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The Hindu
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
E-khata drive from October 22 to November 1
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday announced that a massive e-khata awareness drive will be conducted in the city from October 22 to November 1. Teachers, Bescom bill collectors, and BBMP employees will participate in the campaign. 'We have records of 24 lakh khatas, including both A and B khatas, but only 6.5 lakh e-khatas have been obtained. Therefore, this large-scale drive is being organised,' said Mr. Shivakumar. Speaking about the Cabinet's decision to convert B Khatas to A Khatas, the Dy. CM stated that the eligibility criteria and application guidelines will be released by August 15. Additionally, the Dy. CM announced that a section of the Hebbal Flyover, a multi-level parking facility in Gandhi Bazaar, and a few improved traffic junctions will be inaugurated soon. He hinted that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah may be available on August 6 for the inauguration. Mr. Shivakumar also noted that the government is planning to implement several welfare schemes that will benefit between 10,000 and 15,000 people. As part of one such scheme, 3,700 pushcarts will soon be distributed to selected beneficiaries. Clean Bengaluru Mr. Shivakumar revealed that 10,354 complaints regarding waste disposal in public spaces have been received since the launch of the Clean Bengaluru programme, which allows citizens to report garbage issues. 'Nearly 9,700 complaints have been addressed, but I am not satisfied. I want more people to file complaints so that BBMP can act on them,' he said. The DCM also mentioned that instructions have been given to install additional surveillance cameras to monitor garbage disposal and impose hefty fines on vehicles involved in public space waste dumping.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Karnataka government drops plan to set up 2,500 public EV charging stations
Even as 1,04,415 new electric vehicles (EV) have come out on to the roads in Karnataka in 2025, the government has decided to drop its ambitious plan to set up 2,500 public EV charging stations across the State under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom), which is the nodal agency for EV infrastructure in the State, stated that the project has been dropped after not receiving positive response from EV stakeholders. In the Budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for the year 2024–25, he had announced that 2,500 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations will be set up in the State under PPP model while 100 charging stations will be set up by escoms at a cost of ₹35 crore. A government order passed in June this year said that the plan to set up these charging stations has been dropped after considering the explanation provided by the managing director of Bescom. Shiva Shankara N., managing director, Bescom stated that failure to set up public charging stations previously deterred stakeholders from coming forward to set up new stations. 'In 2023 –24, even though there was a government order to set up 585 charging stations under PPP in nine districts, even one station could not be established. In 2024–25, a tender was called to set up 605 EV charging stations in the remaining 22 districts. While no bid was received for 18 districts, there was a single bidder for the other four. However, other government departments did not cooperate with the agencies which were awarded the tender when it came to land leasing. It was not possible for Bescom to identify land where the agencies could set up stations according to their regulations,' he explained. He further said that with not many EVs operational on the roads, agencies would be financially burdened if they established charging stations. Companies highlight challenges EV charging infrastructure providers said that they face many key challenges when it comes to setting up public charging stations. Talking about the mismatch between demand and supply locations, Raghav Bharadwaj, CEO, a provider of EV charging solutions said, 'Most EV users—especially individual two-wheeler and four-wheeler owners—prefer to charge their vehicles where they already spend significant time, such as at home, office, cafes, or malls. Unfortunately, many government-allocated sites for charging (like bus depots, government land, or offices) are not aligned with natural user behavior or traffic flow, making them commercially unviable.' He also said that inter-departmental coordination between Bescom, BBMP, and traffic police, which is often slow and complex leads to companies not having access to high utility spaces like curbside parking spots and electric pole-based charging, where people already park their vehicles to sleep, work, eat, or play. 'Deploying chargers in low-traffic areas with no guaranteed demand is risky and capital-intensive. Private players are wary of investing without clarity on land usage, electricity connection timelines, or return on investment. The PPP model, as currently structured, does not de-risk or incentivise early private participation adequately,' Mr. Bharadwaj further said. Private players demand mandating charger integration into real estate development, creating awareness among citizens and incentivising infrastructure to encourage more EV charger usage. EV users say that they are currently forced to charge the batteries of their vehicles at home as public infrastructure is unreliable. 'There are many apps which show where public chargers are located. But when I go there, they might be out of service, or the charger might not be compatible with my vehicle. The government should provide more reliable public chargers in the city similar to how there are many petrol pumps,' said Aarathy Praveen, a regular EV user. There are a total of 5.95 lakh EVs on road in Karnataka according to the data available with the Transport Department. Currently, to cater to this demand, the government has directed Bescom to take necessary steps for escoms to set up 100 charging stations at a cost of ₹35 crore.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Karnataka smart meter case: Court orders registration of complaint against minister George, officials
