Latest news with #Naik
Time of India
13 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."
Time of India
19 hours ago
- Time of India
Tourism dept seeks action over illegal sand extraction at Varca
Panaji: The tourism department took serious note of unauthorised sand extraction and alteration of natural dunes using an excavator along Varca beach. Tourism director Kedar Naik stated that the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) and the Colva police have been instructed to initiate legal action against those who extracted sand from the beach. The tourism department forwarded the video from Wednesday to the GCZMA and police, which shows an excavator moving sand on Varca beach, violating the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) notification issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the Goa Tourist Places Protection and Maintenance Act, 2001. 'The department took serious cognisance of a recent incident involving illegal activities along the Varca beach stretch, which is a clear violation of environmental norms. Any activity detrimental to the environment, especially in sensitive coastal zones, will not be tolerated. Strict action will be pursued in accordance with the law,' said Naik.
Daily Maverick
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Africa's first telco data credit score aims to bring the ‘invisible' into the financial fold
TransUnion and Chinosis have teamed up to create Africa's first telco data credit score and bring millions of 'invisible' Africans into the financial fold. Just 13% of South African adults have a credit card, which is a small fraction of the population participating in the financial ecosystem. Financial service providers rely on a rigid credit scoring framework to gauge whether someone is a viable borrower. This results in a huge pool of people who operate outside this view, stranded in a financial blindspot. A partnership between TransUnion and Chenosis, an MTN Group technology venture, aims to change this status quo. The two companies are set to launch Africa's first phone data-based scoring system by Thursday, 3 July. A new lens for old blindspots The continent's financial ecosystem mirrors its colonial borders: fragmented, exclusionary and sometimes slow to evolve. 'Exclusion is part of the African narrative,' said Lee Naik, TransUnion CEO, reflecting on his own roots in Chatsworth, an Indian township in KwaZulu-Natal, where he grew up under apartheid. 'When I say I can feel what it means to be disconnected from the broader ecosystem, it's literally how I grew up,' he said. Africa has more than 350 million people who are disconnected from the financial system, and yet more than 510 million are subscribed to mobile services. 'For many Africans, for many South Africans, we feel disconnected. Having access to mobile telephony isn't the answer in itself,' Naik said. 'We all want to be heard. We all want to be seen. We all want to be known. The question is, does telco data allow us to do that?' Your phone is a financial mirror The scoring system parses numerous signals – how frequently a phone is used, phone number stability and phone swapping, to name a few – to piece together a view of financial activity. 'A mobile device is not just a device. It helps you get a view of the reflection of how a person lives,' said Waheem Amra, head of product and platform at Chenosis. If you look at someone's recharge pattern, for instance, it might give you insights into how they earn and manage their money, Fatgie Adams, TransUnion's head of credit risk solutions, said. Another metric taken into account is sub-tenure, which is how long you've had your mobile device, along with how long you've had a phone number, he explained. If you've gone through six phone numbers in a short period, it signals something different than someone who sticks with their number, he explained. 'We don't just collect this data. We aggregate it over time so it's physically sound. We transform it and structure it and pass it on to a translator.' Amra explained that the group of people this system aims to aid are not financially inactive. The problem is rather that traditional credit scoring systems can't see how they spend their money. Tackling financial exclusion According to Naik, about 16 million South Africans remain excluded from the financial system and another four million are underserved. The new scoring system aims to bring these people into view by interpreting financial behaviour previously dismissed. 'Are we adequately and accurately assessing these individuals for their creditworthiness?' Adams asked. 'Or are we merely declining them because they don't look like the borrowers of the past?' The system has implications beyond individual borrowers. Providing financial products to small businesses employing between one and five people can act as a way to address unemployment in the continent, Naik said. How does this affect you? Ease of access to credit: If you're a South African with a meagre or non-existent credit profile, this scoring system could help you borrow money. An opportunity to progress: Better credit means lower borrowing costs, a chance to move from the informal to the formal financial sector, and a path towards financial stability. Financial independence: Access to loans can empower you to pursue goals, like starting a business, improving your home or sending your children to school. Small business growth: Small enterprises can use this scoring to access funding and employ more people. Privacy, consent and trust Of course, accessing phone data brings responsibilities. TransUnion says that consent, compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act and scalable trust are all baked into this system. 'Before any data can be transferred we get consent from the customer, but they can also opt out of it,' Amra said. 'It's a transparent process where the customer is completely in control.' Every confirmation of consent is also time-stamped and audited, adding another layer of oversight to assure both consumers and lenders that the data is fair and transparent. A precedent for Africa In trialling this scoring approach with major South African lenders, the two companies found that 1.9 million previously 'invisible' people fell into view, a 35% improvement in predicting credit performance and a 20% drop in bad debt. Today, TransUnion operates in eight African markets. The goal is to expand this system to all 54 countries on the continent and onboard more telcos, Naik said. The telco data score isn't meant to replace traditional credit scoring, but to get a more complete picture of an individual, Amra said. 'We didn't just create a product, we created a new capability for the industry.' DM
