Karnataka: Taxpayers' money splurged on cars for 12 new ministers

August 3, 2016

Bengaluru, Aug 3: Twelve of the 13 ministers inducted into the state cabinet in June are set to get brand new Toyota Innova cars. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently approved his new ministerial colleagues' request for new four-wheelers. The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) has placed an order for Toyota Innova Crysta, which costs Rs 19.49 lakh each. The new ministers are said to be not comfortable using the existing cars though they are in a good condition.

innovaThe department will procure a total of 15 new vehicles for the ministers by spending nearly Rs 3 crore of taxpayers' money. The new ministers are so particular about having new cars that none of them is ready to accept Toyota Fortuner that former minister Manohar Tahsildar was using until recently.

Toyota Fortuner is a top-end Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) and is more expensive than Toyota Innova. Except for the chief minister, all the ministers were provided with Innova. But the chief minister gave special permission to Tahsildar to buy a Fortuner as he complained of back pain. The car was bought just three months ago, a source in the DPAR said.

Of the 13 new ministers, Labour Minister Santosh Lad is an exception. He has not sought a new car. Lad, who owns an iron ore mining company, is said to have no qualms about moving around in the old car (Toyota Innova) used by his predecessor P T Parameshwar Naik. Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa, Health Minister K R Ramesh Kumar, Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddi and Minister for Planning and Statistics M R Seetharam are among the 12 new ministers who will get the new cars.

As per the rule book, new ministers are entitled to new cars from the DPAR. Incumbent ministers can ask for replacement for old cars only if the vehicles have run for more than one lakh km or are more than three years old. Except for the cars used by three members in the 34-member council of minister, the vehicles of all other ministers are in good condition or less than three years old, the source said.

B Ramanath Rai (Forest Minister), H C Mahadevappa (PWD Minister) and Vinay Kulkarni (Mines and Geology Minister) are the three ministers who are entitled to new vehicles. Though Kulkarni became a minister in October 2015, he has been using the old vehicle left behind by his predecessor, the source said.

The chief minister recently bought a new Toyota Fortuner for himself by spending Rs 34 lakh. There was speculation in the media that Siddaramaiah bought the new car after a crow was found sitting in his old vehicle.

Comments

Irshad
 - 
Wednesday, 3 Aug 2016

It is not a big issue 12 cars are lesser than PM's one day's foreign Trip.

Satyameva jayate
 - 
Wednesday, 3 Aug 2016

Our PM uses a BMW..what are laaya kya..any comment....

SYED
 - 
Wednesday, 3 Aug 2016

CAR BHAGYA TO MINISTERS....

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coastaldigest.com news network
April 2,2020

Newsroom, Apr 2: Mohammad Sirajul Hasan, former chief (ameer) of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, passed away today at a private hospital in Karnataka’s Raichur. 

The 87-year-old was suffering from old age related diseases for past few years and he was staying with his elder son in Raichur. 

He was the Karnataka (then Mysuru) unit chief of the JIH from 1st August,1958 to 6th April, 1984. Afterwards, he was appointed as the national secretary of the organization and held this post till he elected ameer for the term 1990-94. Previously, he also served the Jamaat as its Acting Ameer for about half a year. He was re-elected Ameer of the Jamaat for the terms 1995-99 and 2000-04. 

He had also served as the vice president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board for several years.

An orator and scholar, Sirajul Hasan was known for his scholarly lectures in Urdu and Hindi.

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coastaldigest.com news network
July 1,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 1: Eighteen private hospitals here have been slapped with a show-cause notice after a 52-year old patient with influenza-like illness symptoms died here on being allegedly denied admission by them citing "non- availability" of beds. 

Health Minister B Sriramulu on Wednesdy said refusal to provide treatment was not only inhuman but also illegal as he tagged a copy of the notice in a tweet. 

"Notice has been served to the hospitals taking cognisance of the (media) reports about the denial of admission to a patient in emergency. Denying medical assistance during emergency is not only inhuman but also illegal," he tweeted. According to a report, the son and nephew of the patient took him to the 18 hospitals on Saturday and Sunday but he was not admitted on the pretext of non-availability of beds or ventilators. 

The man died later. The Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare issued the show-cause notice to the top authorities of the hospitals under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishment (KPME) Act, 2007. 

"By denying admission to the patient, your hospitals have violated the provisions of the KPME Act. You are liable for legal action," the notice said, seeking replies within 24 hours as to why action should not be against the hospitals. 

This was a "clear violation" of providing medical assistance and admission necessitated under the agreed provision of the KPME registration. Private medical establishments cannot refuse or avoid treatment to patients suffering from COVID-19 or having symptoms, the common notice added. 

The incident comes in the backdop of repeated instructions by the government that hospitals cannot deny admission to the patients suffering from coronavirus or having symptoms.

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News Network
April 16,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 16: Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy had said that his son Nikhil's marriage ceremony will take place at bride Revati's residence in Bengaluru, however, the wedding preparations are also going on in his farmhouse at Ramnagar.

This comes amid the lockdown in the country due to COVID-19 outbreak. The farmhouse is located at Kethaganahally, near Bidadi in Ramnagar.

Kumaraswamy has said the marriage will be simple and only his family members will attend and no one from outside would be invited.

Earlier Kumaraswamy has said that his son's marriage will take place on April 17 at bride house.

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