Bengaluru: The simmering controversy over the tendering process of smart meters in Karnataka took an interesting turn with the special court for elected representatives on Wednesday directing enforcement agencies to register a private complaint report (PCR) against energy minister KJ George and others. Based on a complaint filed by BJP functionaries CN Ashwath Narayan, SR Vishwanath, and Dheeraj Muniraj, special court judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat directed officials to submit a status report on the complaint filed with the Lokayukta in April 2025 pertaining to the same issue, besides registering a PCR. The complaint also named additional chief secretary (energy) Gaurav Gupta, previous Bescom MD Mahantesh Bilagi, and Bescom technical director SG Ramesh as accused in the case. The complainants alleged that all the accused did not comply with the tender rules while rolling out the smart meter tender. "A tender was floated in Sept 2024 to provide smart meter services, and it was allotted to one of the bidders, a Davanagere-based shell company. Rather than floating separate tenders for each of the Escoms (electricity supply companies), tenders were floated only for Bescom. The entire process not only violated provisions under the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act, but also went against the guidelines laid down by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission," the complaint read. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20 Pieces of Clothing Older Women should Avoid Learn More Undo by Taboola by Taboola You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Seeking the special court's intervention, the complainants sought registration of an FIR under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhit and the Prevention of Corruption Act. BJP legislators have been hitting out at the state govt and accusing George, who also holds the position of Bescom chairman, of misappropriation in the smart meter tender ever since the issue snowballed into a major controversy during the budget session of legislature. Nothing illegal: George Reacting sharply to the development, the minister retorted: "Is there a court order? If so, give a copy to me and I will react to that." Hitting out at the BJP, he added: "There is a group comprising Ashwath Narayan and others. They have already filed a petition in the high court and have also complained to the governor. Now, a case has also been filed in the people's representatives court. There is nothing illegal and the tender process has been done according to the law. I'm ready to explain everything if needed. Rather than indulging in hit-and-run methods, let them produce documents to the court and our advocates will also argue. Eventually, I will bow to whatever the court orders." BJP demands George's ouster BJP legislator CN Ashwath Narayan on Thursday demanded the dismissal of energy minister KJ George. "There is no malice — this is in public interest," he said, alleging that contracts were given to blacklisted firms, regulations were flouted, and inflated rates were imposed. Narayan questioned whether George would resign, before urging chief minister Siddaramaiah to act immediately to uphold justice and govt accountability
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bengaluru's e-khata drive exposes Rs 390-crore tax evasion by 5 lakh properties
Bengaluru: The verification process for e-khata submissions in Bengaluru has exposed large-scale property tax evasion, with nearly five lakh properties found to have misreported their details. Many of these properties remained outside the tax radar, either by under-declaring their built-up area or paying residential tax on commercial spaces. As a result, BBMP has already recovered Rs 500 crore in pending dues and expects another Rs 500 crore in additional collections. Launched on Oct 1, 2024, the e-khata system was introduced to curb tax evasion and bring transparency to property records. In just nine months, over 5.5 lakh final e-khatas were issued, while draft e-khatas for 25 lakh properties are now available online. The BBMP made it mandatory for every property under its jurisdiction to obtain an e-khata. Owners applying for one are required to submit documents such as Aadhaar number, sale deed, property tax ID, Bescom number, and a photo of the property. This process is allowing the civic body to verify the actual dimensions and usage of properties and identify discrepancies in earlier self-assessments. Munish Moudgil, special commissioner, revenue, BBMP, said, "We found a large number of owners declared lower dimensions or paid residential taxes for commercial properties. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute Navy Quest Undo We already recovered Rs 500 crore and expect more as the verification continues." You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru A senior revenue official said, "The new digital system revealed these evasions, particularly in high-value commercial areas such as IT parks and malls. Many properties slipped through the tax net altogether, contributing to a significant loss in civic revenue." Despite having 25 lakh properties listed, BBMP currently collects taxes from only about 20 lakh of them. "In the financial year 2024-25, of about 20.6 lakh property owners under BBMP's ambit, almost 3.5 lakh failed to pay their taxes. This group includes close to 1.7 lakh long-term defaulters and 1.8 lakh, who skipped payments last year. In total, they owe Rs 390 crore," said the official. "So far in 2025-26, BBMP has collected Rs 2,966 crore in property tax, as against a target of Rs 6,256 crore. We believe that the e-khata verification process could contribute an additional Rs 1,000 crore in the coming months by identifying under-reported properties and ensuring their proper tax classification," the official further said.
