Did JD(S) reach secret pact with BJP to defeat Siddaramaiah, his son in 2018 polls?

Feb 3: The Karnataka government is probably the only state to have so many nodal agencies to deal with investment proposals. There is the KIADB, Karnataka Udyoga Mitra, State High Level Clearance Committee (SHLCC), State Level Single Window Clearance Committee (SLSWCC) and District Level Single Window Clearance Committee.

While the government claims these have been created to speed up the process of setting up industries, they’re only delaying it. “A four-to-five year delay in acquiring land has become the norm,’’ say industry sources.

“These entities are only adding layers of obstacles to investors and is not really helping industries,” said a senior IAS officer.

While DLSWCCs are headed by deputy commissioners are empowered to clear investment proposals up to Rs 15 crore, SLSWCC, headed by the industries minister, clears proposals more than Rs 15 crore and up to Rs 500 crore. Proposals worth more than Rs 500 crore have to be cleared by SHLCC chaired by the CM. These entities have to meet regularly and clear proposals. But often, these meetings don’t happen as scheduled. “The delay starts from here,” said Vasant Ladava, industrialist and member of Karnataka Industries and Commerce, Bengaluru.

The single-window agencies involving representatives of departments like industries, revenue, pollution control board and forest are supposed to collectively give necessary clearances required for industries. “But, of late, they have become only project approvers without other responsibilities, leaving investors in the lurch,” said Ladava.

Bengaluru, Feb 9: A man in Karnataka fled just before his wedding after his parents cancelled the ceremony over a disagreement about the saree that the bride wore duiring a ritual.

BN Raghukumar, who belonged to a village near Karnataka's Hassan town, did not to show up at his wedding, acting on the directions of his parents. The incident took place on Wednesday.

"We have registered a cheating case against Raghukumar. He is absconding," Hassan Superintendent of Police Srinivas Gowda told news agency. The police have also registered a case against the groom's parents.

Raghukumar and BR Sangeetha fell in love a year ago and decided to get married with the consent of their respective families.

However, Raghukumar's parents asked Sangeetha to change her saree during some rituals as they were not happy with its quality.

Following this dispute, the groom's parents cancelled the wedding scheduled on Thursday and directed their son to run away.

Mangaluru, Mar 23: In its efforts to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, the district administration has ordered that all shops and establishments selling essential commodities to remain open only between 0600 hrs and 1200 hrs from Tuesday till March 31.

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh, in a press release here, announced that autorickshaws and taxis should not ferry passengers and should be utilised only during emergencies and for transportation of essential commodities among others.

Ms Sindhu has also ordered shutting down industries. Only those industries involved in the production of essential commodities, medicines, medical instruments, medicine, fuel, farm produce among others had been exempted, Please log in to get detailed story.