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Cabbies reach transport dept to push back against apps
Panaji: An attempt by taxi owners to show 'the power of taxikars' at the transport department office fizzled out after Goa police deployed a huge cordon around Junta House, where the transport department has its office. While the taxi unions of the state had exhorted at least 2,000 taxi operators to show up, just a handful of them arrived to submit their objections against the draft Goa Transport Aggregator Policy. 'Govt says it welcomes suggestions and objections, but then it brings out a huge police force to scare our members away,' said North and South Goa Taxi Association president Sunil Naik. He said taxi operators came to the directorate of transport office to submit their concerns about the aggregator guidelines and the proposal to bring in app-based taxi services. Thursday was the last day to file objections. As a precautionary measure, the North Goa collector imposed prohibitory orders around Junta House, banning gatherings, protests, and processions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The collector's order prohibits the assembly of five or more persons, processions, protests, or morchas, and the carrying of arms, sticks, banners, placards, loudspeakers, or any such item that could be used for an unlawful assembly. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo 'Govt is trying to scare taxi operators by imposing the BNS and deploying a huge police force. If you see today, many of our members did not come here because of the police presence,' Naik said. 'We came here only to file our objections; we have not brought any weapons or flags or black T-shirts.'
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Goa minister who made corruption allegations against CM's department dropped from Cabinet
Three weeks after he levelled corruption allegations in the Department of Tribal Welfare — a portfolio held by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant – Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude was dropped from the state Cabinet Wednesday. Goa BJP President Damu Naik told The Indian Express: 'The decision was unanimous. It was taken after consultations by the government, the party and the party's central leadership. Party discipline is a must'. Party sources said the decision to strip Gaude of his cabinet post was taken by the chief minister soon after the incident last month. The state leadership had been waiting for a nod from the central party leadership in Delhi. For the time being, the portfolios held by Gaude will be with the chief minister, sources said. BJP president Naik had gone to Delhi to meet the central leadership of the party earlier this month and submitted a report. Naik added that the decision to induct someone in the Cabinet shall be taken 'very soon'. The row erupted when Gaude, who was also holding sports and rural development portfolios, made a jibe at the alleged corruption in the tribal welfare ministry at a Prerna Divas event organised by the Directorate of Tribal Welfare along with the United Tribal Associations' Alliance (UTAA) on May 25. In his speech, Gaude said: 'A large amount of taxpayers' money is allotted to the Tribal Welfare department. If it is unable to organise this programme efficiently, then it shows a lack of control over the administration. In my opinion, the administration has weakened today. The files of contractors are handled under the Shram Shakti Bhavan (a government block) building on the sly. Something is taken from them, and then they are asked to submit their files.' He went on to say: 'The construction of the Tribal Bhavan is a long-pending demand of the tribal community. They gave their land for the project… The foundation stone was laid when I was the Tribal Welfare Minister. The project has been stalled. Why is there no progress in the project?' After Gaude's remarks had prompted a sharp reaction from the BJP, with Sawant warning of 'appropriate' action for 'irresponsible statements', the former minister had gone into a damage-control exercise, later claiming that he was 'misquoted' in the media. A theatre actor-turned-politician, Gaude, a 53-year-old tribal leader who represents the Priol constituency, has often courted controversies over the last several years. In February 2024, Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar accused Gaude for his alleged involvement in misappropriation of government funds to the tune of Rs 26 lakh meant for organising cultural programmes in South Goa's Canacona constituency. In 2022, Gaude sparked a row when he defended the Sawant government's decision to allocate renovation work of Kala Academy in Panaji without a tendering process, saying that even the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan had not 'invited quotations for building the Taj Mahal, which for 390 years has remained as it was'. In the previous BJP government, Gaude had been a minister while remaining an Independent MLA supporting the ruling party. He had then also held the tribal welfare portfolio along with the art and culture ministry. He retained his ministerial berth even after Sawant succeeded Manohar Parrikar as the CM in 2019 following the latter's demise. Ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls, Gaude joined the BJP and won the election on its ticket from his Priol seat by defeating the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP)'s president Deepak Dhavalikar.
