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Time of India
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
DK Suresh elected Bengaluru Milk Union chairman, eyes KMF post
B engaluru: Former Bangalore Rural MP, DK Suresh, brother of deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, was elected unopposed as chairman of Bengaluru Milk Union (Bamul) on Thursday. This marks Suresh's first electoral victory since his defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He secured the Bamul chairmanship after winning a seat on the union's board representing Kanakapura. Alongside Suresh, 10 other Congress-backed candidates had previously won seats, bringing the party's total to 11 out of 14 on the union board. With this strong backing, Suresh submitted his nomination papers for the chairman post and was declared winner without opposition. Sources suggest Suresh is poised to contest the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) chairman post, elections to which are likely in July. KMF oversees 16 milk unions across Karnataka's lucrative dairy industry and wields considerable political clout. However, Suresh's nomination for the KMF post could run into stiff resistance since chief minister Siddaramaiah's camp is backing Malur MLA KY Nanje Gowda. The situation is further complicated by current KMF chairman LBP Bheema Naik's claim that Siddaramaiah had assured him of another term. In fact, Naik, recently met Siddaramaiah regarding a delay in elections of another milk union spanning Raichur, Ballari, and Vijayanagara districts (RBKV). Naik expressed concern that the delay could diminish his support base and ruin his chance of winning again. Speaking to a Kannada news channel, Naik said the Dharwad bench of the high court cleared the way for elections on June 2, following a previous stay order. However, he claimed that the deputy commissioner of Ballari district, who wrote to the Cooperative Election Commissioner on June 12, has not taken steps to conduct the polls. Naik further alleged that some Congress MLAs and cooperative representatives in Ballari are dissatisfied with cooperation minister KN Rajanna. "I tried to contact Rajanna, but he is not answering my calls," Naik said. "Rajanna and I are like brothers. "Some vested interests have given him incorrect information which is why he is delaying polls."
Hans India
a day ago
- Business
- Hans India
KMF to open 8 Nandini outlets at Metro stations: DKS
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced on Wednesday that Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) has been instructed to open Nandini outlets at eight metro stations in Bengaluru. This follows after BMRCL had floated a tender inviting applications to open stores at 10 metro station locations, to which only Amul responded. Speaking to reporters near his official residence at Kumara Park, Shivakumar clarified that KMF had not applied in the initial tender process. 'BMRCL had floated a global tender for setting up retail outlets at metro stations. Only Amul submitted a bid and has been granted permission to open two outlets. Since it wouldn't be appropriate to shut down already opened stores, we have now asked KMF to apply, and I have directed BMRCL to allot the remaining eight locations to Nandini outlets,' he said. Shivakumar also spoke about a range of civic and governance issues, including an upcoming special meeting of party MLAs in Bengaluru. Discussions covered party organisation, the upcoming BBMP elections, and the reorganization of municipal wards under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). He noted that while discussions with Congress leaders had taken place, consultations with opposition leaders were still pending before a final decision would be made. On solid waste management, the DCM announced the launch of a new helpline for reporting garbage dumping. 'Citizens can now send photos of garbage sites to the helpline. We promise to clear the garbage within a week,' he said, adding that funds were being allocated to MLAs to repair potholes and improve road conditions in their respective wards. Shivakumar also unveiled plans for a major initiative titled the E-Khata Ownership Record Drive starting July 1. The pilot project will begin in the constituency of Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. 'We've prepared 25,000 E-Khata ownership documents that will be delivered to citizens at their doorstep. Bengaluru has 25 lakh properties, but only 5 lakh owners have uploaded necessary documents so far. The remaining 20 lakh will be covered under this campaign,' he said. He confirmed that this would be a full-fledged public awareness campaign, involving advertisements, door-to-door outreach, and appeals to private property owners to regularize their documentation. Commenting on road works under the White Topping scheme, Shivakumar said he has personally inspected the quality of works underway in several areas. He also responded to concerns about tree falls during rains, stating that BBMP officials are not idle but are working based on priority. When asked about granting 'B Khata' ownership rights, the Deputy CM confirmed that discussions have taken place in the cabinet. 'We are examining the legal aspects, and an official decision will be announced soon,' he concluded.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Fresh row erupts over Amul kiosks at Bengaluru metro stations
A political slugfest has erupted after the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) signed a license agreement with Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMFL), which manages the Amul brand, enabling it to establish kiosks across key metro stations in the city. The opposition — Janata Dal (Secular) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — has accused the government of using the state's Nandini brand to only win the elections. The BMRCL signed a license agreement with Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMFL), which manages the Amul brand, enabling it to establish kiosks across key metro stations in the city, including Indiranagar, Trinity, Majestic, Banashankari, and Jayanagar. Amid criticisms over the decision, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said that the BMRCL had issued a global tender, and Amul was the sole applicant. 'BMRCL had called for a global tender, and Amul was the lone applicant. We have instructed KMF to submit its application to BMRCL. KMF will open Nandini outlets in eight metro stations,' he said. As Amul has already opened two outlets, Shivakumar stated that closing them would be inappropriate. Instead, he directed BMRCL to allow the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which manages Nandini, to set up stalls at the remaining eight stations. The move has reignited the debate between Amul and the KMF's flagship brand Nandini. 'For us, both Nandini and Amul are equal. Whoever pays the rent will be allowed to operate,' a BMRCL official told PTI . Meanwhile, the Janata Dal (Secular), a former Congress ally, and the BJP seized the opportunity to target the Congress, accusing it of abandoning the Nandini brand after using it for political mileage in the 2023 assembly elections. In a post on social media, JD(S) alleged that Shivakumar had compromised 'Kannadiga pride' for financial gain. 