HDK bats for tunnel roads in Bengaluru, seeks central assistance for the project
Tunnels roads, a project championed by Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D. K. Shivakumar and which has been facing stiff opposition from several quarters, has received unexpected support.
Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy, in a letter to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, termed the project the 'backbone of Bengaluru's future transport infrastructure, addressing current bottlenecks, improving connectivity, and enabling long-term sustainable growth', and sought Union government assistance for the same.
The Karnataka Cabinet recently approved ₹17,780 crore for the project from Hebbal to Silk Board. Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited, a SPV floated to implement key big-ticket infrastructure projects, including tunnel roads, is all set to call global tenders for the project.
Mr. Kumaraswamy also urged the Centre to support the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project to decongest Bengaluru's core areas.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
LIVE news updates: Debate underway in Senate on Trump's big bill; overnight voting delayed
Latest news updates: The Senate is engaged in an overnight session Sunday, as Republicans push President Donald Trump's major tax cut and spending reduction bill through despite strong Democratic resistance and some hesitation from Trump himself over the proposed budget cuts. The final result of the Senate's weekend efforts remains unpredictable. GOP leaders are scrambling to meet Trump's July 4 deadline to pass the legislation, managing only a narrow procedural win in a tense vote the day prior. Several Republican senators initially opposed the measure, requiring intervention through calls from Trump and a personal visit from Vice President J D Vance to maintain momentum. President Droupadi Murmu will serve as the chief guest at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute's convocation ceremony, taking place Monday at Swami Vivekananda Auditorium, according to an official announcement. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, two governors, and two Union ministers are also expected to be present. Upon her arrival from Delhi, President Murmu will be formally received by Chief Minister Adityanath and Governor Anandiben Patel, said IVRI Director Triveni Dutt. Located in Izatnagar, Bareilly, the ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute focuses on research and development in veterinary and animal sciences. In a northern Idaho mountain town on Sunday, a sniper opened fire on firefighters responding to a blaze, killing at least two people and sustaining gunfire for hours in what the governor described as a brutal attack. The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office reported that emergency crews arrived at the Canfield Mountain fire near Coeur d'Alene around 1:30 pm local time, with gunshots erupting approximately 30 minutes later.
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
MK Stalin-Led Tamil Nadu Government Urges Centre To Release Keeladi Excavation Report
Last Updated: The row erupted after the central government allegedly didn't recognise the excavation report, submitted to the ASI by archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna. Chief Minister MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government has urged the Union government to release the report of the archaeological excavations conducted in Keeladi citing the fresh research findings by a university in England on the archaeological site. DMK Criticises Centre State's finance minister Thangam Thennarasu who also holds the archaeology portfolio, said that the UK-based university has reconstructed facial features of ancient people who lived around 2,500 years ago highlighting the antiquity of Tamil culture and civilization to the world. UK-based Liverpool John Moores University studied the skulls excavated from Keeladi and reconstructed the facial features of ancient people who lived around 2,500 years ago. The images were generated last year after the Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) sent them digital files related to skull samples from Kondagai He further accused the BJP-led government of 'suppressing Tamil heritage" and said that the findings have defeated the Union government's unjust and denials. 'Though the Union BJP government has deceitfully tried to suppress the history and heritage of Tamils, constructive scientific findings and the historical evidence emerging from the Keeladi excavations continue to defeat the Union government's unjust and denials. I urge the Union government to at least now release the Keezhadi research report," Thennarasu said. Further, CM Stalin also took to social media and said, 'The way of life detailed in Sangam literature now stands scientifically validated through the findings at Keeladi." The facial reconstruction images using DNA analysis showed proximity of the humans in the region to South Asian origin. DMK Politicising Issue, Says BJP Meanwhile, Shekhawat alleged that DMK is politicising the Keeladi excavation issue and is not cooperating with Centre. Accusing the DMK of mixing archaeology with linguistic politics, the BJP said, 'ASI hasn't rejected any report but has just asked for clarifications." What's The Row? The row erupted after the central government allegedly didn't recognise the excavation report, submitted to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) by archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna, who headed two phases of excavations and unearthed an ancient civilisation in Keeladi in the Sivaganga district. The controversy intensified after Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on June 10 said the reports submitted to the ASI not technically well supported. Further scientific studies are required to validate the findings, he said. Later, the ASI asked the archaeological officer to revise original Keeladi report to which officer refused, citing accurate dating of artefacts from 8th century BCE to 3rd century CE. CM Stalin also slammed the Centre for not validating the archaeological report. Later Ramakrishna was transferred. DMK MP P Wilson condemned the transfer of the archaeologist from his present position. Taking to X, he wrote that no one can suppress the truth. 'You cannot bury history with propaganda. You cannot purchase scientific truths with money or power." After the first two excavations, Tamil Nadu state department of Archaeology took over from ASI at Keeladi in 2017 and digging entered its 11th phase this year. First Published:
