Karnataka minister calls EC a puppet of Modi govt; wants scrutiny of EVMs

Agencies

December 21, 2017

Bengaluru, Dec 21: A Karnataka minister today alleged that the Election Commission of India has been reduced to "a puppet" at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s hands and emphasised that it should pave way for public scrutiny of EVMs.

The Congress government in Karnataka is writing to the election commission with suggestions on electronic voting machines, state minister for information technology and tourism Priyank Kharge said.

However, the ball is in the court of the election commission whether to agree or not, he said.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, the minister said, "We are ready for our suggestions and even experiments. But the moot question is whether the election commission is ready."

He said the election commission has to agree with the state's proposal first.

"The election commission has been reduced to a puppet at the hands of the Union government. Even, the Centre has to agree with it (the proposal)," the minister said.

Kharge said the EC can make use of the techies and experts in Karnataka to test the EVMs.

He clarified that he is raising the matter, not because of upcoming Karnataka assembly polls but because EVMs are used from the panchayat level to Lok Sabha polls.

Kharge referred to reports claiming that a candidate contesting the municipal elections in Uttar Pradesh could not get his own votes.

He said Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel in Gujarat too had expressed reservation on the EVMs.

Comments

This Minsiter is 100 correct in stating that EC is acting on the advice of Union Govt and not ready to hold election through ballot paper instead of incorrect EVM. These EVM has favored bjp in all the elections. Its unfortunate that Union Govt and EC are not ready to hold electrion on ballot paper inspite of knowing the truth and agitation from various opposition parties. Why do they love EVM so much? EVM is not being used in any country as every one knows that it can be malfunctioned and it so happed in india. Union Govtr and EC are giving incorrect and false statements that EVM cannot be malfunctioned but it is cleared shown with proof that EVM can be malfunctioned. However, these people are not ready to accept the truth. Its really a shame and shows that they are fooling public and can go to any level to win electrion.

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Centre delaying BS Yediyurappa’s budget preparations

News Network

January 6,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 6: Chief minister BS Yediyurappa has plenty on his plate ahead of the 2020-21 state budget to be presented on March 5 what with the economic slowdown and a sizeable shortfall in revenue, but the biggest worry is the uncertainty surrounding Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation from the Centre.

There is also uncertainty over the state’s share under devolution of funds as per the 14th Finance Commission recommendation.

Finance department officials say that while Rs 3,500 crore is expected as GST compensation for every two months, the devolution of funds would have yielded about Rs 7,000 crore for the current fiscal. But the economic slowdown appears to have hit the Centre’s finances and is likely to impact the state’s share of funds.

“The GST payment for August-September came only in December and we are unsure how much we will get for October-November and December-January,” an official said. Estimates suggest the state’s share under devolution of funds could be reduced by half.

At a meeting of finance department officials last week, Yediyurappa is said to have admitted that unlike those states where non-BJP parties are in power — they have threatened agitations and court cases — the government cannot go “against” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime.

Instead, Yediyurappa has urged senior IAS finance department officials to lobby for funds with their counterparts in New Delhi. On his part, Yediyurappa is said to have already written to Modi and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to at least release the state’s share of GST compensation for the current calendar year of 2019. He is planning to personally meet the PM in Delhi to push the state’s case.

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Police seize 15.5 kgs of gold from car at Bekal, arrest two smugglers

News Network

February 5,2020

Kasaragod, Feb 5: The customs officials has confiscated 15.5 kilograms gold from a car at Bekal near here on Wednesday.

Sources said, acting on a tip-off, the customs sleuths intercepted a car at Bekal, and seized the yellow metal which is being smuggled by the occupants into Kerala.

The police also managed to arrest the two youth identified as Khetan (29) and Akash (23), both natives of Maharashtra. They had hidden the gold in the cushion.

The accused confessed that the gold was being transported from Thalassery to Maharashtra illegally. The custom officials are investigating to find others involved in the case.

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Team Be Human statiates the hunger of Mangaluru's civic workers amidst lockdown

Coastaldigest.com news network

April 19,2020

Mangaluru, May 19: Team Be Human, a city based group of philanthropists, has taken commendable initiative to satiate the hunger of the civic workers of Mangaluru City Corporation that are endangering their lives to keep the city clean amidst covid-19 lockdown.

On Friday, April 18, gorcesary kits were distributed among around 180 civic workers at Eidgah Maidan in Light House Hill in the presence of Corporator Abdul Raoof Bajal, Mansoor Ahmed Azad, Aina group Ashraf, Ceco Asif, Advocate Abdul Shukoor, U B Saleem, Sahil Zaheer, Rash Beary, Munna Kammaradi and Abdul Muttalib.

The Team swung into action on hearing the civic workers' plight due to the delay in payment of their wages by the Antony Waste Management firm. The Team was helped by the alumni of the St Aloysius College, Mangaluru (batch 1989).

This is not the first time the Team Be Human distributing kits among the needy. Amidst lockdown it has already distributed around 1200 grocery kits among the poor people including the daily wage workers, migrant labourers in Dakshina Kannada district with help of Ahnaf Deals, Altaf, Shameem, Basha, Pradeep, Vincent, Shiyaz Deals, Nawaz and Haneef.

In its next step the Team Be Human is planning to distribute the kits among civic workers in Urva and Suratkal region, said Asif Deals, founder president of Team Be Human. He called upon the youth and students to come forward to help the needy and poor people who are deprived of basic facilities.