Latest news with #StateCabinet
New Indian Express
11 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
CM Siddaramaiah plays minority card, hikes housing quota to 15 per cent
BENGALURU: The State Cabinet on Thursday approved an increase in quota for religious minorities from 10 per cent to 15 per cent in various housing schemes implemented by the housing department of the government in urban and rural areas across the state. Soon after the decision, the BJP accused the government of continuing with appeasement of the Muslim community. 'The Centre has given instructions to note the shortage of housing for minorities. Our government has increased the reservation keeping in mind the homeless people of this community and social justice. I need not reply to those who smell politics in providing houses to the needy poor', Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil hit back while briefing the press after the Cabinet meeting. He claimed the decision has been taken since houseless families are more among the minorities. DCM DK Shivakumar defended the move saying the houses built by the Housing Department in urban areas are mostly vacant, and minorities have shown interest in occupying them. 'In some urban areas, 20 to 30 percent of the minority community is poor. Therefore, a proposal has been made to increase reservation for them. Money should be paid for these houses. Others have not shown much interest. In Bengaluru too, houses are vacant in many residential buildings. The central government's subsidy for the construction of houses is very less. After the construction of these houses, they have fallen vacant. To whom should these be given?' he questioned. He pointed out that the buildings in Mandya have fallen vacant. Cabinet meeting likely at Nandi Hills on July 17 'What should we do when no one has applied for these houses? Should the house be left empty?', he hit back at BJP. However, the BJP termed reservation on the basis of religion as unconstitutional. 'In Karnataka, Congress has converted welfare into a market place for vote-bank politics. First, 4% quota in government contracts. Now, 15% quota in housing schemes. Where does this appeasement end?', questioned BJP state president B Y Vijayendra. He said that the Congress government is re-establishing the Bahmani Sultan's rule in Karnataka.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Increase reservation for minorities in housing allotments: BJP to consider legal fight
Contending that the State Cabinet's decision to increase reservation for minorities in housing allotments to 15% would affect reservation for SC/ST and OBCs besides the general quota, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has announced that the BJP will consider taking up a legal fight against it. Speaking to mediapersons in Bengaluru on Thursday, Mr. Joshi termed the decision 'anti-constitutional', while arguing that there was no provisions as per Constitution to provide such reservation. BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra ridiculed the Congress government for announcing such measures to allegedly divert public attention from its scams, administrative failures, and the death of 11 persons in the stampede during the RCB's victory celebrations. Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok called it a 'disgraceful act' done for the sake of votebank. Dismissing these allegations, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the State is committed to ensuring that every citizen has access to a home. 'Houses constructed by the Housing Department in urban areas are mostly vacant, and minorities are keen on moving into these houses. Hence, the reservation given to them is being increased. In some urban areas, nearly 30% of the minority community is poor. Also, these houses are sold at a price and not given away for free,' he said.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Crowd control Bill proposes to auction property of event planner for denial of compensation to injured, dead
After backlash over the stampede that claimed the lives of 11 cricket fans outside Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, the Karnataka government has proposed to make a new law for crowd control at events and venues of mass gathering. The draft of the Bill said that the event planner is responsible for paying the compensation to the person injured and to the family member in case of a death. It proposes that the event planner's property will be auctioned by the government in case of non-payment of the compensation. Draft Bills discussed by Cabinet Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill, 2025 Karnataka Rohit Vemula Bill, 2025 Karnataka Misinformation, Fake News Prohibition Bill, 2025 Karnataka Hate Speech and Crime Prevention Bill, 2025 A draft of the Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill, 2025, was discussed in the State Cabinet meeting on Thursday. The draft Bill says, 'It is expedient to effectively manage and control crowds at sponsored events and venues of mass gathering pertaining to political rally, jatra, conference etc. in the State.' The content of the Bill is not finalised so far. Exemption to religious events However, the draft Bill has proposed to exclude 'jatra', 'rathotsava', 'pallakki utsava', 'teppada teru', 'urs', and other religious events pertaining to any religion, caste or creed. It said that the organiser of the event has to apply to the jurisdictional police station with the details of the approximate number of participants. The jurisdictional police station might change the date, time or venue by giving the reasons, it said. In case of violation of the law, the Bill said the event planner would be punished with imprisonment for a term which would be extended to three years or with a fine of up to ₹5 lakh or both. What are the offences Offences of event planners would be not seeking prior permission of the jurisdictional police, death or injury of participants, and stampede at the event. Aiding, abetting or other assistance for committing a crime at an event or venue, too, would be punished, the draft Bill said. The event planner is responsible to pay the compensation to the person who is severely injured in the event, mass gathering pertaining to political rally, jatra, conference etc. or compensation to the family member of the deceased, it said. The draft Bill proposed that if the event planner does not pay compensation, the government may collect the amount as arrears of land revenue. The event planner's property can be auctioned by the government. The next Cabinet meeting would take a decision on this Bill and other Bills discussed, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil told reporters.