Finally, this techie returns from US to meet his lonely mom, finds her skeleton

Bengaluru, Jan 24: After the visit of fact finding committee members to the spot, the Christian community here decided to submit a report to the state government urging to install a 114-ft. statue of Jesus Christ at Kapala Betta in Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagaram district, Congress MLC Ivan D’souza said here on Thursday.

While talking to media, Mr D’souza said the committee would submit the report to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Revenue Minster R. Ashok and urge the government to construct the statue at the earliest.

The RSS and other BJP outfits have strongly opposed the installation, following which the government ordered suspension of the work. A few days ago, Kalladka Prabhakar, RSS ideologue, took out a rally in Kanakapura opposing the installation.

Jun 5: A young woman was forced to drink liquor allegedly by her husband after which he along with four friends assaulted, burnt her with cigarette butts and raped her in front of her five year-old son, police said on Friday.

All the five, who were taken into custody earlier, have been arrested. The shocking incident occurred in the state capital last night.

The incident came to light after the 25-year-old woman, approached police and complained against her husband and his four friends.

A case has been registered against the five accused for kidnapping, assaulting and gangrape.

Since the incident took place in front of the child, a case under Protection of children from sexual offices Act has also been charged against the accused.

Meanwhile, State health and family welfare minister K K Shailaja asked the state police chief to take stringentction against the culprits as "such cruelty happened in front of her child."

The Kerala State Women's Commission on its own registered a case and sought report from the Thiruvananthapuram Rural SP.

She managed to escape from there and pleaded for help from a young man, who saw in heran inebriatedstate, and took her to her house and informed police.

The man later told some television channels that she was crying, had injuries on her face and pleaded for help.

Police have recorded the statement of the woman, who was admitted to a government hospital here and later discharged.

She had also stated that the men had tortured her using cigarette butts.

Bengaluru, Jul 8: In yet another revenue generation measure, the Revenue department has issued an order permitting the sale of government land leased to various religious, industrial and other organisations.

Officials say that around Rs 2,250 crore will be generated in Bengaluru Urban district alone, if the order is implemented.

While rules for the process are yet to be formed, it has directed deputy commissioners of various districts to submit proposals for the sale of such lands leased by the government to various institutions under the Karnataka Land Grant Rules, 1969. The order came after a recent Cabinet decision. 

The order issued on July 6 says that government lands leased to private organisations, trusts, industries, educational, social welfare, religious and agricultural purposes can be regularised by paying the guidance value of the land, provided the organisation continued to use the land for the same purpose it was granted for.

If an organisation or trust wanted to convert the land for other purposes, it will be charged twice the guidance value. According to the order, land leased to organisations that are unwilling to purchase the land will be surveyed. “DCs should initiate measures to survey such lands and recover the unused land to the government,” it said.

Revenue Principal Secretary N Manjunath Prasad told DH that rules for the sale of such lands will be formulated shortly. “We have directed deputy commissioners to compile the extent of land leased to various organisations in their respective districts,” he said, noting that 921 acres were leased to private parties in Bengaluru Urban district.

From the 921 acres, the state government used to receive an annual rent of Rs 6.50 crore per year. Sale of leased land in Bengaluru Urban alone will generate around Rs 2,250 crore at current guidance values, Prasad said. 

The government is also pushing for regularisation of unauthorised buildings on Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) land and auction of corner sites to mobilise resources due to the severe economic difficulties in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the state’s reduced share in central taxes.