtra and the lowest in Andaman and Nicobar.PTI

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Hello Jammu News at 3:27:00 PM 0

Bengaluru, Sep 10: Normal life was thrown out of gear during the 'Bharat Bandh' called by the Congress and supported by JD(S), its ally in the coalition government, and other parties, to protest the rise in prices of petroleum products.

Roads in the city wore a deserted look since morning as government buses, private taxis and most of the autorickshaws did not ply. Business establishments, shops, malls, certain private enterprises remained closed.

The busy central bus stand in Bengaluru, which is normally bustling with activity also wore a deserted look, sources said.

KSRTC buses kept off the road, sources said, adding city buses also did not ply.

Hundreds of workers belonging to the Congress, JD(S), Left parties and various other outfits came on the streets to ensure the bandh was a success.

They raised slogans against the hike in petrol and diesel prices.

In Mangaluru, incidents of stone pelting at hotels and shops, which remained open, were reported.

The shutdown was successful in many other parts of the state including Tumakuru, Ramanagar, Mandya, Channapatna, Hassan, Mangaluru, Chamarajnagar, Mysuru. Hubballi, Bidar and Kolar.

BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa condemned the shutdown and called it a conspiracy by the coalition government of the Congress and JD(S) for forcibly making the bandh successful.

"It's an ill-intended bandh to trouble the common man and mislead them. This bandh is benefiting only the extortionists. People know what's happening. Nowhere in the country it's successful except for Karnataka because it's a conspiracy of the Congress and JD(S)," Yeddyurappa said.

Elaborate security arrangements were made by the Karnataka Police in view of the bandh.

The 'Bharat Bandh' was called by the Congress to protest the spiralling prices of petroleum products and supported by its allies in various states. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 5:30:00 PM 0

Bengaluru, Sep 3: The Congress was Monday locked in a close fight with the BJP in elections to urban local bodies in Karnataka but was set to gain control of a majority of the ULBs with a post-poll tie-up with ruling coalition partner, JD(S).

According to the state election commission, the Congress has secured 966 seats and the BJP has 910 seats in the elections held on Saturday. The JD(S) has won 373 seats and the others the rest of the seats.

Results for 2,628 seats out of 2,709 have been declared so far.

Both the Congress and the JD(S) contested the polls separately despite being partners in the state government, but they have already declared that they would tie up post-election in urban bodies.

The Congress and the JD(S) put together have won 1,339 seats that gives them a clear edge over the BJP and control of a majority of the ULBs.

These elections were considered a popular test of the Congress-JD(S)coalition government which was formed post-May assembly polls which had yielded a hung verdict and also was an indicative of the voters' mood before the Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP had ended up as the single largest party in the assembly polls but had failed to muster numbers to form the government, which paved the way for the Congress and JD(S) to stitch an alliance and take over the reins of administration.

The elections were held for three city corporations, 29 city municipal councils, 52 town municipal councils and 20 Town Panchayats.

Polls to Kodagu urban local bodies have been withheld due to the recent floods in the district.

The BJP was in the leading position in Bagalkote, Belagavi,Chamarajanagar, Chitradurga, Dakshina Kannada, Davangere andUdupi districts.

On the other hand, voters put the Congress in the saddle in Ballari, Bidar, Gadag, Haveri, Kalaburagi, Koppal, Mysuru, Raichur, Uttara Kannada, and Yadgir.

The JD(S) is in the leading position in its traditional strongholds, including Hassan, Mandya and Tumakuru. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 5:57:00 PM 0

New Delhi, Aug 30: Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today met Congress President Rahul Gandhi here and urged him to take early decision on cabinet expansion of the coalition government.

The chief minister also said that the JD(S)-Congress coalition government is secure under the leadership of senior Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah.

In a brief meeting with the Gandhi at his residence, Kumaraswamy also apprised him about the 100 day performance of the coalition government.

"In the meeting, I have requested Congress President to take early decision on expansion of the cabinet and appointment of corporation Boards chairman," Kumaraswamy told reporters after the meeting.

At present, the cabinet comprises 16 Congress and 10 JD(S) members, including chief minister and deputy chief minister, and as per rule four more can be added, one from JD(S) and three from Congress.

