Adani News

Tag: Karnataka

  • Karnataka Forest Department starts collecting entry fee for vehicles in tiger reserves

    Karnataka Forest Department starts collecting entry fee for vehicles in tiger reserves

    From June 1, the Karnataka Forest Department has started collecting entry fees for private and goods vehicles entering the state through its tiger reserves. The revenue is said to help in paying the wages of contract employees and also take up conservation work in four tiger reserves.

    A letter written by Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife & Head of Forest Force) Rajiv Ranjan instructed the field directors of tiger reserves and protected areas to collect an entry fee of Rs 20 for light motor vehicles and Rs 50 for heavy motor vehicles under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 section 28 (2).

    Karnataka has five tiger reserves. Of them, four — Kali, Bandipur, Nagarhole and Biligirirangana reserves — share borders with Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Goa. Every day, thousands of vehicles pass through the inter-state check posts. The tiger reserves expect to earn Rs 3 lakh to Rs 25 lakh a month.

    The additional revenue will come in handy for the tiger reserves, which for the last two years have been receiving only half of the funds from the central government under ‘Project Tiger’.

    Sources in the forest department told DH that the five tiger reserves, including Bhadra, need an average of Rs 60 crore annually. However, they are currently receiving Rs 30-40 crore in two installments. The delay, due to technical glitches, is resulting in delayed salaries to staff and limited conservation work.

    Bandipur National Park Field Director Ramesh Kumar said, “Despite repeated requests, people tend to litter the park. Staffing the entire stretch and clearing plastic is becoming difficult due to limited workforce. With the revenue generated through the entry fee, we can hire more people on the ground.”

    Nagarhole National Park Field Director Harsha Kumar said CCTV cameras would be installed through the funds generated from the fee.

    The tiger reserve foundations are planning to use the “green cess” for training locals and the eco-development committee to generate regular income and sustainable development in the area.

    Initially, the forest personnel faced some resistance from motorists, especially vehicles with Karnataka registration, in paying the entry fee.

    Speaking to DH, Rajiv Ranjan said several other states have been using this entry fee to beef up their revenues and Karnataka has decided to tap into this resource now. “We will be using the revenue generated from the forest entry for forest conservation,” he said and added that the entry fee is currently being collected only at inter-state border check posts and later it will be extended tother forest areas,” he said. 

  • Enrolment for Gruha Jyoti free power scheme to start on June 15: Karnataka energy minister

    Enrolment for Gruha Jyoti free power scheme to start on June 15: Karnataka energy minister

    Two days after rolling out the Gruha Jyoti scheme offering free power up to 200 units to domestic consumers, Karnataka Energy Minister K J George on Wednesday said the enrolment to avail of the benefit will start from June 15.

    People who want to get this facility should enroll through the Seva Sindhu portal of the state government from June 15 to July 5, he said. Applicants will be required to upload proof that they are the resident of the building to avail of the benefit, he said. According to George, the documents that need to be uploaded in the Seva Sindhu application to register for the scheme are any of the documents such as Aadhaar card, voter ID, title deed or lease or rental agreement. The minister said that in the next two days a policy will be brought to include new buildings or new tenants.

    As per the scheme, electricity supply companies will determine the average consumption of power in the last fiscal, based on which each consumer’s average consumption will be calculated. If it is below 200 units, then another 10 per cent will be added.

    This average consumption will be free of cost, and the rest of the consumption up to 200 units will be charged. Supposing a consumer uses an average of 150 units of power, he or she will be eligible to get up to 165 units of electricity free.
    Any excess consumption up to 200 units will be charged. Anyone consuming above 200 units will have to pay for the entire bill.

    According to the minister, the state has 2.16 crore consumers who use less than 200 units of power, whereas there are only two lakh consumers who use more than 200 units of electricity. George also said that the average consumption of domestic power is 53 units. The scheme is expected to cost the state exchequer at least Rs 13,000 crore, he added.

    “We are not trying to exclude anyone. We want to include more people in this scheme. Our objective is to offer relief to the middle class as well, which is hit by price rise,” George said.