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Under pressure from MLAs and greens, Karnataka govt. shifts Cabinet meeting venue from Nandi Hills to Vidhana Soudha
In a surprise development, the Congress government shifted the venue of the State Cabinet meeting, earlier scheduled to be held at Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapura district on Thursday, to Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. According to sources, MLAs of Chikkaballapura and Kolar region met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and told him to hold the Cabinet meeting at Nandi Hills only if the government was ready with a big financial package to the region, like it had announced projects to the Kalaburagi and Mysuru region by holding Cabinet meetings in those regions in the recent past. The MLAs reportedly opposed the Cabinet meeting with a routine agenda. Public demand MLAs have reportedly told the Chief Minister that it was difficult for them to answer to the public if the Cabinet did not make any big announcement to the region after holding the meeting at Nandi Hills. Meanwhile, environmentalists had been opposing the Cabinet meeting at the Hills on the possible damage to the ecology. Prominent environmentalists, legal experts, and social activists came together at an event organised by World Human Rights Service Foundation on Tuesday in Bengaluru demanding that the ecologically sensitive area be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a biodiversity conservation zone. They also opposed the proposed ropeway construction at Nandi Hills. Former Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) chairperson and noted environmentalist A.N. Yellappa Reddy also highlighted the plastic crisis on the Hills. Mango growers' demands Also, reports suggested that the government was afraid of the mango growers' protest as they had planned to stage a protest at Nandi Hills during the Cabinet meeting, under the leadership of the JD(S). The government is facing the heat of mango growers of Chickballapur and Kolar districts, as they were demanding the MSP of ₹15,000 per quintal for their produce. Mr. Siddaramaiah had written to the Centre requesting the latter to procure the fruit. MLAs of the JD(S), along with farmers and party workers, had planned to stage the protest during the Cabinet meeting at Nandi Hills.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
B-SMILE all set to call tenders for North-South twin tunnels
Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-SMILE), the recently formed special purpose vehicle, is all set to call global tenders for the North-South twin tunnel corridor between Hebbal and Silk Board. This follows the approval for a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) model with 40% Viability Gap Funding (VGF) from the government to be adopted to build tunnel roads in the city on June 5. If everything goes according to plan, the twin tunnel roads will be open to the public by 2029-30 and the toll on these roads is estimated to cost ₹19/km and will be tolled by the companies that invest and build these roads for the next 30 years. This corridor will be 16.74 km long and is expected to cost ₹17,780 crore. The VGF for this corridor will be ₹9,303 crore. The State Cabinet has already agreed to stand as a guarantor for a loan of ₹19,000 crore towards VGF for North-South and East-West tunnel roads. B-SMILE is in talks with lending agencies including Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), a Government of India undertaking, which is also funding the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR). Work to be split into two packages With the past experience of PRR estimated to cost ₹27,000 crore not attracting any bidders in multiple global tenders, B-SMILE has decided to split the North-South twin tunnel corridor into two packages of roughly around 8.4 km each - North package from Hebbal to Race Course Road and South package from Race Course Road to Silk Board. Two companies will bid and start building these tunnels at two ends simultaneously, which will also ensure the tunnels are ready faster. The tender, likely to be called soon after the government's approval, will fix a 50 month (four years two months) deadline for the completion of the project, said B.S. Prahlad, Technical Director, B-SMILE. Toll estimated at ₹19/km A commuter will pay toll in two stages and toll collection will be completely automated through number plate recognition software, said Mr. Prahlad. 'As per current estimates, the toll will be around ₹19 per km. Since this will be collected after five years, this is not high, and factoring in inflation, it will be comparable to other tolls elsewhere at that date,' he argued. Twin Tunnels The project involves building two unconnected tunnels for each direction of traffic next to each other, each three lanes wide. This essentially means the total length of earth to be tunnelled for the North-South corridor is 33.48 km. Sources said at least eight tunnel boring machines will be deployed simultaneously to speed up work. Each machine is capable of tunnelling 2 km per year, sources said.
