Residential school student dies, parents suspect foul play

Kalaburagi, Mar 3: Former Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday in a letter requested Karnataka Assembly Speaker Sri Vishveshvaraya Hegade Kageri that the restricted media coverage in Assembly Budget session was not the right thing and it will be danger of for healthy democracy.

The letter written by Mr. Kharge to the Karnataka Assembly speaker which available to the press said that the fourth pillar of democracy 'Media' ban from covering assembly proceedings was not a healthy move and requested to immediately withdraw the government order in this regards, he said.

Bengaluru, Jul 18: Bringing a major change in the  administration of Bengaluru, which has emerged as a Covid-19 hotspot, the state government on Saturday transferred B H Anil Kumar out of the BBMP and brought N Manjunath Prasad to take his place. 

Manjunath Prasad, who headed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) before being replaced by Kumar, will take over with immediate effect. The government has also placed him in concurrent charge of the Revenue Department as well as the Disaster Management, Bhoomi and UPOR.

Kumar, an Additional Chief Secretary, has been put in a place where earlier a secretary was posted. He now heads the Department of Public Enterprises. The posting would have brought him two spots down had it not been for the government upgrading it to the level of additional chief secretary. 

Anil Kumar, who was earlier praised for his work to contain the coronavirus pandemic, had faced criticism by the High Court of Karnataka for the BBMP's failure to help people in containment zones as well as other issues on the spread of the pandemic. 

Sources in the government said, pressure has been building up against Anil Kumar over the last two months after most of the Bengaluru MLAs complained to the chief minister's office.

"No MLA backed him. Everyone had a problem," a source said. 

Things came to the head with regard to a Rs 436 crore project given to KRIDL. "The issue reached the chief minister's office as all the MLAs took an issue with the way the project was awarded," a source said. 

Another source said that Kumar came under fire after a central team flagged the issue of failing Covid-19 surveillance measures in Bengaluru. The central team's criticism, it is widely believed in the government, came as the last straw. 

Jun 6: Private sector lender Karnataka Bank has reported to the RBI that it has been defrauded of over Rs 285 crore consequent to loans gone bad to four entities including DHFL.

A total of Rs 285.52 crore has been reported as fraud wherein the bank was one of the consortium lenders during 2009 to 2014 to Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL), Religare Finvest, Fedders Electric and Engineering Ltd and Leel Electricals Ltd, Karnataka Bank said in a regulatory filing on Friday.

The maximum is owed by DHFL at Rs 180.13 crore, followed by Religare Finvest Rs 43.44 crore, Fedders Electric Rs 41.30 crore and Leel Electricals Rs 20.65 crore.

"DHFL (defaulted entity) dealing with us since 2014 had availed various credit facilities under consortium arrangement wherein, we were one of the member banks. In view of Early Warning Signals (EWS) in the conduct of the account and other developments, the account was red flagged on November 11, 2019.

"The borrowing account was classified as Non-Performing Asset on October 30, 2019 and now, for misappropriation & criminal breach of trust & diversion of funds in the credit facilities extended earlier to the company, a fraud amounting Rs 180.13 crore has been reported to RBI," Karnataka Bank said.

Likewise, Religare Finvest Ltd (RFL) was dealing with the bank since 2014, availing various credit facilities.

Following classification of this account as non-performing in October 2019 by a consortium member, Karnataka Bank reported to RBI a fraud amounting to Rs 43.44 crore in the credit facilities extended earlier, on account of diversion of funds.

Leel Electricals was classified as NPA account in March 2019 and it reported to RBI a fraud amounting to Rs 20.65 crore in the credit facilities to the company on account of diversion of funds.

"In all the referred three non-performing accounts, necessary provisions have been made in full to be spread across four quarters," it said.

Fedders Electric and Engineering Limited was reported as NPA in July 2018 by a member bank in consortium, subsequent to which Karnataka Bank reported fraud of Rs 41.30 crore on account of fund diversion.

The account has already been fully provided for, it added.