    A senior officer in the energy department told PTI that the government may consider changing the base year to calculate average unit consumption depending on the consumption pattern.

    “Depending on the consumption pattern, we may think of setting up a new average year,” he said.

  • Anti-communal wing to be constituted to check moral policing: Karnataka home minister

    Anti-communal wing to be constituted to check moral policing: Karnataka home minister

    To check incidents of moral policing being reported in the region, an anti-communal wing will be constituted in the Mangaluru commissionerate limits shortly, said Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara.

    The Mangaluru Commissioner of Police will work out setting up the wing and deploy suitable officers to the same to put a check on moral policing. “There has been an increase in incidents of moral policing in the region. If it is not checked, it will bring a bad name to the police department and the district,” Parameshwara told media persons after holding a review meeting of the Western Range, comprising police officers from DK, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagalauru and Mangaluru Commissionerate limits.

    The anti-communal wing will be constituted in Mangaluru initially and will later be set up in other districts, where it is necessary to curb such incidents. Further, the police officers including the Commissioner of Police will visit schools, colleges, and universities to create awareness among students on the need for communal harmony in society. The police officials have been asked to conduct a periodical review of the cases pertaining to moral policing. Officials will be responsible to take cases to their logical end, he said.

    “Many have been raising concern over disruption of communal harmony in the district and lack of investment in the district in spite of having potential. As a chairperson of the Congress Manifesto Committee, I met heads of 20 to 25 institutions in the region, who had raised concerns over communal harmony in the region. As a KPCC President in the past, I had organised a Congress padayatra from Ullal to Udupi to highlight the communal tension created in the coastal belt. I have given instructions to the police to take action against those who disrupt communal harmony,” said the state home minister.

  • Pre-monsoon showers leave a trail of destruction in Karnataka

    Pre-monsoon showers leave a trail of destruction in Karnataka

    Pre-monsoon rains have claimed over 50 lives in the state, including two each in Mysuru and Mandya districts.

    Besides, 9,398 hectares of agriculture crops are affected in 16 districts, including 28 hectares in Chamarajanagar and one hectare each in Mysuru and Hassan districts.

    Horticulture crops

    As many as 10,067 hectares of horticulture crops are lost in 21 districts, including 248 hectares in Mysuru, 88 hectares in Chamarajanagar and six hectares in Hassan district.

    While 19 houses are fully damaged, 795 houses are partially damaged. In all, 155 big and 183 small domestic animals have been killed. The rains have damaged 1,446 electricity poles and 249 transformers.

    Manoj Rajan, commissioner, Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority, told DH that the damages were recorded due to pre-monsoon rains from March 1 to May 22. 

    1 per cent excess rains

    The state recorded 1 per cent excess pre-monsoon showers from  March 1 to May 31. South interior Karnataka recorded 18 per cent excess rainfall, including 5 per cent excess in Mysuru, 9 per cent excess in Mandya, 16 per cent excess in Chamarajanagar, 25 per cent deficit in Chitradurga and 36 per cent deficit in Davangere.

    North interior Karnataka recorded 21 per cent excess rainfall. Malnad region recorded 21 per cent deficit rainfall. Coastal Karnataka recorded 60 per cent deficit rainfall. 

    Rain deaths 

    The rain deaths included 34 due to lightning, including two each from Mysuru, Mandya, Bidar, Gadag, Belagavi and Vijayanagar districts, one each in Chitradurga, Haveri, Dharwad and Chikkaballapur districts, three each in Raichur, Ballari and Kalaburagi districts, four in Vijayapura and five in Koppal district.

    Seven died due to house collapse, including two each in Koppal and Bagalkot, one each in Mysuru, Ballari and Raichur districts.

    Five deaths were due to drowning in floods, including two in Bengaluru and three in Bidar.

    Also three people died due to flooding-induced electrocution in Bidar. Three have died due to tree collapse, including two in Udupi and one in Chikkamagaluru district.