Kumaraswamy's discussions with Gandhi also comes on the eve of the JD(S)-Congress Coordination Committee meeting scheduled tomorrow to iron out differences in the alliance that has arisen after Siddaramaiah's remarks about becoming the state chief minister.

Asked about the remarks, he said: "He (Siddaramaiah) is a leader. If he expresses desire to become CM, what's wrong in that."

"The coalition government is secure under the leadership of Siddarmaiah. Siddaramaiah is necessary for the coalition government to run safety," Kumaraswamy said.

Already, Siddarmaiah has given clarification that he would become the chief minister if people desire in the next election, the CM said.

"Despande (senior Congress leader) too may have desire to become chief minister. There is no no need to interpret and understand it in a different way," he added.

R V Despande is a Revenue Minister in the coalition government in Karnataka.

Asserting that the coalition government was successful in completing 100 days in the state, the chief minister said: "People in the state have various expectations. My first goal is to fulfill their expectations in the coming days."

The 100 days of honeymoon period is over and the government will start implementing the blue print in the coming days, he added.

The chief minister further said that the government was successful in taking officers into confidence. They have to work considering the wave length of the coalition government, he added.

Already, the government has announced farm loan waiver and given certain directions to officials to implement the budget proposals, he stressed.

Kumaraswamy is also scheduled to meet the President Ramnath Kovind and Home Minister Rajnath Singh to submit proposal seeking relief to flood hit Kodagu in the state. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 2:21:00 PM 0

Madikeri (K'taka), Aug 25: They walked for miles on slippery trails, crossing cascading streams and braving landslides.

Many were aged men and women, whose lives had gone awry in the wake of the torrential rains that lashed Kodagu district in Karnataka, bordering Kerala, claiming at least 17 lives and leaving a trail of destruction since August 12.

Several people were carried on shoulders to the relief camps, where they sat waiting for their names to be called to receive food and other relief materials.

The residents of Kodagu not only lost their homes due to the incessant rains and floods, but were also cut off from the rest of the world due to frequent landslides.

Since August 16, the villagers living in and around Madikeri were rescued and taken to the relief camps.

The much-needed support was a result of a joint relief-and-rescue operation undertaken by the RSS-affiliated Seva Bharati and the Usmaniya Charitable Trust (Bhadravati), an NGO run by Muslims.

Talking to PTI at a relief camp here, Anjali, a resident of Kodagu, said, "We feel so relieved and confident about life...We had lost all hope...Just then, the Seva Bharati and the Usmaniya Charitable Trust came to our rescue and provided succour."

"They rescued and brought us here. Some of them carried the aged people. For some, it was quite a challenge to wade through the muddied and slippery terrains and cross the cascading streams coming down the slopes of the hills.

"The experience still haunts us, but hope fills us when we sit for meditation and yoga in the morning. Even I chant 'Om', though I am a Christian," she added.

Some of the flood-hit people have great challenges before them as their houses were destroyed in the nature's fury.

One of them, Lakshmi, said, "My house has collapsed. I hope the government will help people like me."

Around 1,000 families were provided relief materials by the Seva Bharati and the Usmaniya Charitable Trust.

Mussavvir Basha, general secretary, Usmaniya Charitable Trust said they spent Rs 5 lakh for providing rice packets, water bottles, biscuits, free ambulance service, first-aid kits etc. to the marooned people.

"There was a barrage of fake news and hatred being spread on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms. Some mediapersons too, I am sorry to say, are dividing the country into north and south.

"In this backdrop, the joint operation should serve as an inspiration to people to bring unity in this hour of crisis," he said.

Basha and five others of the trust visited the RSS camp at Madikeri and proposed the joint operation.

Both the organisations took part in the rescue-and-relief work from August 21 to 24, before the members of the Usmaniya Charitable Trust returned to Bhadravati in Shivamogga district.

Expressing happiness over joining hands with the RSS-affiliated NGO, Usmaniya Charitable Trust president JBT Babu said they rescued 10 people.

"They (Seva Bharati) were very kind and treated our volunteers with the respect they deserved. We are moved and hope such concerted efforts will inspire other NGOs run by different faiths or communities to come together to serve the needy at times of crisis," he said.

Kodagu district RSS pracharak Avinash said the two organisations working together to reach out to the stranded people showed the way to solidarity and social harmony in a divided world.

