North Karnataka to observe bandh on August 2 for separate statehood

TNN
July 26, 2018

Bengaluru/Hubballi, Jul 26: After a long lull, the clamour in North Karnataka for separate statehood has gained momentum once again.

A forum comprising various farmers and student organisations has called for a bandh on August 2 demanding separate statehood for North Karnataka. “The bandh will be in all 13 districts of North Karnataka,’’ forum leader Somashekhar Kotambari said in Hubballi on Wednesday.

CM HD Kumaraswamy’s alleged discrimination in the budget towards the region and his recent remarks against North Karnataka leaders are believed to have triggered this agitation, with the veiled backing of some BJP and Congress leaders, sources said.

The forum called Uttara Karnataka Pratyeka Rajya Horata Samiti (North Karnataka Separate Statehood Protest Committee) has planned a rally at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi where several North Karnataka leaders will address the gathering.

Kotambari said North Karnataka has been given stepmotherly treatment by all political parties for seven decades and governments have not developed the region. “Though the region is rich in natural resources, problems like unemployment are unsolved. As governments neglected the recommendations of the Nanjundappa Committee report, the region has been suffering from poverty,” he added.

He said though the government, in 2006, took the initiative to build the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi to focus on overall development of North Karnataka, it has not yielded results. “Suvarna Vidhana Soudha is a white elephant with no government office located there,” he added.

Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha president Basavaraj Karigar said major irrigation projects have been initiated in South Karnataka, while North Karnataka has been struggling to get the Mahadayi project up and running for years.

“The Krishna river benefits are not yet available for farmers. All development work is concentrated in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Ramanagara, Hassan, Mandya and other districts,” he alleged. At a rally last week in his home constituency Channapatna, Kumaraswamy took a dig at BJP leaders for demanding separate statehood during the recent budget session.

Comments

Ramprasad
 - 
Thursday, 26 Jul 2018

Protesters argumenting with contrasting statements. They claimed that the area rich in natural resources and at the same time they uttered about water scarcity. If north karnataka rich in natural resources, then political parties might have been utilised long back before. That shows the area not rich in natural resources. Water scarcity is there

Rahul
 - 
Thursday, 26 Jul 2018

In a glance, seperate statehood will be better for administration but still it will raise more complications in future

Ibrahim
 - 
Thursday, 26 Jul 2018

Similar in Kasaragod. Its part of Kerala but political parties are ignoring that district. But Kasaragod cant demand seperate state tag. Either it should be a part of Karnataka or remain same as a part of Kerala. 

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News Network
March 11,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 11: Did Congress party’s Man Friday, DK Shivakumar, not rise up to the occasion and save the situation for the party, whose rebel MLAs were flown into Bengaluru to unsettle the Kamal Nath-led government in Madhya Pradesh? Shivakumar told The New Indian Express on Tuesday, “So far, I have not got any clear direction on what has to be done. But I am in touch with the central leaders. The party does not want to antagonise them... They are our own MLAs.”

He said that the Tenth Schedule, which makes defections illegal, is very strong. “It is not so easy for them once they are expelled. There are courts and then they have to get re-elected. It is not easy to get minister’s post after getting re-elected,” he added.

When pointed out that rebels from the Congress and JD(S) who joined the BJP have got re-elected and become ministers, he said, “There are other issues here.”

Asked about Digvijay Singh, who is at the centre of the controversy in MP and who was AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, not being able to prevent the rebellion in his home state, Shivakumar said, “I do not want to comment on any of our national leaders.”But he was confident that the Congress government would be saved in MP. “I am aware of the developments and keeping track of them,” he said.

Congress leaders seemed wiser after the event.

One of them, who wished not to be identified, said the party clearly did not see the writing on the wall. “Jyotiraditya Scindia supported the BJP at the Centre when it scrapped Article 370. Later too he was not in line with the Congress position on several issues. But during the recent Delhi violence, he criticised the BJP, sending confusing signals,” he added.

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News Network
August 7,2020

Madikeri, Aug 7: Two days after massive landslides triggered by heavy downpour in Kodagu, five people including a priest are still missing. 

The landslide, which originating at Brahmagiri Hills in Talacauvery, swept away two houses on Wednesday night.

This missing people are: Talacauvery temple chief Narayana Achar (70), his wife Shantha (70), brother Ananda Theertha Swami (87) and two assistants — Ravi Kiran (26) and Srinivas (30). Achar’s neighbour had shifted out of Bhagamandala earlier, fearing a landslide. 

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had to stop rescue operations due to bad weather. The operations resumed today. 

“There are many minor landslides on the way to the spot,” said Kodagu Deputy Commissioner C Annies K Joy, adding that the flood situation at Bhagamandala was not permitting earthmovers to reach the spot. Heavy rain between Wednesday and Thursday triggered landslides. 

Bhagamandala Panchayat Development Officer Ashok said a notice was issued to the priest’s family to shift out of the house, but they chose to stay back. 

On Thursday morning, when the Talacauvery temple staff went to check on Narayana Achar, as he had not reached the temple for the daily puja, they found levelled land and debris where Achar’s house stood. Utensils, puja material and clothes were found nearly 2 km away at Cherangala. 

As rains continued over the last few days, many rivers are flowing above the danger levels, forcing people to move to safer places.

 Responding to the situation, which is turning grimmer by the day, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who is currently undergoing treatment in a private hospital after testing positive for Covid-19, directed ministers to visit rain-hit areas and supervise relief efforts. He has also assured of providing required financial assistance for those affected.

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News Network
March 23,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 23: Karnataka government today decided to go for complete lockdown. This includes the closure of all non essential government offices, suspension of all public transport services and banning of mass prayers in places of worships across the state.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had expressed the need for a complete lockdown like the Janta Curfew on Sunday. Going by this, there will be no government transport services at least till March 31 and as many as 19,000 government buses will be off the road.

The government also decided to cancel the famous Karaga festival. The CM said that all celebrations and functions will be called off along with mass prayers in mosques and churches.

The CM said that they have decided to procure 1,000 ventilators and 10 lakh face masks in addition to other health equipments.

Private hospitals have come forward to spare their doctors and nursing staff to attend to Covid-19 patients in government hospitals, the CM said.

Yediyurappa also said that he has directed the health department to paste notification on the houses of residents who are infected with coronavirus. This is being done after people with indelible seals and home quarantined are reported to be roaming freely. The notifications will help neighbours to keep an eye on them.

The CM said the government-run Indira Canteen will serve free food to the poor until the lockdown continues. He also said that action will be initiated against non essential shops that are open despite a directive to shut down.

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