    Five districts with highest loss of agriculture crops due to pre-monsoon rainfall include 5,577 hectares in Bidar, 925 hectares in Belagavi, 853 hectares in Yadgir, 716 hectares in Raichur and 510 hectares in Chitradurga district. 

    Also top five districts with highest loss of horticulture crops include 6,272 hectares in Kolar, 1,666 hectares in Bidar, 549 hectares in Bagalkot, 269 hectares in Chitradurga and 248 hectares in Mysuru district. 

    Monsoon likely soon

    According to Met department sources, South West monsoon is likely to enter the state this week and it will be normal.

  • Shivkumar instructed to involve students for plantation

    Shivkumar instructed to involve students for plantation

    Bengaluru (IANS) | Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Monday directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to involve students in the plantation drive in the state capital. While attending a function at Rachanahalli on the occasion of World Environment Day, Shivakumar asked the BBMP to prepare a report on the number of roads in Bengaluru which do not have trees on either side. Local students should be given the responsibility of planting and nurturing saplings. The BBMP should provide them plants and safety nets, Shivakumar said. The plant should be named after the child who plants it and that child should take care of the plant.

    Organize a competition among school children on this. They will happily come forward to plant trees and take care of them. We should ensure the growth of trees like we ensure the growth of our children. As I have Bangalore development portfolio, this is my first assignment. BBMP officials should come out with a clear plan on this in a month.

    Human life is mixed with nature. The celebration of World Environment Day is only symbolic. We should protect nature everyday, only then nature can be strengthened. Knowingly or unknowingly we are using plastic green mat and celebrating nature.

    The Deputy Chief Minister asked the officials of Horticulture Department, Forest Department and BBMP to come up with a permanent plan.

    The park should not be developed as a forest, said Shivakumar. Let the parks be parks. Wherever there are no trees, they should be grown. Bangalore is known for its greenery and a plan should be made to increase the greenery in this city.

    He underlined that this should be ensured with the participation of private and public entities.

    –IANS

  • BJP inciting people to misuse free power scheme: Siddaramaiah

    BJP inciting people to misuse free power scheme: Siddaramaiah

    Bengaluru (IANS) | Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday alleged that the BJP was instigating people in the state to misuse the free electricity scheme up to 200 units. He said, BJP is asking people to use electricity without any restraint. We will ensure that the scheme is not misused and indiscriminate use of electricity by people is stopped.

    He was addressing a function organized by the Forest Department at Jnana Jyoti Auditorium in Bengaluru on the occasion of World Environment Day.

    Siddaramaiah said, our government has announced a scheme for free supply of electricity for the benefit of the poor and the middle class. We have allowed people to use 10 per cent more electricity than their previous year’s consumption. People have accepted and welcomed this scheme with celebration.

    But the BJP, rejected by the people, is inciting them to misuse the scheme and encourage indiscriminate consumption of electricity, he said. It is anti-people. We are sure that the conscious people of the state will not encourage them in this aspect.

    The Congress government has announced free electricity up to 200 units to all households in the state under the Griha Jyoti Yojana as per the poll promise. This scheme will be implemented from July. To avoid misuse, the government had said that the average consumption of one year would be considered while giving free power. The BJP has objected to this and said that the scheme should be implemented unconditionally.

    –IANS

  • Complete probe into beedi company’s plaint on copyright violation, Karnataka HC tells cops

    Complete probe into beedi company’s plaint on copyright violation, Karnataka HC tells cops

    The police cannot keep a complaint pending on the grounds that the parties are fighting a civil proceeding on the same fact matrix, the High Court of Karnataka has ruled.

    Justice Krishna S Dixit said this while directing the police to complete the investigation on a complaint by a Beedi manufacturing company that alleged fake beedis were being sold in its name in violation of the Copyright Act.

    The petitioner, Mangalore New Sultan Beedi Works Company, claimed that it had obtained distinct copyrights for artistic designs over the beedi packs and its label as ‘New Sultan Beedi Label’ and ‘4 No. Beedis Label’.
    In August 2022, the company noticed that some people were selling substandard beedis under the name ‘Qai Sulthana Beedi’ at various places.

