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Jun 19: BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray should sign an agreement with neighbouring Karnataka to avoid a repeat of flood in part of the state like it happened in August last year.

In August 2019, Kolhapur, Sangli districts and some other parts of the state faced unprecedented floods triggered by huge release of water from dams in western Maharashtra and from the Almatti dam in Karnataka.

Fadnavis said, The Maharashtra chief minister should hold an urgent meeting with the Karnataka chief minister and enter into an agreement over-discharge of water from the Almatti dam located on the border of both the states."

If water is not released from the Almatti dam in time, it will cause flooding in border areas of Maharashtra such as Kolhapur and Sangli.

"A pact between the two states would benefit both as it would help in keeping water levels in control, the former chief minister said.

The dams in the state already have sizeable water stock. It would be better if the chief minster schedules a meeting with the Karnataka chief minister regarding the same (agreement), the Leader of Opposition in the assembly said.

Bengaluru, Jun 18: Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah has accused the BJP-led government of not passing the benefit of the low price of crude to the common man and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps to bring down prices of petroleum products.

Hitting out at the BJP-led government, he termed it as "opportunistic" and said the price of petroleum products were being increased when people were facing difficulties due to COVID-19.

"It is very disheartening to witness and unprecedented opportunistic government which is trying to extract every pound and flesh from the common man, that too when the whole country is suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. This is in the backdrop of the continuous price hike in the last 10 days," said the letter was written on Wednesday.

The Congress leader said that the policy decisions taken by the government "with respect to managing fuel sources are inconsistent with the prudent measures generally adopted".

"When the price of crude oil was remarkably low in March, April and May 2020, your government was very reluctant to pass on the benefits to the people by reducing the fuel prices proportionately, but, instead, your government continued to capitalise by increasing the excise duty," he said.

He said the government had also "failed" in the last six years to increase the oil storage capacity which could have been used for the country's advantage when the international crude oil price fell really low.

He said the government should roll back the excise duty and help in the reduction of fuel prices.

"The reduced burden will help the common man to have additional money in hand that will be spent on essential goods and services which will ultimately help them tide over these difficult times," he said.

Bengaluru, Jan 24: Karnataka High Court on Friday ordered notice to the state government and self-styled godman Swami Nithyananda while hearing a petition seeking cancellation of bail granted to him.

A petition was filed in the Karnataka High Court on Friday seeking cancellation of bail granted to Nithyananda for skipping the trial and fleeing the country.

Justice John Michael Cunha, after hearing the complainant, ordered issuance of notice to the state government and Nithyananda and posted the matter for hearing next week.

The petition, filed by K Lenin, alleged that Nithyananda has been skipping trial and has fled the country on an expired passport.

The plea further said that Nithyananda was making false representations in his "exemption petitions to the trial court as if he is still in India".

Interpol has also issued a 'blue corner notice' to locate the self-styled godman, who is facing trial in a criminal case, on the request of Gujarat Police.