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: Follow the money
Good morning, The clock's ticking on the July 9 deadline to sidestep US President Donald Trump's steep reciprocal tariffs. The Indian government has been negotiating with its US counterpart for months. Last week, Trump hinted that an interim bilateral trade deal with India may be approaching. The agreement, he said, would 'open up' the Indian market to US goods. Borrowing words from Trump's vocabulary, Union Finance Minister doubled down on his announcement, saying, 'Yes, we would love to have an agreement, a big, good, beautiful one; why not?' She also made it clear that certain sectors were off limits. Indian officials have drawn 'very big red lines' when it comes to agriculture and dairy to protect the industry's concerns. Read her full interview. On that note, let's get to the rest of today's edition. In recent years, India has recorded a worrying rise in online fraud, particularly digital arrests, a scam where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement or government authorities to trick victims with fake video interrogations and extort money. In 2024 alone, around 1.23 lakh cases of digital arrest, involving Rs 1,935 crore, were reported — almost thrice the 2022 cases. Our investigative reporter Ritu Sarin zeroed in on an illustrative case in Gurugram to understand the nature of the crime. She tracked the money trail through an investigation of police records, interrogation statements, along with field visits to police stations across three states, interviewing dozens of traumatised victims. Sarin found that besides the victim, whose bank account was emptied, there were also 'mule' account holders, whose bank accounts were used to create a befuddling web of transactions. The money, totalling nearly six crore, was splintered and transferred through a staggering 141 accounts in 23 banks across 15 states. Take a look at her findings. As The Indian Express marks 50 years since the Emergency, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad joined the latest Idea Exchange session. A vocal opponent of the Indira Gandhi regime, Prasad was imprisoned under the harsh MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) for his protests during that time. He reflected on what he called one of India's darkest chapters, and discussed its most enduring, and controversial, legacy — the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution. 🔴 Besides the political reasons, which saw Gandhi losing grip over her kursi, there were also economic factors behind her decision to impose the Emergency. My colleague Siddharth Upasani details how devastating droughts, a failing economy and domestic unrest had left the government beleaguered. 🔴 While the many triggers for the Emergency have been identified, historians have long puzzled over Gandhi's decision to hold elections and end the Emergency ultimately. Was she confident that she would win? Or was it because of the growing international criticism? Read. Twin acts: Work is underway to amend two key laws to open up the civil nuclear sector. Anil Sasi outlines the two changes: One would dilute a specific provision of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, which places accountability on the suppliers for a nuclear incident. This has been cited as an impediment to foreign vendors dealing with India. Second, an amendment to the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 would allow private companies to enter the closed-off nuclear sector. Read more. Fuel up: The Indian Air Force has been scouting for crucial mid-air refuellers to expand its strategic assets since 2007. As per sources, 3-4 firms have submitted bids for six such tankers. The IAF has begun technical evaluations for these aircraft. Dig in: The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has undertaken an ambitious project to carve out a 22-metre-wide and 11-metre-high tunnel, the widest tunnel in the country, through the Mukundra Hills in Rajasthan's Kota. This tunnel will be a crucial link for the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. The project has proven to be more challenging than initially thought due to the terrain. The Indian Express speaks to the various stakeholders — a worker in charge of blasting the rocks, the project head, a geologist and a safety expert — to understand the challenges. Rein in: On his first day as President, on January 20, Trump signed an order to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and those on temporary visas in the US. Several federal district courts blocked the order just days later. However, a Friday ruling by the US Supreme Court has limited the powers of federal judges to issue nationwide injunctions, removing the roadblock to the implementation of Trump's order. We explain the legal system in the US and what the latest ruling means. ♟️ R Praggnanandhaa is on the hottest streak of his career. The UzChess Cup is the third title of 2025 he has claimed after the Tata Steel Chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee and the Superbet Chess Classic Romania. The Indian Express sat down with the chess prodigy for an interview to uncover the 'secrets' behind his success. 🎧 Before you go, tune into the latest '3 Things' podcast episode. Today's lineup: The Kolkata rape case, the stampede at Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri and the hype around Australian teenage sprinter Gout Gout. That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