    A civil suit was filed against the Mysuru-based company, which was selling the fake beedis, before a Mangaluru court for infringement of copyrights. Similarly, a police complaint was also filed at the Mandi police station in Mysuru on November 30, 2022. As the sale of fake beedis continued, the company filed another complaint before the police.

    The company contended that the police did not take action citing the pendency of a civil suit before the Mangaluru court.

    Justice Dixit pointed out that the Copyright Act provides for both civil remedy and criminal prosecution in the case of such an infringement and the outcome of one does not depend upon the outcome of another, subject to all just exceptions.

    “The infringement of copyright gives rise to a cause of action on which a civil proceeding like an Injunctive Suit can be structured. It also can give rise to a cause of action for the institution of a criminal proceeding. In the former, it is preventive, remedial, compensatory or otherwise, whereas, in the latter, it is primarily punitive. The object, nature and outcome of these proceedings, thus are not the same. That is how the statutory scheme is enacted by the Parliament. Merely because a civil dispute is being fought between the parties, the criminal proceedings cannot be halted, per se, on that ground,” Justice Dixit said.

    The court directed the police to complete the investigation within an outer limit of three months, adding that delay, if brooked, may result in an adverse entry being made in the service records of the concerned police official.

  • Karnataka: Drawing contest on footpath on Savarkar Jayanti

    Karnataka: Drawing contest on footpath on Savarkar Jayanti

    Due to confusion with regard to permission availed to host programme in the KSOU Convocation Hall, the Savarkar Prathishtana held the drawing competition for students on the footpath, in front of its gate, in Mysuru on Saturday.

    Since they were not allowed to enter the KSOU premises, the Savarkar Prathishtana also held the blood donation camp on the road. These events were hosted on the occasion 140th birth anniversary celebrations of Veer Savarkar. However, once confusion related to permission was cleared, they were allowed to hold the programme at the KSOU Convocation Hall.
    In the programme, the Veer Savarkar Sammaan award was presented to author and historian, Vikram Sampath. Saraswathi Samman awardee S L Bhyrappa and founder of Yuva Brigade Chakravarthi Sulibele were present.

  • Troubled by police harassment in Karnataka, youth commits suicide

    Troubled by police harassment in Karnataka, youth commits suicide

    Haveri (IANS) | In Haveri district of Karnataka, a case of suicide of a youth has come to light on Saturday after police arbitrariness. The victim has been identified as Suresh Naik, a resident of Chikkamagadi Tanda in Shivamogga district. He also left a suicide note, in which he blamed the police for the drastic step.

    Meanwhile, Suresh’s family alleges that their son committed suicide due to harassment by the Hanagal police.

    Suresh was taken into custody in connection with a case involving his elder brother Manju. A complaint was lodged with the police that Manju was harassing a married woman.

    Manju absconded after the complaint and the police took Suresh into custody. The victim owned a cab and lived in Bengaluru.

    The police had also reportedly seized his cab four days back. The police, however, release Suresh but refuse to hand over his car. The police had told Suresh that he would be able to get the car only after his brother was found.

    The victim went into depression and consumed poison, due to which she died. In his suicide note, Suresh blamed the police and the family members of the married woman for his death.

    The victim said that he was in debt and earned money by driving a cab and paid off the dues.

    –IANS

  • Karnataka minister Santosh Lad leaves for Odisha

    Karnataka minister Santosh Lad leaves for Odisha

    Bengaluru (IANS) | Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday sent a team to Odisha under the leadership of Labor Minister Santosh Lad. The team will coordinate with the local and railway administration to assist the people of the state in the ongoing relief and rescue operations after the train accident there. The chief minister had earlier spoken to the state chief secretary and concerned officials in this regard and directed them to visit the accident site and provide all necessary help to the people of Karnataka.

    Apart from Lad in this team, the Commissioner of Disaster Management Department Manoj Ranjan and other officers are there. Government spokesperson T. Anil Kumar has left for Balasore this morning.

    –IANS