'More than 10 metro stations in Bengaluru have been allowed to sell milk products from outside the state. The Congress used the Nandini brand, the pride of our farmers and all Kannadigas, for its promotion (and) forgot about it after the election,' the party said. BJP MP PC Mohan said: 'Ahead of the 2023 Karnataka assembly election, Congress falsely accused BJP of favouring outsiders. But now, the same Congress government, which oversees BMRCL's operations and maintenance, has enabled Amul kiosks at 10 Metro stations to displace Nandini. A classic case of hypocrisy.' The controversy has revived the broader debate about support for local farmers and dairy producers in Karnataka. A similar controversy erupted in early 2023 when Amul's entry into Karnataka's milk market was projected by the then-opposition Congress as a threat to the state's flagship Nandini brand. Tensions over Amul's presence in Karnataka first escalated in December 2022, following Union home minister Amit Shah's visit to KMF facilities in Mandya. It triggered concerns among farmers and political parties about a possible attempt by the Gujarat-based dairy giant to expand its footprint at the expense of Nandini. During his visit, Shah called for cooperation between Amul and KMF, suggesting joint efforts could lead to primary dairies in every village within three years. He also mentioned the possibility of technical support from Amul to Nandini. With inputs from PTI
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
KMF to open Nandini outlets in 8 metro stations: Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 18 (ANI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar today said that the KMF (Karnataka Milk Federation) has been instructed to apply to Bengaluru Metro to open Nandini outlets in 8 metro stations. The Deputy CM's statement came after there was some criticism by opposition groups after Amul opened outlets at two Bengaluru metro stations. Speaking to reporters at his official residence in Kumarapark, he said, 'BMRCL had called for a global tender and Amul was the lone applicant. We have instructed KMF to submit its application to BMRCL. KMF will open Nandini outlets in 8 metro stations. Amul has already opened its outlets in two metro stations. It is not appropriate to close down the existing outlets. We have informed the BMRCL to allow KMF to open Nandi outlets in the remaining 8 metro stations,' he added. DK Shivakumar said that he had a meeting with the MLAs on the party organisation and Greater Bengaluru Municipal Corporation elections. He mentioned that the party leaders have discussed forming corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority. 'We had a meeting with our MLAs on party organisation and Greater Bengaluru Authority elections. The formation of corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority has been discussed with our leaders; it needs to be discussed with the Opposition leaders. We will take a decision, taking them into confidence,' he said. He added that a helpline has been released for waste disposal under the Swachchaa Bengaluru initiative. Citizens can take photographs of garbage and send them to the helpline. Action will be taken against it in a week. 'Under the Swachchaa Bengaluru initiative, we have released a helpline for waste disposal. The public can take a photo of the garbage pile-up and send it to this number, and action will be taken within a week. As far as pothole filling, we have given funds to the respective MLAs', the Karnataka Deputy CM said. DK Shivakumar explained the 'e-khata' campaign, which was launched on a pilot basis in Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda's constituency. As many as 25,000 katas are ready and will be delivered to doorsteps from July 1. 'We have designed a campaign for the disbursal of e-khatas in Bengaluru. The campaign was kicked off on a pilot basis in Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda's constituency. As many as 25,000 e-khatas are ready and they will be delivered to the doorsteps from July 1. There are about 25 lakh residences, and only about 5 lakh people have uploaded the documents. The campaign will go on for a month,' he informed. Asked about white topping in Bengaluru, he said, 'White topping work is going on in many places in the city. I have inspected the quality of the works personally at many places.' When a reporter pointed out that BBMP hasn't done anything about the falling of dead branches, he said, 'The BBMP officials are not sitting idle on this; they are working on a priority basis.' Replying to a query about whether there had been a discussion on issuing B katas, he said, 'This has been discussed in the Cabinet meeting. We will announce after deliberating on the legal aspects.' (ANI)
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
DK Shivakumar says Nandini will get space in 8 metro stations, amid political row over Amul outlets in Bengaluru
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday sought to calm rising criticism over the presence of Amul kiosks in Bengaluru's Namma Metro stations, assuring that Karnataka's homegrown dairy brand, Nandini, will be given space in eight locations across the metro network. Also Read - DK Shivakumar appeals for calm after SC order on Thug Life: 'Don't take law into your hands' Shivakumar clarified that the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had floated tenders for retail spaces at 10 metro stations, but only Amul—managed by Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd—had submitted applications. He pointed out that even the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which owns the Nandini brand, had not come forward during the tender process. 'Except Amul, no other entity applied for the outlets — not even KMF. Now, we've directed KMF to participate and apply for the remaining spots. Out of the 10 locations, Amul secured space through a global tender process and has already opened stores at two stations. It wouldn't be right to shut them down now. But I've instructed that Nandini outlets be established at the remaining eight stations,' Shivakumar said, addressing the backlash. Also Read - Ex-Jet Airways CEO slams woman who trolled Air India: 'One tragedy and people lose all sense of perspective' BMRCL had floated tenders for setting up kiosks at the following metro stations: Pattandur Agrahara, Indiranagar, Benniganahalli, Byappanahalli, Trinity, Sir M Visvesvaraya, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda (Majestic), National College, Jayanagar, and Banashankari. The issue has triggered political tension, with opposition BJP leaders accusing the Congress government of sidelining the Nandini brand in favour of Gujarat-based Amul. Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan slammed the state government on social media, calling it a betrayal of Karnataka's dairy farmers. 'In the run-up to the 2023 Assembly polls, Congress had falsely accused BJP of favouring outsiders. But now, under their own watch, they've allowed Amul kiosks at 10 metro stations, pushing aside Nandini. This is nothing but hypocrisy,' Mohan posted on X
