Latest news with #Shivakumar
Hans India
an hour ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Allegations, suspensions and a govt under fire
The stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 during RCB's first IPL victory parade has spiralled into a political and administrative quagmire. Claiming 11 lives and injuring over 50, the incident has exposed glaring failures in crowd management and safety protocols. Activist T J Abraham has levelled serious allegations against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, and the Karnataka government's response, marked by hasty suspensions of IPS officers and a delayed report to the Centre, raises questions about accountability and competence. Documents reveal that Bengaluru police had flagged concerns about insufficient preparation time, yet the event proceeded with gates allegedly kept closed on DyCM Shivakumar's orders to create a spectacle. This decision, coupled with last-minute event scheduling, set the stage for a deadly crush. Activist T J Abraham's complaint, filed at Cubbon Park Police Station, names 14 individuals, including Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh. Abraham accuses Shivakumar of leveraging the event for personal gain, alleging negotiations to acquire an RCB stake and planning unsafe festivities. The closed gates, he claims, were a deliberate move to amplify the crowd's fervour, directly contributing to the stampede. Rajneesh faces charges of misusing public funds for publicity, while Siddaramaiah's oversight as CM is questioned. A second complaint by activist Snehamayi Krishna echoes these sentiments, intensifying pressure on the Congress-led government. The Opposition BJP has demanded resignations and labelled the incident a result of 'utter mismanagement.' On June 5, the Karnataka government hastily suspended five top police officials, including Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayanand, ACP (West) Vikas Kumar, and DCP (Central Division) Shekhar. The stated reason was 'dereliction of duty'. However, this move smacks of scapegoating according to netizens. Police had warned of logistical challenges, yet the suspensions target lower-tier officials while sparing political leaders implicated in decision-making. Vikas Kumar has challenged his suspension at the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), arguing it overlooks systemic issues. In a bid to restore public trust, the Karnataka government has drafted the Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill, 2025. The proposed legislation imposes up to three years in jail and Rs 5 lakh fines on commercial organisers, with lighter penalties for non-commercial ones, for safety violations. Compensation provisions, recoverable as land revenue if unpaid, aim to hold organisers accountable.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Activist accuses Karnataka CM, DCM of being responsible for Bengaluru stampede, files complaint. Details: Report
The Bengaluru stampede controversy has taken a new turn, with advocate-activist TJ Abraham lodging a formal complaint against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar at Bengaluru's Cubbon Park Police station, holding them responsible for the tragedy, The Indian Express reported. The tragic stampede at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, which left 11 dead and over 60 injured, occurred at the front of the premises, where a large number of people thronged to participate in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team's IPL victory celebrations. Abraham's complaint named as many as 14 individuals, including Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, DPAR Secretary Sathyavathi G, KSCA CEO Shubendu Ghosh, RCB Senior Director Menon Vijayan Rajesh, and DNA Entertainment Networks MD Thimmaiah Venkata Varadhana. High-ranking police officers, Home Minister G Parameshwara, and Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Girinath were also listed, the report stated. According to Abraham, Shivakumar allegedly used the event for personal gain and political optics, suggesting he was in talks to acquire a stake in the RCB franchise. He claimed the Deputy CM planned two last-minute public events to draw media attention, disregarding safety concerns. Abraham also alleged that the police had prepared for a victory parade, but Shivakumar's last-minute changes disrupted plans. He accused Chief Secretary Rajneesh of misusing public funds to support the event, arguing that these actions prioritized publicity over public safety, according to the report. He blamed a senior police officer, Shekar H Tekkannavar (former DCP Central), of deliberately keeping stadium gates closed under Shivakumar's instructions to create a crowd spectacle as he arrived. Four individuals tied to event organization, including RCB's Marketing Head Nikhil Sosale and DNA Networks staff, were arrested and later released on bail. Abraham was last in the news for being one of the petitioners who had urged Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to permit investigation against CM Siddaramaiah in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
BWSSB Sets Guinness World Record for Water Awareness Campaign in Bengaluru
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has forayed into the Guinness Book of World Records for running a large water conservation campaign. This happened between March 21 and 28, 2025. During this time, 5,33,642 people took a water-saving pledge. This was the highest number ever, making it a world record. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar received the Guinness certificate for BWSSB. The Guinness World Records official, Swapnil Dangarikar, gave the award. The event was held at a hotel in Bengaluru. Shivakumar thanked BWSSB for spreading awareness. He said water saving is very important in cities. He shared that Bengaluru uses treated water for everything, even for washing cars, adding that in Delhi there is a separate pipelines for drinking and non-drinking water. He also said that 35% of people do not pay water bills. Still, BWSSB works hard to supply water. The government is planning to improve the water system. The goal is to supply water to 2 crore people in the city. Shivakumar said they will revise water prices to reduce losses. BWSSB now loses around Rs 400–500 crore every year. The price changes will be like those used in the transport system.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
State to fill up 35,000 vacancies in power sector, regularise 532 civic workers
Bengaluru:Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday announced that his government will begin phased recruitment to fill 35,000 vacant posts in the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (KPTCL) and declared the regularisation of services of 532 civic workers in the department. Speaking at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Employees' Association, the CM said the state government is committed to fulfilling its promises to the workforce. 'Ours is a government that walks the talk. We will examine your demands and take appropriate action,' he said. Addressing concerns over pensions, the Chief Minister said the National Pension Scheme (NPS) was implemented by the central government. 'But we have already promised to implement the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in our election manifesto. We will hold discussions and take necessary steps in that direction.' Siddaramaiah lauded the power corporation employees for their service and underscored Karnataka's legacy in the electricity sector. 'Karnataka was the first in Asia to produce electricity in 1902, launched its first supply company in Bengaluru in 1905, and supplied power to the Mysore Palace by 1908,' he said. He noted that the state now generates 34,000 megawatts, with plans to scale it to 60,000 megawatts, a move aimed at ensuring at least seven hours of daytime power supply to farmers. 'The electricity sector is essential. You have been working with dedication. The government is ready to meet your demands. We are with you — and we ask you to stand with us too,' he told the employees. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who also spoke at the event, asserted that the Congress government will not permit the privatisation of Electricity Supply Companies (ESCOMs) as long as it remains in power. 'As long as Siddaramaiah and I are in power, we won't allow privatisation of ESCOMs in Karnataka. There were attempts to allow entry of private players, but I did not allow it,' Shivakumar said. He claimed that there was significant pressure from the Centre during his earlier tenure as the Energy Minister, especially after the BJP government privatised ESCOMs in Mumbai, Delhi, and other cities. However, he said he resisted the pressure and stood by the efficiency of the corporation's workforce. 'When I took over, the Transmission and Distribution (T&D) loss stood at 19–20 per cent. We brought it down to 10 per cent, which is now a benchmark in the country,' Shivakumar said, noting that most states continue to report losses of 17–18 per cent. He added that during his tenure, the state's generation capacity doubled from 11,000 MW to 23,000 MW, and that 24,000 employees were recruited through a transparent process, ensuring job creation without corruption. Highlighting innovations like the Pavagada Solar Park, Shivakumar said the government adopted a land-leasing model rather than acquisition, which allowed farmers to retain ownership and earn annual rental income — a model later adopted by the Union government
Hans India
2 days 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.
