Leader of Opposition Ashok visits farm fields hit by rains in Hassan dist.
Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok visited the agricultural fields affected by recent heavy rains in Hassan district, and demanded the State government to provide compensation for the growers.
Mr. Ashok visited maize farms at Kariganahalli in Alur taluk. He interacted with farmers, who told him that they suffered a huge loss due to downy mildew (bili-suli), a fungal infection that hit the maize crop.
Later, he visited coffee estates at Kyanahalli and Chinnahalli in Sakleshpur taluk. Coffee, pepper, and areca plantations had been badly hit by the recent rains.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Ashok said that the government was not responding to the woes of the farming community. The representatives had not taken time to visit the farms and speak to the farmers here.
'The government should come to their rescue. And if it does not have money, the government should borrow it to give compensation to the farmers,' he said.
Regarding the sudden deaths due to heart attack in Hassan district, Mr. Ashok urged the State government to find out the reason. 'The Chief Minister became a laughing stock by commenting on the COVID-19 vaccine. The government should probe why there have been deaths in Hassan alone,' he said.
Legislators H.K. Suresh, Cement Manju, BJP district unit president Siddesh Nagendra, former MLA H.M. Vishwanath, and others were present.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
Brothers join hands for big Mumbai election
Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray are both important politicians from Maharashtra. Even though they had problems in the past, they are now joining hands to try and win a very big election — the BMC polls. BMC stands for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which is the body that runs Mumbai city. It is the richest local government in India. Uddhav used to lead the Shiv Sena party, which ruled Mumbai's BMC for many years. But in 2005, Raj left the party and started his own group, called MNS. Then in 2022, another leader, Eknath Shinde, broke away from Uddhav and became the chief minister with help from BJP (the ruling party at the national level). Now, Uddhav's party is much smaller, and Raj's party doesn't win many votes. So, both brothers are teaming up to try and win back control of Mumbai. This is very important for Uddhav, because he already lost in the state assembly elections. Winning the BMC would help him get back his political power. But it's a risky move. Raj is known for being very strong about Marathi pride and sometimes takes extreme positions. Uddhav, on the other hand, has been trying to make his party more inclusive and friendly to all people. That makes their partnership a bit confusing. Still, Raj recently showed he might be ready to work together when he said something against the central government. That opened a door for talks between the two. In the last BMC election in 2017, Shiv Sena got the most seats (84), and BJP came close (82), but no one got a clear majority. This time, the BJP is stronger, and Deputy CM Fadnavis is quietly leading their plan. So, this election is a big deal. If Uddhav and Raj win, they might get a second chance. But if they lose, it could be the end of Uddhav's political journey. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.


Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
Maya urges EC for fair Bihar polls
1 2 Lucknow: BSP president Mayawati on Monday said the murder of Gopal Khemka, a prominent industrialist and BJP leader, in Patna, has heated up the politics of Bihar "in a new way" and the election commission must take steps to ensure peaceful elections in the state. She also reiterated that BSP will contest the upcoming Bihar elections solo. In her tweet on X, she said, "Although in Bihar, cases of atrocities, murders, and caste-based exploitation, especially against Dalits, backward classes, exploited, poor, and their women, and depriving people of these classes of their rights have always been a topic of discussion, the recent murder of Gopal Khemka has heated up the politics of the state in a new way along with the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. If the EC takes cognizance of this bloodshed and initiates appropriate action right now, it will be better for conducting peaceful elections in the state." She said: "During the special intensive revision of the voters' list in Bihar before the elections, all these violent incidents are being done by whom and for who's selfish interests? Not only is the coalition govt of the state in the dock regarding this, but the politics has also become quite volatile. It remains to be seen what effect it will have on political equations and elections in the state." She further said that BSP is a party of Bahujans, especially Dalits, other backward classes, deprived, exploited, poor and labourers and is fighting Bihar elections on its own under the principle and policy of depending on the physical and financial strength of its cadres and well-wishers. "That is why an appeal is made to the EC that whatever strict steps are needed to free Bihar elections from misuse of govt machinery as well as muscle, money, and criminal power should be taken in time so that the poll campaign proves to be free and fair," she said.


Indian Express
28 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Govt to hold mega recruitment drive, says CM Fadnavis
The Maharashtra government is gearing up to launch a mega recruitment drive across various departments, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the state Legislative Assembly on Monday. 'This mega bharti (mega recruitment) will be initiated once a clear picture of the vacant posts emerges following a 150-day target programme assigned to all departments,' he said. Responding to a 'calling-attention notice' raised by MLA Bhimrao Keram regarding vacant posts in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category, Fadnavis said, 'We had earlier announced the recruitment of 75,000 posts. So far, over one lakh positions have been filled. The government will not hold back when it comes to recruitment.' The CM outlined key goals under the 150-day programme — restructuring departmental frameworks, updating recruitment rules, ensuring 100% compassionate appointments, and identifying clear vacancies. Based on these, a mega recruitment will be planned, he said. Fadnavis also revealed that as many as 6,860 posts reserved for Scheduled Tribes are currently held by individuals who have not submitted valid caste certificates, even after serving for 20 years or more. 'In a humanitarian approach, the government has treated these posts as supernumerary, meaning these employees will continue in their positions but will not be eligible for promotions. After they retire, these posts will be considered vacant and can be filled as per reservation norms,' he said. Out of these, 1,343 posts have already been filled with eligible ST candidates, and the process is underway to fill the rest. The government is also working to simplify and digitise the caste verification process using blockchain-based systems, aiming to bring speed and transparency. In a related development, Fadnavis announced that the Supreme Court has lifted the stay on inheriting sanitation jobs. Recruitment for such posts will now proceed based on the recommendations of the Lad–Page Committee. 'Recruitment for ST-reserved posts in the Public Works Department will also be taken up shortly. A special secretarial task force will be constituted to expedite and streamline the caste certificate verification process,' the CM added.