More than 5,000 people have been rendered homeless in Kodagu district, where rescue-and-relief operations are underway in full swing. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 6:11:00 PM 0

Madikeri (Karnataka), Aug 23: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will visit tomorrow the floods and landslide-ravaged Kodagu district, bordering Kerala, where rescue and relief operations are underway in full swing.

The torrential rains that lashed the district last week has left a huge trail of destruction and claimed at least 16 lives. Thousands have been rendered homeless.

Sitharaman is expected to reach Kushalnagar tomorrow morning and scheduled to visit affected areas including Kuvempu Layout, Sai Layout and talk to people there, the Karnataka BJP said.

She will then travel to landslide-hit areas of Madapur and take stock of the situation. After that, she is scheduled to visit a relief camp in Madikeri and interact with the inmates there.

The defence minister will also hold meetings with the district administration and other officials at the Deputy Commissioner's office on the relief and rehabilitation work.

Sitharaman, who is Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, is the second Union minister to visit the flood-ravaged district, after D V Sadananada Gowda, who also hails from the state.

The visit by the Defence Minister comes a day after state BJP Chief B S Yeddyurappa said he had apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the situation in Kodagu.

Meanwhile, former chief minister Siddaramaiah along with Pradesh Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao visited affected areas of the district and took stock of the situation today.

With rains subsiding in the last couple of days, relief and rehabilitation work have gained momentum in Kodagu, where operations to rescue those stranded due to floods and landslides have by and large been completed, according to officials.

The administration was now focused on providing relief and rehabilitating those at the relief camps, clearing blocked roads and restoring electricity.

However, a total of 1,019 rescuers from various agencies arestationed in Kodagu and are screening villages along with NGOs and local community.

An amount of Rs 30 crore has been released to Kodagu by the state government to take up relief works, officials said, adding engineers and personnel from Madras Engineer Group are being deputed to Kodagu for road restoration and debris clearance.

Schools that were shut for over 20 days reopened today, with teachers conducting classes to students at relief camps across the district.

Fifty-one relief camps have been set up in Kodagu that are currently housing 6,996 people.

According to officials, till last evening 4,450 were rescued and brought to safety.

According to preliminary estimates, around 1,118 houses have been damaged.

In Dakshina Kannada, another flood-hit district, five deaths have been reported and over 360 houses have been damaged, according to preliminary estimates.

Rescue teams along with locals are making efforts to rescue animals stranded and affected due to the natural calamity.

Officials said a three-member team from NGRI (National Geophysical Research Institute) headed by Ragavan visited Kodagu and set up a seismic monitoring centre in Navodaya School to closely monitor seismic activity in and around the area.

Also, the three-member team comprising Dr Srinivasa Reddy, Director, Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre and Dr H M S Prakash (former DDG, GSI) are conducting geo-technical studies in landslide affected region of Mangaluru.

Noting that there is loss of certificates, documents and identity cards due to flooding, officials said the government will set up common service centres that will act as single-window system to issue duplicate these documents.

Documents will be issued free of cost or at a nominal cost as deemed appropriate, and there will be no need to file an FIR. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 4:41:00 PM 0

Bidar (Karnataka), Aug 13: Congress President Rahul Gandhi today challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a debate on the Rafale aircraft deal issue.

The Congress has raised several questions on the Rafale deal, accusing the government of compromising with national interests.

"...let a debate happen between me and Narendra Modi on Rafael deal... I will speak at length for hours," Gandhi said at "Jana Dwani" (people's voice) rally organised by the state Congress here in north Karnataka.

In a scathing attack on the Modi government, Gandhi said, "Chowkidar Hi Bhaagidar Hai. (This watchman is a collaborator)," and accused the prime minister of "stealing" taxpayers' money and giving it to his "friend" whose firm he alleged had bagged a contract in the Rafale deal.

Focussing most part of his speech on attacking Modi, the Congress chief charged, he was "not the prime minister of the country but he is the prime minister of 15 super rich businessmen."

India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September last year for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.

Gandhi also hit out Modi on incidents of rapes and said, the prime minister gave the slogan of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' but he did not say from whom the girl child be saved.

"Rape happens in Uttar Pradesh and BJP leader is caught. When small girls in Bihar are raped, we see BJP leaders hanging around there. However, the prime minister does not speak a word on it," he said. (PTI)
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