Mangaluru, Feb 26: Customs officials at Mangalore International Airport on Wednesday arrested a man for trying to smuggle gold worth over Rs 26 lakh by concealing it in his rectum.
The accused has been identified as Moideen Arzan, a resident of Uppala, Kasaragod.
According to police, he arrived from Dubai by an Air India flight and was attempting to smuggle the gold which he had converted in the form of paste and concealed in rubber capsules inside his rectum.
Bengaluru, Mar 29: Escoms have been directed neither to penalise its customers nor go for disconnection if one fails to pay the bill. The relief is applicable till June. However, the entire bill will have to be paid at the end of three months.
The revised power tariff, which was to be announced on April 1, has also been deferred.
A similar three-month relief has been given on rentals for APMC and BBMP shops.
Bengaluru, Apr 14: Bracing for post-lockdown hard times, the Karnataka government on Monday decided to auction about 12,000 BDA sites and regularise unauthorised constructions across the state in a bid to shore up its already-thin finances.
"Some 12,000 corner sites (developed by Bangalore Development Authority, or BDA) are lying idle in Bengaluru. We hope to net about Rs 15,000 crore from the auction of the sites," chief minister BS Yediyurappa said after chairing a meeting with senior ministers and officials to discuss ways to raise funds.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown Karnataka into a deep financial crisis. There's a need for such measures," the chief minister said in defence of the decisions.
The sites – mainly of 40x60ft and 50x80ft dimensions – are in nine layouts. Also, the state government will auction corner and vacant sites in layouts formed by development authorities in other major cities of Karnataka.
Industry experts said that in a tepid market, it wasn’t easy to find buyers for the sites, each of which costs about Rs 1 crore. The CM said, “Since it’s an open auction, I’m confident of a good price since corner sites are always in demand. If we don’t get the expected price, then we will stop the process.”
The meeting decided to fast-track disposal of the cases related to regularisation of unauthorised constructions pending before courts. “If courts decide these cases, then thousands of people will be relieved, besides helping the government in mobilising resources to take up development works,” the CM said.
The government hopes to get about Rs 4,000 crore from the layout-regularisation move.
The government decided to amend the law to allow hundreds of private and cooperative housing societies to allot residential plots.
Bengaluru, Jul 14: The Karnataka government on Tuesday made changes to the Land Reforms Act 1961 through an ordinance to allow non-agriculturists to buy and own farmland for farming.
“The Land Reforms Act has been amended through an ordinance and notified after Governor Vajubhai R Vala gave his assent to it on Monday night,” a Revenue Department official told media persons.
It now permits non-farmers to buy farmland and grow food crops. But they can’t use it for other activities.
“Sections 79 A, B and C of the Act have been repealed, paving way for bona fide citizens to invest in farmland and take to farming as a hobby, passion or additional occupation, which is rewarding,” the official said.
The amended Act will enable the state to attract investment in the farm sector and boost food output. The farm sector’s contribution to the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) has been less than the manufacturing and services sectors over the last two decades.
Criticism by farmers, the Congress and the JD(S) since the cabinet approved changes on June 11 forced the state government to retain section 80 of the Act, with an amendment, to prevent sale of dam water irrigated farmland.
“The ordinance has also added a new section (80A), which says relaxations under the Act will not apply to land given to farmers under the Karnataka SC and ST (Scheduled Caste and Tribe) Act 1978,” the official said.
The changes permit mortgage of farmland only to the state-run institutions, firms and cooperative societies specified in the Act. The ordinance also makes legal cases pending in courts against the sections amended redundant as the new Act addresses the concerns raised in them.
“Besides generating substantial revenue for the state government, the Act will now allow farmers who find the occupation non-remunerative and risky due to droughts/floods and labour shortage to sell their surplus land to urban buyers,” the official said.
Ruling BJP Rajya Sabha member KC Ramamurthy from Bengaluru said the amended Act would allow any citizen to buy farmland.
“Though hundreds of people petitioned successive governments for the past 45 years to abolish the ‘draconian’ sections, they were ignored. I compliment Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and Revenue Minister R Ashoka for the decision to allow everyone to buy farmland irrespective of their occupation or profession,” Ramamurthy told media persons.
Comments
"Get rich quick and by any means syndrome"
Those Economy Saboteurs/ Smugglers are very Desperate People whose means of livelihood depends Solely on their Criminal Activities.
WHAT is driving these people so crazily into CRIMINALITY?!
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