What are the key issues for voters in Karnataka polls?

Agencies
May 11, 2018

New Delhi, May 11: Elections in Karnataka will be held on Saturday and the state has seen fever pitch campaigning by top leaders, each attempting to woo voters through their unique campaigning styles.

Here are some of the key issues that voters would consider while exercising their franchise tomorrow:

• FARMER CRISIS: The BJP claimed during its campaign that more than 3500 farmers committed suicide under the "anti-farmer" Siddaramaiah Government. The BJP said that if the Yeddyurappa Government is voted to power in the state, farmer loans of up to Rs 1 lakh would be waived off for each farmer. The BJP also promised that with a fund of Rs 1.5 lakh crore, every field in Karnataka will be watered.

The Congress, on the other hand, has promised to double farmers' income and constitute a statutory Farmers Income Commission. To tide over the agrarian crisis in 2017, the Siddaramaiah Government waived off farmer loans of up to Rs 50, 000 per farmer at an estimated cost of Rs Rs 8,165 crore to the state exchequer. The Congress Government in Karnataka also asked the Centre to waive off farmer loans from nationalised and rural banks. It also promised to compensate farmers against the loss of crop revenues owing to natural calamity or otherwise, through the Annadaata Fund at a state or district levels.

The Janata Dal (Secular) in its manifesto also promised to waive off 100 percent farmer loans. Also, Additional procurement price of Rs 150 per quintal on all cereal crops and Rs 500 for pulses.

• POLLUTION and TRAFFIC CONGESTION : The Congress has promised to reduce incidences of urban flooding and minimise its impact on the people. The Congress said that it will ensure that cities and their surroundings are free from all filth and ensure zero adverse impact of municipal solid waste on the environment and society.

The Congress said it will introduce a technology-enabled, auto-synchronized traffic management system with connected signals across the city to improve traffic movement across the city.

The BJP manifesto said that it will set up 24x7 Air Quality Monitoring Stations in urban centers of all city corporations with live updates about the level of pollution being made available on the KSPCB website. Also, it plans to strengthen the state pollution control board to ensure effective functioning and accountability.

It also promised to invest Rs. 2,500 Crore in the "Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Fund" to clean and revive the lakes and rivers of Bengaluru and also free Bengalureans from the clutches of the water tanker mafia.

To avoid the traffic menace, the BJP said it will introduce a comprehensive infrastructure action plan recommended by a committee of infrastructure and traffic experts to be constituted after forming the government.

The JD(S) manifesto aimed at rehabilitating all mining areas in the state. It also said solid waste management will be given highest priority in both urban as well as rural areas. And added that steps will be taken to eliminate open defecation in all the Corporation areas, CMC and TMC areas in next five years.

• WOMEN: The BJP has promised to give free smart phones to women and three-gram gold mangalsutra for all brides in the below poverty line category. The manifesto also promised to constitute a Special Investigation Cell, under a woman police officer, to investigate crimes against women.

The Congress also promised to give three-gram gold to all women belonging to the BPL category. And said that it will give free education to girls at post-graduation level. The Congress also promised to Implement sexual harassment prevention policy in all establishments and constitute fast track courts to try sexual harassment cases.

The JD(S) has manifesto promised assistance of Rs 6,000 per month for three months to pregnant women, prior to delivery and after. They also said that hostels for distressed women will be constructed in every district. And a suitable legislation would be brought to address domestic violence

• YOUTH, EMPLOYMENT: The BJP in its manifesto promised to provide every college-going student with a free laptop. It also offered Government-sponsored foreign education for more than 400 Schedule Tribe students.

The BJP also promised to set up six "K-Hubs" as the biggest incubators and working spaces for startups in India at Hubbali, Bengaluru, Raichur, Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Kalaburgi.
The Congress promised smartphones to college-going students between age of 18 and 23. And also said that it will provide free education in Government schools until grade 12.

According to the Congress manifesto, startups will get a subsidy of about Rs 1 crore to kick-start production. The subsidy will also have a grant component up to Rs 25 lakh and loan up to Rs 75 lakh.

The JD(S) manifesto has promised that healthcare would be provided to labourers of unorganised sector. They will also be provided with identity cards.

The JD(S) manifesto has also talked about increasing the minimum wages of labourers.

• SOCIAL SCHEMES: The BJP manifesto claims that more than 300 Annapoorna Canteens would be set up Corpus of Rs 7500 crores would be invested to provide modern amenities to OBCs, and housing schemes for the SC, ST communities.

The Congress has promised to set up a separate OBC commission and 75% concession in education admission for OBC studies. The Congress manifesto also talked about POCSO courts being held in child-friendly rooms.

The JD(S) manifesto announced schemes for the welfare of SC/STs, minorities and the youth and promised free education for girls in all courses.

• CORRUPTION: India's national parties continue to level corruption charges against each other.

The BJP has accused the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka of being the most corrupt party in the nation. The BJP called the Karnataka Government "10 percent commission government". Even two days before the BJP accused the Karnataka Government of resorting to foul means to win the election when fake voter ID cards were recovered from Jalahalli area of Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency. However, Congress refuted such claims, and Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said that the BJP is using state machinery to its advantage. The BJP told the voters that by voting for the party they will vote for a corruption-free government in the state.

