Fresh FIR Against Karnataka Home Minister And BSY

B D Narayankar

Press Trust of India

Bangalore, Oct 21: Lokayukta police today filed an FIR against Karnataka Home Minister R Ashok and former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on the charge of being involved in illegal denotification of government land.

FIR has also been filed against two landowners, according to City Lokayukta SP Shiva Shankar.

The action comes in the wake of Lokayukta court directing Lokayukta police to register a case under Sec 156(3) of CrPC against Ashok, allegedly involved in seeking denotification of government land in violation of rules and purchasing it later.

Lokayukta special court judge N K Sudhindra Rao had also directed Lokayukta SP to investigate the matter and submit a report on the alleged illegal denotification of government land on November 5.

RTI activist Jayakumar Hiremath had filed a complaint accusing Ashok of being involved in illegal denotification of government land causing an estimated Rs 50 crore loss to the state exchequer.

Hiremath alleged that the minister had secured denotification of 9.12 guntas and 14 guntas (a gunta is 1/40 of an acre) of land belonging to Bangalore Development Authority in Lottegollahalli when Yeddyurappa was chief minister.

Yeddyurappa, who is already in judicial custody in connection with a private complaint on alleged denotification of land, is the second accused in the complaint.

Mass transit rail like B'lore metro needed in India: Assocham

B D Narayankar

Press Trust of India

Bangalore, Oct 20: Industry body Assocham today said mass transit rail systems like the Bangalore Metro will become necessary to avert urban vehicular traffic in the country, as the number of cities with more than 10 lakh people will increase in the next two decades.

"Bangalore''s population of 80 lakh is likely to cross 1 crore by 2030," the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) said in a statement.

Mumbai is likely to have 3.3 crore people in the next 20 years, Delhi 2.6 crore, Kolkata 2.3 crore, Chennai 1.1 crore, Bangalore and Pune 1 crore each, Assocham said.
Moreover, Hyderabad is likely to have 98 lakh people in the next 20 years, Ahmedabad 84 lakh, Surat 74 lakh, Jaipur 54 lakh, Nagpur 52 lakh, Kanpur and Vadodra 42 lakh each,it said.
"Cities will account for 69 per cent of the country�s GDP in the next two decades," Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.

Delhi Metro since its inception has helped reduction of over 5 lakh vehicles on city roads, leading to fuel savings of Rs 8,000 crore during 2010-11, Rawat said.

"These (numbers) could rise progressively to Rs 20,000 crore by 2020," he added.

Total urban population in India is already 37.7 crore and may exceed the earlier projection of 59 crore by 2030, Rawat said.
India''s urban sprawl is poised to become second largest in the world with more population than in many countries, he said.

The most critical issue in times to come will be efficient transport systems to decongest burgeoning urban vehicular traffic volume, Rawat said.

"Metro Rail has the potential to bring all-round benefits to businesses, the environment and people from all walks of life. It is evolving as an industry on its own and creating space for new services and jobs,� he said.

Cauvery, Tungabhadra cleanest in country: Bhardwaj

B D Narayankar

Press Trust of India

Bangalore, Oct 19: Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj today said Cauvery and Tungabhadra are the cleanest rivers flowing in the country.
However, the Ganges and Yamuna were the most polluted rivers in India, he said while addressing the International Humboldt Conference organised by Institute of Social and Economic Change here.
The Governor said Uttar Pradesh and other neighbouring States were facing drinking water problems due to pollution in Ganga and Yamuna rivers.
"It is unfortunate that some of the industrialists were also disturbing the eco-system. They should be stopped from degrading the eco-system," he said.
The Governor added that the Himalayas is among the most ecologically disturbed regions of the world, saying, "Massive deforestation has resulted in less rainfall in the region which has created undue problems for mankind".
Bhardwaj also stressed the need for holding continuous dialogue between India and Germany over the issue of climate change.
The Governor''s demand was echoed by Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who also stressed the need for continuous cooperation between India and Germany over the issue.
The international conference also saw Juergen Kropp, of the North-South Research Group Postdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, saying said that the glaciers in the Himalayan region were melting fast, which would affect Brahmaputra catchment areas.
"This will affect the Asian water towers", he added.

Bhardwaj Denies Closing Case on Mulayam for Support

B D Narayankar

Press Trust of India

Bangalore, Oct 19: Refuting allegations levelled in a complaint filed by a lawyer against him in a Delhi police station, Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj today said he had good relations with all political leaders when he was the Law Minister and nobody could complain against him.

"I had good relations with Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Brinda Karat and BJP leaders when I was the Union Law Minister. Nobody can complain against me," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

The complaint filed by Vishwanath Chaturvedi sought registration of a case against Bharadwaj, former Law Minister, and a few others over the Centre's reported decision to close a case of disproportionate assets against Mulayam Singh Yadav and other members of his family.

Chaturvedi had alleged that the decision was taken to close the case against the Samajwadi Party chief in return for his support to the UPA government in the crucial trust vote in July 2008.

Bhardwaj said he didn't know Chaturvedi, but said he is a "mischievous person".

Denying his role in the reported decision to close the case against Mulayam Singh, Bhardwaj said "you ask Mulayam Singh, why are you asking me?"

The others named in the complaint included the then Minister of State for Personnel Prithviraj Chavan and the then Solicitor General G E Vahanvati among others.

On BJP MP Chandre Gowda's demand for his resignation following the complaint in the Delhi police station, Bhardwaj said: "He is not a senior BJP leader, but a defector. I don't want to comment on his allegations."

He said after assuming charge as Karnataka Governor it was becoming difficult for him to uphold the rule of law. "I have spoken to Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda about Chandre Gowda's comments," he said.

