Latest news with #KarnatakaGovernment
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Wheelchair-friendly toilet opens at Bengaluru's Lalbagh Botanical Garden
BENGALURU: A wheelchair-accessible toilet was inaugurated at Lalbagh Botanical Garden on Saturday by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya. The facility has been constructed by the NGO 'Ramp My City', with support from the Australian Consulate in Bengaluru, at a spot provided by the Horticulture Department of the Karnataka Government, which manages Lalbagh. The location for the toilet was identified by the MP's office. The project is part of a broader effort to improve accessibility in public spaces within the Bengaluru South constituency. Previously, the MP's office and Ramp My City collaborated to install ramps at over 15 government offices and police stations. The NGO also constructed a wheelchair-friendly resting point for gig workers outside the Bengaluru South MP's office. 'Small, but powerful step' 'This facility is a small, but powerful step towards making our public spaces truly inclusive. It gives persons with disabilities the dignity and independence they deserve,' shared Surya, adding, 'Partnerships like these — between governments and civil society — are the way forward. Inclusion must be at the heart of public infrastructure.' The inauguration was attended by Australian High Commissioner to India Phillip Green, Australian Consul-General in Bengaluru Hillary McGreachy, and Prateek Khandelwal, founder of Ramp My City. The new toilet is expected to be used by hundreds of differently-abled visitors, who frequent Lalbagh each week.
Indian Express
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Devanahalli land acquisition row: Farmers' meeting with Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah inconclusive, new meeting on July 15
The meeting between farmers opposing the Karnataka Government's plan to acquire 1,777 acres in the Bengaluru Rural district for a defence and aerospace park and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru ended inconclusively Friday. During the meeting, several farmer unions, including the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, and actor-turned-politician Prakash Raj, are said to have urged Siddaramaiah to cancel the land acquisition notification issued by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB), but no decision was reached. According to sources privy to the meeting, Siddaramaiah has called for another round of talks, scheduled for 11 am on July 15. The farmers said the government has informed them that the final notification cannot be withdrawn due to legal constraints. The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (LARR Act, 2013) outlines a multi-stage process for land acquisition, including preliminary notification (Section 11), public consultation, social impact assessment (SIA), and final notification (Section 19). Once the final notification is issued, the process becomes legally binding, and withdrawal is complex unless specific conditions are met, such as procedural irregularities or failure to comply with the Act. Raghu, one of the protesting farmers, told The Indian Express, 'We are not at all convinced with today's meeting. We expected the chief minister to take a pro-farmer stand, but we got nothing. Whenever there are issues related to farmers, the state government comes up with excuses such as legal constraints. We had hopes that the chief minister would stand by us, but all hopes were dashed.' The farmers also did not agree to any negotiations linked to seeking more compensation. 'We had decided before the meeting that talks on compensation should be off the table. If they spoke about compensation, we had decided to stage a walkout. Our only demand is to stop the land acquisition process. If the government still goes ahead, bloodshed will follow in our villages,' said Raghu. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Siddaramaiah said experts have informed them that there are certain legal hurdles associated with dropping the land acquisition process. 'Since the final notification has already been issued in April, it is necessary to deliberate on its pros and cons. The government requires a 10-day time frame to arrive at a clear decision,' he said. 'The government cannot take any steps against the law. As the final notification has been issued in accordance with the law, its legal aspects must be thoroughly examined. A preliminary meeting regarding this was held (with legal experts) yesterday (Thursday),' the Karnataka chief minister added. Siddaramaiah also stated that it was not possible to announce the government's stand immediately, and another meeting would be held in 10 days, during which the government is expected to clarify its position. 'We believe in democracy and dialogue. We have not obstructed any protest. The government has not attempted to suppress the protests. I, too, have been part of farmers' unions,' he added.
Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Bengaluru stadium stampede: Karnataka HC asks Govt to ‘justify' whether suspension of IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash was warranted
The Karnataka High Court Thursday asked the state government to justify whether the suspension of IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash over the Bengaluru cricket stadium stampede on June 4 was warranted and whether a transfer would have been sufficient action. The division bench of Justices S G Pandit and T M Nadaf sought clarification from the Karnataka Government in a writ petition filed by the state against a July 1 order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) to reinstate Vikash Kumar Vikash. The Karnataka Government suspended three IPS officers, including the then Bengaluru police commissioner, after the stampede at the M Chinnaswamy cricket stadium, which resulted in the death of 11 fans of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) who had gathered to celebrate the cricket team's IPL victory. On July 1, CAT's Bengaluru bench quashed the Karnataka Government's suspension of Vikash Kumar Vikash, an Inspector General of Police-rank officer. The Tribunal said the order could be applied to former Bengaluru police commissioner Dayananda, an Additional Director General of Police, and Shekar H Tekkannavar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, who were also suspended on June 5. On Wednesday, the Karnataka Government filed a petition in the High Court to stay the July 1 CAT order and to also impose an interim stay. During the opening arguments Thursday, Karnataka Advocate General K M Shashikiran Shetty argued that the CAT bench had gone beyond its scope in a case involving a suspension order by suggesting that it was RCB which was responsible for the Chinnaswamy stadium stampede and not the police officers. 'I think RCB should have also filed an appeal against this order. Ultimately, it is a suspension order, but the Tribunal comes to the conclusion that the applicant had no role to play. Not only the applicant but none of the police officers had a role to play, and it is because of the fault of RCB that incidents have taken place,' said Shetty. However, the bench pointed out that the matter needs to be heard by the court and sought an explanation from the state on whether the suspension was warranted. 'You have to justify whether the allegation required keeping the officer under suspension. The allegation says that the officer failed to manage the crowd, which amounts to dereliction of duty, according to you. Whether the allegation warrants suspension or the shifting of the officer to another post would have been sufficient,' Justice Pandit said. Shetty sought an interim stay on the CAT order to reinstate Vikash Kumar Vikash. 'The order asks for him to be reinstated in the same post, and, in fact, he turned up in uniform (at the police commissioner's office) after the order to claim the post. We do not want to be in contempt of the court order. Let them say they will not precipitate,' the AG said. The bench adjourned the hearing to July 9 after Dhyan Chinnappa, Vikash's counsel, stated that the IPS officer 'would not file any contempt (petition).' While adjourning the case without any interim order, the bench noted, 'Senior counsel is making a responsible statement'. The Tribunal, comprising Justice B K Shrivastava and Santhosh Mehra, stated in its July 1 order that the suspension order against the IPS officers was passed in a 'mechanical manner', and there was no 'convincing material for showing the default or negligence of the concerned police officers' at the time. 'Therefore, prima facie it appears that the RCB is responsible for the gathering of about three to five lakh people. The RCB did not take the appropriate permission or consent from the police. Suddenly, they posted on social media platforms and as a result of aforesaid information the public were gathered,' the Tribunal said in a reiteration of the police FIRs. 'Police personnel are also human beings. They are neither god nor magician, and also do not have the magic powers like 'Alladdin ka Chirag', which was able to fulfil any wish only by rubbing a finger. To control the aforesaid type of gathering and for making the proper arrangements, sufficient time should be given to the police,' CAT observed in its order. 'The police officers have been suspended without any sufficient material or grounds. Hence, the aforesaid order is liable to be quashed,' the Tribunal said
New Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Karnataka's ‘Kaam ki Baat' in PM's ‘Mann ki Baat', says Priyank Kharge
KALABURAGI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the success of the Karnataka Government's 'Kaam ki Baat' in his 'Mann ki Baat', said Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and Kalaburagi district in-charge Minister Priyank Kharge. In an 'X' post, Priyank explained the steps taken by the state government in the success story of Kalaburagi rotti, which the PM mentioned in his Mann ki Baat on Sunday. Priyank on 'X' stated that the state government has provided seed funding for branding Kalaburagi Rotti. Around 150 rotti-making machines were provided to Women SHGs and other enthusiastic women at subsidised rates for preparing rottis, while Rs 6.5 lakh has been provided to them through CSR funds. He said assistance is being provided in packing, labelling and branding -- market is being expanded in other states as well -- efforts are being made to explore the possibility of exports. Market has also been created on ecommerce platforms too. The RDPR minister also said, 'The Kalaburagi district administration has been instrumental in providing a good market for the skills of Kalaburagi women and helping them add value. By creating an online market for the rottis, creating a brand for it, and creating a large consumer base, 'Kalaburagi Rotti' has today provided strength to the self-reliant life of women. Because of all these efforts, the importance of Kalaburagi Rotti has reached PM Narendra Modi and he spoke about it in his Mann ki Baat.'
Indian Express
30-06-2025
- Indian Express
Karnataka Govt suspends 3 police inspectors for falsely implicating tribal man in wife's murder
The Karnataka Government Sunday suspended three police officers for falsely implicating a tribal man on the charge of killing his wife in the state's Kodagu district in 2021. Kurubara Suresh, 35, a labourer from a tribal community, was arrested in June 2021 for 'killing' his wife, and spent two years in jail. However, later it was found that his wife was alive, and had been living with her boyfriend. The police officers who have been suspended are B G Prakash, Mahesh Kumar, and Prakash Yathinamani, inspectors in Kushalanagar and Yelawala and Jayapura, respectively. Vishnuvardhana N, Superintendent of Police, Mysuru, confirmed to The Indian Express that the officers had been suspended, and an inquiry was pending. Reacting to the suspension order, B S Pandu Poojari, the lawyer who represents Suresh, said they were not satisfied with the suspension order. 'We want the government to initiate criminal proceedings against those accused officials to give justice to the victim,' he added.\ Suresh filed a missing-person complaint at the Kushalnagar Rural Police Station in Kodagu district after his wife, Mallige, went missing in November 2020. He was arrested by the Bettadapura police in Mysuru district on charges of murdering his wife after a woman's skeleton was discovered, leading to his two-year-long incarceration. He was released on bail in September 2024. On April 1 this year, Suresh's friends found out that his wife was alive, and had been with her boyfriend 30 km away from their village. They immediately informed the police. Later, the Mysuru district court directed the police to submit a report. Mallige appeared before the judge, and stated that his wife was alive. The court then ordered the police to drop the charges against Suresh, and remove his name as accused or suspect from the chargesheet. Recently, he also approached the Karnataka High Court seeking Rs 5 crore in compensation after spending nearly 18 months in jail following his wrongful arrest. The police are yet to ascertain the identity of the body, which they discovered in an area under the Bettadapura police limits.