While the BJP has been rallying on the cards of developmental politics and populist manifesto, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress is relying on the Chief Minister's resonance with the Kannadigas in the state, and their time-tested AHINDA formula - Alpasankhyataru (Minorities), Hindulidavaru (Backward Classes) and Dalitaru (Dalits), calling themselves a party for all.

An incumbent Congress is leaving no stone unturned to remain in power in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections, while the BJP is looking at this election as its gateway into the South under the leadership of B.S Yeddyurappa.

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coastaldigest.com news network
April 22,2020

Newsroom, Apr 22: Dozens of Tablighi Jamaat members from across the country who have been successfully recovered and have now tested negative for the novel coronavirus have come forward and donate their plasma for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

The Tablighis from Tamil Nadu were the first to take this decision. According to them, apart from helping the critically ill patients to recover from COVID-19, was to counter the ‘baseless accusations’ that Tablighis were responsible for the spread of the virus following the religious congregation of the sect held at Delhi’s Nizamuddin area last month.

Mohammad Abbas, a thirty-eight year old businessman from Tiruppur was on Sunday discharged from Coimbatore’s ESI hospital. “As soon as I got discharged, I met the district administration officials and the dean of the hospital and told them that they may contact me anytime if they needed me to donate my plasma,” Abbas was quoted as saying by an English daily.

“It has only been one day since I was discharged but I’ve already spoken to others (from the Jamaat) who have recovered and they were all ready to donate,” he added. 

Leader's call

Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, a prominent leader of Tablighi Jamaat, who has been booked by the Delhi Police for holding a religious congregation, too has appealed to coronavirus survivors to donate blood plasma for infected people.

In a letter issued on Tuesday, Saad said most of the members who were quarantined did not have any infection and they tested negative for COVID-19.

"Even from amongst the ones who tested positive for the disease, a majority of them have now undergone treatment and are now cured while I and a few others are still under quarantine.

"It is required that such people who are now cured of this disease should donate blood plasma to others who are still fighting the disease and are under treatment," he said.

He also has urged the followers of the organisation to pray at home in the month of Ramadan instead of going to mosques. 

Plasma therapy

Convalescent Plasma Therapy is an experimental procedure for COVID-19 patients.

In this therapy, the antibodies of a person who has recovered from the virus are taken and transfused into a sick person (having the virus) to help boost the person’s immune system.

The recovered COVID-19 patient’s blood develops antibodies to battle against COVID-19.

Once the blood of the first patient is infused to the second patient, those antibodies will start fighting against the coronavirus in the second person.

The process for donating plasma is similar to donating blood and takes about an hour.

Several countries around the world including the United Kingdom and the United States have also started plasma therapy trials.

In India, several states like Kerala, Gujarat and Punjab have already started using Plasma Therapy for the corona-infected patients.

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coastaldigest.com web desk
June 9,2020

With the steep hike in excise duty in the past couple of months, an average consumer of petrol now pays over 275% in taxes to centre and states on a litre of the fuel.  The base price of petrol is just about Rs 18. The taxes are close to Rs 50 and the pump price is over Rs 72.

India imports 85% of all its crude oil demand.  After a steep hike in excise duty in the past two months despite a hold on daily price revisions by the oil public sector undertakings (PSUs), Indian consumers now pay 275% collectively in excise duty to state and centre. 

The central government hiked excise on petrol and diesel by Rs 10 and Rs 13 respectively last month. The excise duty on petrol is taxed around Rs 33-a-litre while the same on diesel it is Rs 32.

The Value-Added Tax (VAT) on both petrol and diesel is Rs 16.44 and Rs 16.26 respectively. Both the taxes together are around Rs 49 while it is sold at petrol pumps at 73-per-litre.

These two taxes cumulatively account for 69% of tax which is higher than anywhere else in the world. The same is taxed at 19% in the US, 47% in Japan, UK 62% and 63% in France. The government does not pass on the benefit of lower crude oil prices to the customer.

It is to be noted that Indian consumers continued to pay Rs 70-a-litre even when crude oil prices hit a paltry US $ 20-a-barrel on April 12.

Former finance minister and Congress leader recently took a jab at the Centre over rising prices stating, “Fuel selling prices raised twice in two days, following tax hikes two weeks ago. This time to benefit oil companies. Government is poor, it needs more taxes. Oil companies are poor, they need better prices. Only the poor and middle class are not poor, so they will pay”.

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Lovely indian
 - 
Wednesday, 10 Jun 2020

Acche din for modi bakth....lets enjoy

 

you need only ram mandir and NRC

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coastaldigest.com news network
April 23,2020

Mangaluru, Apr 23: An elderly woman who was tested positive for COVID-19 in Dakshina Kannada district today breathed her last.

The deceased is a 77-year-old woman from Bantwal taluk. 

She is said to be a close relative of the Bantwal woman who died of COVID-19 on April 19.

She was shifted to govt Wenlock Hospital which is now converted into COVID-19 hospital on April 22 from a private hospital.

Her throat swabs were sent for testing. Health and family welfare department earlier today confirmed that she was tested positive for coronavirus.

Within hours she breathed her last without responding to any treatment. 

So far 17 corona positive cases have been confirmed in the district including two deaths. Most of them have returned home after recovering.

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