Yeddyurappa surrenders, sent to jail

B D Narayankar

Press Trust of India

Bangalore, Oct 15: Facing imminent arrest, former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Saturday surrendered before a Lokayukta court here and was sent to jail for a week after he was issued an arrest warrant in connection with alleged land scams.

On a day of high drama, the 68-year-old BJP leader, who resigned as chief minister on 31 July in the wake of his indictment by the Lokayukta in illegal mining scam, turned up in the court even as a team of police officials went to his house for arresting him.

File Photo

File Photo
Yeddyurappa is the first former chief minister of Karnataka to go to jail and the development has come as a major embarrassment to BJP whose leader L K Advani is on a countrywide campaign against corruption.

Significantly, Karnataka, where Yeddyurappa had headed the first government of BJP in the South, does not figure in Advani’s campaign yatra.

Acting on a complaint by two lawyers against Yeddyurappa for alleged irregularities in denotification of lands during his tenure as chief minister, special Lokayukta judge N K Sudhindra Rao rejected his bail application.

The former chief minister had failed to appear before the court while his sons B Y Raghavendra, MP, and B Y Vijendra as also his son-in-law Sohan Kumar appeared in the court and got bail.

Also Read |Court declines bail to Yeddyurappa, issues arrest warrant

The judge remanded Yeddyurappa to judicial custody till 22 October. His lawyer M B Naik had earlier said that they would challenge the Lokayukta court order in the High Court.

Another accused, former minister S N Krishnaiah Setty, was also remanded to judicial custody till 22 October by the judge who also granted bail BJP MLA Hemachandra Sagar and 10 others in the case.

Rejecting the bail pleas of Yeddyurappa and Setty on the grounds of gravity of their offence, the court said the involvement of both in the alleged irregularities in denotification of lands was ‘all-pervading´.

It said since they were powerful and influential people, they could put pressure on the witnesses and tamper with evidence.

Earlier, reading out his order in a packed court, the judge said he has rejected the bail pleas of Yeddyurappa and Setty but allowed those of 14 others.

Shortly after Yeddyurappa surrendered, a Lokayukta police team, headed by its deputy superintendent of Police Prasanna Raju, escorted him to Parappana Agrahara Central Prison on the city outskirts.

The court also rejected the applications moved by Yeddyurappa seeking exemption from personal appearance on grounds that he was suffering from severe back pain and unable to take the stairs.

The judge directed Yeddyurappa’s family members to furnish a bond for Rs. five lakh and Rs. 10 lakh as surety in the two cases for their bail and also submit to the court a chartered accountant-certified copies of bank accounts of Davalagiri Properties and Adarsh Homes Pvt Limited owned by them.

The court directed the remaining accused freed on bail to furnish a bond for Rs. five lakh and slapped conditions that they should not tamper with evidence and not make any attempt to flee the country.

Yeddy's bail plea rejected, sons get relief

B D Narayankar

Press Trust of India

Bangalore, Oct 15: In a major setback to former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, a Lokayukta Court on Saturday rejected his bail plea and issued arrest warrant against him in connection with cases regarding alleged irregularities in denotification of government lands.

The court also denied bail to Yeddyurappa's former ministerial colleague S N Krisnaiah Setty but gave relief to 14 other accused including the former chief minister's sons B Y Raghavendra, Lok Sabha MP and B Y Vijayendra, and son-in-law Sohan Kumar.

Pronouncing his orders in a packed court, Judge N K Sudhindra Rao directed those enlarged on bail to furnish a security for Rs five lakh each, not to tamper with evidence and not to leave the country.

The court issued arrest warrant against Yeddyurappa and Setty.

Yeddyurappa skipped the court hearing citing health reasons but his sons and son-in-law were present.

The complaints alleging irregularities in denotification of lands have been filed by advocate Sirajin Basha.

Bosch workers call off 16-day strike

B D Narayankar

Press Trust of India

Bangalore, Oct 13: The agitating workers of Bosch today called off their 16-day ''Tool Down'' strike with the protesters claiming that the state government has conceded to their demand of referring the "outsourcing" issue to a Karnataka Industrial Tribunal.
On the other hand, Bosch claimed that the strike was called off by MEA after the government issued prohibitory orders (on the strike). "This was followed by an unconditional letter to end the strike from MEA to us," it said in a statement.
Work will be resumed from October 14, beginning with the first shift of production, Bosch said.
The workers were on strike since September 28 and later decided to go on fast from October 2 protesting the company''s decision to outsource manufacturing of some products.
"We are satisfied with the state government''s decision to refer the outsourcing issue to Karnataka Industrial Tribunal Judge," MICO Employees Association (MEA) President N M Adayanthaya told PTI here.
The tribunal would also adjudicate on the issues of "illegal" shut down of Adugodi plant by Bosch and employees'' loss of pay during the shutdown, he said.
This was the main demand in two rounds of talks with Bosch management and Karnataka Additional Labour Commissioner, Adayanthaya added.
He alleged the company was guilty of violating terms of agreement signed between the management and MEA under the 2009-2012 wage settlement provisions.
"In two rounds of unsuccessful conciliation meetings we had demanded prosecution of the company for "violating" terms of agreement under 2009-2012 wage settlement provisions," he added.
MEA Executive Committee Member Raghavendra contended that the outsourcing issue was dropped from the discussion of 2009-2012 wage settlement.
"The Bosch management looks forward to MEA�s cooperation and participation in such significant decisions that are imperative for Bosch to stay competitive in the market and meet its commitment to valued customers," Bosch said.