‘Due to communication gap’: BSP MLA on his expulsion after not voting in favour of HDK govt

Tumkur, Apr 11: Despite the nationwide lockdown, BJP MLA from Turuvekere constituency, M Jayaram, was on Friday seen celebrating his birthday with several villagers in Gubbi taluk in Tumkur.

A sizable number of people were seen gathering in Gubbi taluk to celebrate the BJP legislator's birthday.

Meanwhile, scores of people around the country are getting booked for violating the lockdown. In Uttarakhand alone, more than 4500 people have been arrested until Friday for violating the norms of lockdown.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for a three-week lockdown, urging people to practice social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country has mounted to 6,761 of which 6039 are active cases, 516 have been cured/discharged/migrated, and 206 deaths have been reported.

Surathkal, Jan 4: The National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have signed agreementsfor joint research and development of technology for application in space, a statement said here on Friday.

As part of the agreement, which was signed by P Venkatakrishnan, Director of ISRO CBPO Division and Prof Umamaheswar Rao, Director, NITK, ISRO will establish the Regional Academic Center for Space (RACS) at NITK.

Bengaluru, Jan 22: Chief minister BS Yediyurappa has urged the business community to focus on industries that are farmers and job-oriented and promised that his government would provide all the assistance it can in setting up these industries.

“My government will go the extra mile to facilitate industries that help farmers and provide jobs for youths,” Yediyurappa said during a meeting with several investors and entrepreneurs on the first day of the World Economic Forum, which brings global industry players and government representatives face- to-face, in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday.

The chief minister met representatives of 2000 Watt Smart Cities Association, which is represented by sustainability professionals of Nuesch Development, a Swiss Company, and ReNew Power. Both made presentations of their projects to the state delegation.

Yediyurappa appeared impressed by the 2000 Watt’s food processing clusters (development of modern infrastructure and common facilities) projects in rural areas. While presenting their concept, company representatives said they are willing to invest in food clusters, which can provide a better remunerative price for farm produce.

“We will provide all assistance and scientific farming techniques to grow healthy food and market them with added value to the produce,” said Andreas Binkert, scientist and academician, 2000 Watts.

Madhav Bhagwat, CEO of Nuesch Development India, told the Karnataka delegation that the company specialises in carbon-neutral smart township development projects and it has already signed an MoU with the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority.

ReNew Power delegates expressed interest in setting up solar power plants in North Karnataka districts like Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Koppal and Raichur. Samanth Sinha, CEO, ReNew Power, urged the Karnataka government to remove bureaucratic and legal bottlenecks in acquisition of land.

Industries minister Jagadish Shettar and chief secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar among others were present at the meeting.

Yediyurappa and members of the state’s delegation attended US president Donald Trump’s address at the meet. Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goel and Union minister of state for shipping Mansukh Mandaviya were also present in the audience.