Mangaluru: MLA J R Lobo lauds PFI's national scholarship scheme

Mangalore, Jan 12: City police on Sunday arrested five people for their alleged involvement in a Rs 50 crore fraud by promising people higher monetary returns.

Police said that the arrested persons are Manjunath Nayak, a resident of Derebail; Denzil Mascarenhas, a Konchady resident; Ashok Naik, a Derebail resident; Vikas Nayak and Vishwanath Naik both residents of Bengaluru were arrested.

The arrested were employed in the ‘Speak and Group’ concern, started by Dhanush M K of Kundapur along with his friends. The firm had managed to collect huge sums of money from people, including NRIs by promising monthly four percent returns on their investment. The employees managed to entice people by showing them a few insurance schemes claiming higher returns.

Bengaluru, Jan 19: Technology hub Hyderabad has edged out 129 other cities in the world to emerge as the world's most dynamic city, according to the seventh edition of the City Momentum Index by global real estate services firm JLL.

The city has pushed Bengaluru to second place to regain the top position after a gap of one year. Chennai is at fifth and Delhi is at sixth place.

While Hyderabad and Bengaluru are the top two cities globally for socio-economic momentum, a more active real estate market helped elevate Hyderabad to first position in the overall ranking, says the report released by the US-based Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL) on Saturday night.

Hyderabad recorded the highest office net absorption in 2019 (as a proportion of existing stock) of any city globally, while it is also among the world's best-performing cities for prime office rental growth.

While all seven major Indian cities feature in this year's Global Top 20, cities in south India in particular - Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai (5th) "are ahead of their northern peers, supported by favourable demographics and business climates".

"Their expanding tech industries and start-up cultures make them a magnet for young and ambitious talent from across the country, with Bengaluru having one of the world's largest concentrations of 'engine room' population (20-40-year-olds), typically the most dynamic and productive age cohort," says the report.

Kolkata and Mumbai made it to the top 20 and stood at the 16th and 20th positions. Despite an economic slowdown, India leads the 2020 Index with seven Indian cities in the top 20.

"Commercial real estate in south Indian cities is growing at a rapid pace. Hyderabad has seen tremendous growth in 2019 in line with that of Bengaluru. The city has actively embraced technology-driven economic growth and attracted large tech giants and e-commerce players. The state government's focus on business-friendly policies and provision of high-quality infrastructure along with availability of quality talent pool and superior quality business parks has given Hyderabad a competitive edge," said Ramesh Nair, CEO and Country Head - India, JLL.

Telangana's Minister for Information Technology and Industry K T Rama Rao said he was thrilled over Hyderabad not only regaining the top slot but also over the fact that it was competing with cities like Shenzhen and Shanghai in innovation economy.

The minister said 50 percent weightage from socio-economic indicators beside the remaining 50 percent from commercial and real estate was also heartening.

KTR, as the minister is popularly known, noted that in 2014 when Telangana attained statehood, Hyderabad was not even in the list. He recalled that when Telangana was formed there were many doubts as to what would happen to Hyderabad. "It entered the top 20 in 2015 and rose to fifth place in 2016 and third position in 2017. Hyderabad topped the list in 2018 and finished second the last year. This year it is back at the top," he said.

The JLL City Momentum Index identifies a number of key growth drivers, including talent attraction, the expansion of innovation hubs and better urban planning, that cities can employ to meet the challenges faced by rapid momentum.

Several cities in the top 20 stand out as they transform their urban environments in pursuit of a low-carbon future. In India, Hyderabad is looking at technology to reduce the demand for air conditioning with cool roofs that reflect sunlight and absorb less heat, it said.

"The growth of "micro-mobility" is another positive step, illustrated by Hyderabad's introduction of smart bikes and electric cars. Smart city solutions, such as bike rentals, improved quality of life, help increase inclusion and aid in the transition to a low carbon environment."

Bengaluru, Jun 23: Karnataka Congress leader and Kanakapura MLA DK Shivakumar said on Monday that in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, people of his assembly constituency have taken a unanimous decision of remaining under voluntary lockdown until July 1.

The decision was taken after he headed a meeting at Kanakapura on Sunday, at the office of Kanakapura Municipality.

"Let us consider the situation after July 1, hold a similar meeting, and take the next decision. It has nothing to do with the state government's mandate. It came to the conclusion that this was a decision that we all voluntarily took," said DK Shivakumar.

DK Shivakumar informed that the merchants have agreed to sell groceries, fruits, vegetables, fennel, meat and other food items from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. only. District authorities, DCs, SPs and hospital representatives have decided the timings of clinics and drug stores.

He further said, "In this self-motivated lockdown, unnecessary driving should be avoided. The social gap must be maintained. No one should be oppressed by anyone."

Member of Parliament DK Suresh, Ravi - Ramanagara District Collector Archana, SP Anoop Shetty, and Kanakapura Planning Authority Chairman Jagannath were also present in the meeting.