Just before elections, govt unearths Rs 406 crore unused LAD funds

DHNS
December 15, 2017

Bengaluru Dec 15: With Assembly elections around the corner, the state government has unearthed unutilised Local Area Development (LAD) funds amounting to Rs 406 crore in the accounts of deputy commissioners.

To use these funds, the Planning, Programme Monitoring and Statistics department on Thursday announced a new scheme - Sidda Sarkarada Nade Sevegala Kade. Under this, the unused funds will be spent on construction of classrooms, to provide basic infrastructure at government hospitals and build anganwadis.

"These are Karnataka Legislators' Local Area Development Scheme funds from 2002 to 2013 that were unused and lying in the accounts of deputy commissioners," Minister for Planning M R Seetharam said. It was for the first time such a huge amount of unused LAD funds have been discovered, Seetharam stressed. "Legislators no longer have control on these funds since they have lapsed."

Of the Rs 406 crore, the Education department has been given Rs 243 crore for construction or repair of 2,719 classrooms in government schools; Rs 122 crore for the Health department to provide basic infrastructure at 309 government hospitals; Rs 40 crore to the Women & Child development department to construct 346 anganwadis.

"Our department will monitor the use of these funds. Deputy commissioners have been directed to ensure that the funds are used before the end of this financial year," he said.

According to the minister, officials have been asked to finish works 90 days from the date of contract (tender). "We have asked officials to submit progress reports once in 15 days," he said.

The highest unspent amount was found in Uttara Kannada district (Rs 35 crore), whereas Gadag had the lowest unspent money (Rs 3 crore). "Not a single legislator has utilised 100% LAD funds," Seetharam said.

From 2013 till September 2017, a total of Rs 1,000 crore released under the LAD scheme remain unspent. Another Rs 300 crore are yet to be released, Seetharam explained.

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News Network
May 26,2020

Bengaluru, May 26: After Yogi Adityanath said that no state can take manpower from Uttar Pradesh without his government's permission, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar on Tuesday termed the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's move as "unconstitutional" and "against the right to freedom of movement."

"Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's move to restrict hiring people of Uttar Pradesh is unconstitutional and goes against the right to freedom of movement. Mr Yogi, please note that UP is not the private property of your govt. The people of Uttar Pradesh don't need your government's permission to work anywhere in India," Shivakumar tweeted.

"Mr Yogi doesn't understand the basic rules of governance in a democracy. Such actions lack common sense and will only make the people of Uttar Pradesh suffer more. When it's convenient for BJP, it's One Nation, when it's not, it's different states and different people. Heights of hypocrisy," he added.

Adityanath had on Monday said that the state government will provide social security and insurance to labourers and no state can take manpower from Uttar Pradesh without his government's permission.

"If any state wants manpower, they cannot take our people from the state without our permission as there were reports of misbehaviour with them in other states. We are taking full responsibility for labourers' social security. We will provide every kind of security to them including insurance. Wherever they will go, we will always stand by them," Yogi said.

The Chief Minister said that skill mapping is being done in Uttar Pradesh and a commission will be set up for labourers to ensure employment for them.

On Sunday, Adityanath had ordered the formation of a 'Migration Commission' for the purpose of providing the workers, who have returned to the state during the lockdown phase, with employment suited to their skills.

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coastaldigest.com news network
February 16,2020

Mangaluru, Feb 16: A 45 year-old man committed suicide by jumping into Netravati River from the bridge near Thokkottu along with his six-year-old son in the early hours of Sunday here, police said.

The deceased have been identified as Gopalkrishna Rai and his son Aneesh Rai, residents of Baltila in Bantwal.

According to the police, Gopalkrishna along with his wife Ashwini Rai and son had come to Konaje for a family programme. At about 4:30 a.m. he came to the bridge with his son, left a suicide note and jumped into the river.

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coastaldigest.com news network
August 5,2020

Mangaluru, Aug 5: Normal life was thrown out of gear as heavy rain and gusty winds lashed large parts of coastal and malnad districts of Karnataka in last 48 hours. Widespread power outages due to tree fall and minor landslides were reported in last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Indian Meteorological Department has sounded a red alert for Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts 8:30am of August 5.

In Mangaluru city there were several tree falls disrupting power supply in key areas of the city. Four electricity poles were damaged after a tree fell on Boloor Jarandaya road due to rain and heavy winds. In Neermarga too, there were a couple of tree falls in the morning cutting off power supply, which was not restored till this report was sent.

Mescom bore the brunt of the rains in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada District and at the last count as many as 148 electric poles, 23 transformers and 65 kilometer conductor wires were damaged due to poles being damaged in tree fall and landslides.

Traffic was affected on Charmadi Ghat on the Mangaluru-Chikkamagaluru route due to a tree fall on the second hair pin bend. 

On Monday, landslides near Kottigehara, Chikkamagaluru District, left traffic badly affected. Though normalcy has been restored on the route after blocking the road for restoration till Tuesday morning, locals fear more landslides due to continuous downpour.

Kodagu district too received heavy rainfall in past 24 hours which resulted in water logging in low-lying areas.

In the Coast, Uttara Kannada received the highest amount of rainfall at 91mm, followed by Udupi at 75 and DK at 73mm. The highest Rainfall of 241 mm was recorded at Castlerock, Supa Taluk in Uttara Kannada District.

KSNMDC bulletin stated that widespread moderate to heavy rains associated with strong surface winds at times and isolated very heavy to extreme heavy rains was likely over Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts It also stated that wind speeds ranging between 50kmph to 60 kmph was forecast along the coast of Karnataka from Mangaluru to Karwar, warning fishermen not to venture into the sea.

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