Kalladka clash: HJV leader Ratnakar Shetty, Khaleel externed from DK for 6 months

Bengaluru, Jul 16: Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa led state government’s move to amend the Karnataka Land Reforms Act was “a scam bigger than illegal mining” as farm lands worth Rs 50,000 crore will be lost, according to Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah.

The government on July 13 promulgated an ordinance to amend the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, allowing non-agriculturists to buy agricultural lands while also increasing the cap on the extent of such land a person or a family can hold.

Plus, the amendment will have retrospective effect, meaning over 13,000 cases registered over the years for alleged violations in acquiring farm lands will be vacated or dismissed.

“There are 13,814 cases across all 30 districts. Let’s assume that each case involves four acres of land. That’s 52,000 acres. These are lands worth Rs 45,000-50,000 crore,” Siddaramaiah told a news conference. “This is a scam bigger than illegal mining. While the mining scam had specific players, here the entire government has fallen for the corporate bodies and real estate lobby.”

The illegal mining scam unearthed when the BJP was in power was pegged at Rs 35,000 crore, which became a poll plank for the Congress to come to power in 2013.

Calling it a “black” legislation, Siddaramaiah said the amendments to the land reforms law will result in large portions of farm lands becoming real estate. “This will destroy the farming community. They’ll now have to stand at the doors of corporate bodies. Farmers will sell their land and real estate will come. What’ll happen to food production?” he said.

The ordinance amends Section 63 and 80 of the Act, while omitting Sections 79A, B and C. “These sections were inserted in 1974 under the D Devaraj Urs government. It was a revolutionary, progressive step to protect farmers and ensure social justice,” Siddaramaiah said.

The Congress leader claimed that there was a “biggest conspiracy” behind this. “All this is being driven by the Modi government. They want to privatize more and more so that reservations will go. They want to bring back the zamindari system,” he said, citing the examples of some other recent amendments to other laws.

The timing of the ordinance is suspect, he said. “If the Yediyurappa government really wanted to help farmers and had good intentions, they could’ve brought this before the Assembly or placed it for public discussion. Instead, they’ve made use of the lockdown period to promulgate the ordinance,” he said.

The Congress will fight the ordinance till it gets withdrawn, Siddaramaiah said. “We will talk to other parties, farmers organisations and Dalit groups to plan protests against the BJP’s hidden agenda and anti-farmer policies,” he added.

Bengaluru, June 2: A television anchor allegedly committed suicide after her boyfriend refused to marry her.

29-year-old Chandana V K made a selfie video before taking the extreme step, in which she blamed her boyfriend Dinesh for her decision.

The Suddaguntepalya police have taken up a case of abetment to suicide against Dinesh and his family, including his father Lokappa Gowda, mother Gayatri, sister Shyla and uncle Swamy alias Dayananda. The police have formed a team to nab the accused who are absconding.

Chandana, who used to also appear in real estate advertisements, was a resident of Krishnamurthy Layout in Tavarekere. She hailed from Belur in Hassan district.

According to a preliminary investigation, Chandana consumed poison after making the video.

In the video clip addressed to Dinesh, she says: "You said if I die, it is good for you. So, I am ending my life and you are the reason for it, Dinesh." She sent the clip to Dinesh, his parents, her parents and friends around 2.30 pm on May 28.

On seeing the video, Chandana's parents alerted her neighbours and asked them to go check on her. They took her to a private hospital where she died while undergoing treatment around 12.30 am on May 30.

In his police complaint, Chandana’s father said his daughter and Dinesh were in a relationship for the past five years. Dinesh had promised to marry her and both the families were aware of the relationship.

Dinesh had borrowed Rs 5 lakh from Chandana. But for the past few months, he began avoiding her and even refused to marry her. His family members told Chandana that they would get him married to someone else, the complaint said. The police said action would be initiated taken against Dinesh and his family.

Bengaluru, May 22: Amid the fourth phase of nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, inter-state travel from Karnataka is now permitted with the consent of the receiving state, informed Praveen Sood, Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP) and Inspector General (IG).

"Inter-state pass is not required to go out of Karnataka as long as you have the consent of the receiving state," he said.

The order follows MHA's recent announcement of relaxed guidelines amid the nationwide lockdown.

"Due to lockdown, migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons are stranded at different places. They would be allowed to move as under," read the new guidelines while asking states to designate nodal authorities to facilitate the interstate movement.

The Centre has extended the lockdown till May 31 across the country.