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Time of India
Bengaluru man hangs himself after losing Rs 13L to digital arrest fraud
Bengaluru: A 48-year-old contract staffer with Bescom, who fell prey to the digital arrest fraud and lost nearly Rs 13 lakh to cybercriminals, was found hanging from a tree in his village in Ramanagar district Tuesday. K Kumara, a resident of HSR Layout in Bengaluru, has explained in the death note the harassment he faced from the fraudsters, who posed as CBI officials, and repeatedly threatened him with arrest if he failed to pay up. He was found dead near an agricultural land at Kelagere village in Channapatna. He leaves behind his wife Savitramma and an eight-year-old son. According to the note, he received a video call from someone claiming to be a CBI officer named Vikram Goswami. He told him that a case had been registered against Kumara and that an arrest warrant had been issued. A panicked Kumara first transferred Rs 1.9 lakh to an account specified by the caller. Over the next few days, he was forced to transfer additional amounts, totalling around Rs 11 lakh. The extortion continued, with the fraudsters demanding Rs 2.7 lakh more. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru "My husband was speaking to strangers in Hindi for the past 15 days," Savitramma stated in the complaint. "When I asked him about it, he said there was a case against him. I advised him to speak to his younger brother. On Monday, he left for the village, saying he had some urgent work. The next day, I got a call from family members saying he was found hanging. In his pocket, they found a note explaining everything." Family sources said Kumara borrowed heavily from relatives, friends, and colleagues over the last fortnight, citing a personal emergency. None of them knew he was being targeted by cybercriminals. Srinivas Gowda, superintendent of police, Ramanagar, confirmed that the number used to contact Kumara has been traced to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. "This is a case of digital arrest. We have registered a case of abetment to suicide against unknown persons. We are examining bank records to map the transactions," he said. (If you are having suicidal thoughts or in need of emotional support, call suicide prevention helplines: Tele-Manas helpline: 14416 or 1800-891-4416, SAHAI Helpline: 080-25497777) —— Box BE AWARE OF ONLINE TRAP Kumara's is the third suicide linked to cybercrime in Karnataka this year. In May, an elderly couple from Khanapur in Belagavi died by suicide after losing over Rs 80 lakh to a similar scam. In that case, police arrested four suspects from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam, and Maharashtra, but the kingpin remains at large. As such crimes continue unabated, here are 10 things to know about digital arrest: *Definition: A digital arrest involves fraudsters impersonating govt or law-enforcement officials via video call to pressure victims into transferring money *Initial contact: Victims are approached via sms, email or WhatsApp, falsely accused of offences like money laundering or drug trafficking, and told to call a designated number *Impersonation tactics: Scammers use video calls featuring official uniforms, backdrops and even deepfake methods to appear legitimate *Psychological pressure: They intimidate victims by claiming the victim or their relatives are involved in serious crimes, such as drug-related offences *Continuous surveillance: Victims are often kept on video for hours or days, preventing them from seeking advice or calming down *Extortion method: Under threat of arrest or legal action, scams involve victims transferring large sums to allegedly resolve the fabricated issues *Warning signs: Immediate demands for money, threats of legal action, and unsolicited electronic contact from supposed officials are major red flags *Safety measures: Always verify the caller's identity, remain calm, avoid sharing personal or financial information, and never transfer money under pressure * Reporting steps: Victims should report the scam via the national cybercrime helpline (1930 or and preserve evidence like screenshots and recordings *Govt response: Authorities have ramped up awareness campaigns, blocked several fraudulent accounts WEB OF CRIME Year Cybercrime cases registered in K'taka (2023-May 2025) 2023 22,246 2024 22,453 2025 (May 31) 6,045 Note: While breakup of digital arrest was not available, police say cases are increasing
