Karnataka govt finally cancels Bengaluru steel flyover project

[email protected] (CD Network)
March 2, 2017

Bengaluru, Mar 2: The Karnataka government today decided to scrap the controversial Bengaluru steel flyover project that was aimed at decongesting the road that connects the city with its international airport and surrounding areas.steel

"...We have decided to cancel the steel bridge project. I have spoken to the Chief Minister, and the Chief Minister has agreed to it," Minister for Bengaluru Development and State Town Planning K J George told reporters here.

The Rs 1,800-crore project had been facing stiff opposition from citizen groups over environmental concerns and doubts over its sustainability model. Questions were also raised regarding escalation in its cost.

An estimated 812 trees would have had to be felled for the project that was stayed by the National Green Tribunal last year. Recent allegations of crores of rupees received as kick back in connection with the project, allegedly mentioned in diary entries of Congress MLC Govindaraju, had also marred the project.

Govindaraju's alleged diary entries, reportedly consisting of information relating to payoffs made by state Congress leaders to the party's central leaders, have kicked up a political storm in the state.

As the minister made the announcement of abandoning the project, a few Congress MLAs opposed the move in the presence of the media, calling it "anti-development". They demanded that a decision should not be taken in haste because of false allegations by BJP.

Responding to this, George said "....they (BJP) are making false allegations on government, they are doing it without any evidence. We don't want to construct this steel bridge with allegations of corruption."

BJP President B S Yeddyurappa had earlier alleged that those in the government, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had "benefited from the project in the form of commissions and kickbacks."
Earlier in the day, to a question about the decision on scrapping the project, Siddaramaiah said the steel bridge was proposed to ensure less traffic for Benguluru residents.

"If Bengaluru people don't want, why do we want it?" he asked.

He said George was holding a meeting with city MLAs to seek their opinion on the project. Claiming victory over government's decision to drop the project, opposition BJP has now demanded a CBI inquiry.

"....finally it (government) has abandoned the steel bridge project which was full of corruption and loot. If CBI inquiry happens, all the allegations will be proved hundred per cent and the Chief Minister will have to resign. So fearing it, they have dropped the project", Yeddyurappa said.

He said the BJP will raise the issue during the Budget session of the legislature, starting from March 15. George said, "Earlier they had accused a minister of corruption, now they are saying the Chief Minister's family is involved....we don't want the steel bridge with allegations, we are here for the people. Give me evidence, I'm ready to resign and I'm ready for any punishment..."

"Give me suggestions, I’m ready to take. Those who are in favor of Bengaluru development, would not have opposed the project," he said.

Comments

Rikaz
 - 
Thursday, 2 Mar 2017

Rajesh, if you want to get a minister's like George you will have pray 1000 times....very clean politician....only states development is there in his mind....and does exactly that....

you go and check X CM Yeddi and all other his ministers...they have looted our country like hell....made our state treasury a big zero....

Rikaz
 - 
Thursday, 2 Mar 2017

Yaddi is hungry for power....may be before that his fate will also be like Sasikala of Tamilnadu..

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News Network
June 17,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 17: Amid rising COVID cases in the past two weeks, the Karnataka government is planning to increase testing capacity to 25,000 samples a day, said a minister.

"Due to increase in cases in the last two weeks, the government is trying to scale up testing to 15,000 to 25,000 samples per day," said Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar.

He said people living in crowded places, sanitation workers, street vendors, healthcare workers, police and other frontline staff would be extensively tested.

"It has also been decided to mandatorily test all those who have symptoms of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI)," he said.

Similarly, all people over 50 with ILI symptoms will be tested.

The health department will also randomly test samples in old containment zones to make sure that the infection is not recurring.

Currently, there are 72 Covid testing labs in the southern state, 41 government operated and 31 private labs.

However, for a few days, the number of Covid tests in the state have plummeted.

On Monday, the health department has tested only 5,362 samples across the state.

Likewise, on Tuesday, only 7,936 samples were tested, diverging from earlier weeks when around 10,000 cases were tested on an average.

In all, 4.57 lakh samples have been tested so far, of which 4.39 lakh have tested negative.

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News Network
May 2,2020

Bengaluru, May 2: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar has urged Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa to help the farmers in sending their produce to a market here amid the coronavirus lockdown.

The Congress leader made the appeal to the Chief Minister after listening to the farmers' issues while visiting KR Puram market on Friday.

Farmers told Shivakumar that the police are stopping their vehicles going towards the market despite the order passed by the Centre permitting the movement of vehicles carrying essential commodities during the lockdown.

"I have received calls from more than 100 farmers in the past few days. Every day, farmers from Kolar, Chikballapur, Malur and many other places come to KR Puram market to sell their agricultural goods, but their vehicles are stopped by the police. The cops do not allow them to sell fruits and vegetables. I request the Chief Minister to look into the matter and help the farmers," Shivakumar told reporters.

"I got to know that more than 50 vehicles were sent back. This government is of no use if they cannot secure the interests of the farmers. This government is not providing required support to the farmers," he added.

The Congress leader was accompanied by MLC Narayana Swamy and former president of Hoskote Authority Narayana Gowda during the visit to KR Puram market.

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News Network
March 7,2020

Mysuru, Mar 7: Former minister and senior Congress leader and sitting MLA Tanveer Sait has shot off a letter to state Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai expressing his dissatisfaction over the slow progress in the investigations regarding the attack on him.

In the letter, which he released to the press on Saturday, he claimed that although the police have already arrested the culprit, but it is yet to find the real masterminds, leaders or organisation behind the attack.

Mr Sait urged the Home Minister to request the police to speed up their investigation and solve the case at the earliest and give him justice.

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