Regional

Bengaluru, Sep 13 (IANS) Continuing its drive against encroachment, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the civic agency, carried out a ruthless demolition drive at 18 locations in Bengaluru on Tuesday, the second day.

The official note from BBMP stated that the demolition drive has been carried out in the Mahadevapura zone and Yelahanka zones. In Mahadevapura zone, demolition drives were carried out at Shantiniketan Layout, Papaiah Reddy Layout and Challaghatta localities.

These areas were inundated and saw major water-logging problems during heavy rains. The team of engineers, revenue officers, marshals and police personnel were present during the drive in which two Hitachi and eight JCB machines were used.

Nalapad Academy in Challaghatta has encroached upon 2.5 meters of width, and 150.5 meters of storm water drain has been encroached. Fifty meters of encroachment has been cleared and the drive will continue.

In Shantiniketan Layout, seven buildings and four compound walls have been cleared. Meanwhile, owners of flats and buildings complained that they have purchased from builders and banks have also given loans for them. Now, BBMP is demolishing without any notice and they don't know where to go.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has informed the session that Rs 600 crore has already been released to build infrastructure across the state. He also announced that he would give Rs 1,800 crore for development of storm water drains in Bengaluru. The work would be finished within a set time-frame.

Krishna Bhairegowda, Congress MLA, stated in the session that brand Bengaluru is affected globally and the government must ensure that all storm water drains in Bengaluru must be developed.

--IANS
mka/uk

Amaravati, Sep 13 (IANS) With Andhra Pradesh registering a significant increase in expenditure on cancer treatments over the last seven years, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has instructed the health department to set up an oncology department in all medical colleges of the state. The decision taken during the Health and Family Welfare Department review meeting on Tuesday, covers new medical colleges that are currently being established in the state.

"Build and strengthen the government healthcare facilities in the state and people would avail the Aarogyasri services at our hospitals. It is a win-win situation for the state if we set up the oncology departments in all medical colleges for prevention and treatment. It will help us with more PG seats along with the resources to treat the patients at government facilities," said the chief minister.

Health department officials informed the chief minister that the state's expenditure for cancer treatment has increased four times since 2015. They further said that 1,40,639 virtual accounts have been created under Aarogyasri scheme for the people availing of the services, for the state government to deposit the treatment amount which would then be auto-debited in the hospital accounts.

The chief minister directed the health department to work towards eradication of anaemia in the state within one year. "Take it as a challenge and work towards the complete elimination of anaemia in Andhra Pradesh," he said while asking the officials to monitor the functioning of the Anganwadi centres. "Like Sampoorna Poshana, provide protein kits to severe anaemia patients," the chief minister added.

With the state government set to soon launch the family doctor concept, the chief minister proposed appointment of a special officer to monitor the progress.

"Give incentives to doctors who would be deployed in rural and tribal areas. No one should say that there is a pending in recruiting doctors. Take all the necessary help and do whatever needs to be done to recruit and retain doctors in the government hospitals and clinics," the chief minister said.

--IANS
pvn/uk

Bhubaneswar, Sep 13 (IANS) Home buyers in Odisha do not need to pay GST, cess and any other charges above the fixed price to the builders, as per new norms.

Following the direction of Orissa high court, the Odisha government has amended the Odisha Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Rules, 2017. As per the amended rules, the builder cannot charge any additional tax or charges above the fixed price.

"The total price should include taxes paid or payable by the promoter by way of GST, cess and such other taxes which may be levied, in connection with the construction of the project payable by the promoter up to the date of handing over the possession of the (apartment/plot) to the allottee," read the notification issued by housing and urban development department.

However, in case there is any change or modification in the taxes, the subsequent amount payable by the allottee to the promoter will be increased or reduced based on such change or modification, it said.

As per the amendments, the promoter will have to abide by the time schedule for completing the project as disclosed at the time of registration with the authority. Any imposition or increase of development charges after the expiry of the deadline of a project will not be charged from the allottees.

Besides, the allottees will also have the right to visit the site to assess the extent of development of the project and his/her apartment or plot.

The promoters will have to assure the allottees that the project in its entirety is in accordance with the provisions of the laws, rules and regulations for the time being in force.

Similarly, the promoters will have to hand over the common areas to the association of allottees after duly obtaining the occupancy certificate from the competent authority.

The builders will also have to hand over the necessary documents and plans including common areas to the association of allottees or the competent authority within 30 days after obtaining the occupancy certificate.

Moreover, the promoter undertakes that it has no right to make additions or to put up additional structure(s) anywhere in the project after the building plan, layout plan, sanction plan and specifications, amenities and facilities has been approved by the competent authority and disclosed.

--IANS
bbm/svn/

Ramnagar, (Karnataka) Sep 13 (IANS) The Fire Force and Emergency Services personnel have launched a search to locate three medical students who are suspected to be washed away in Bengaluru lake.

According to police, the students are suspected to be washed away in Mavattur lake near Kanakapur. Sachin (26), Javed Ahmad Mulla (26) and Niranjan (26) are students of Dayananda Sagar Medical College in Bengaluru. Their friends told police that the trio had left the college campus on Monday noon and did not return.

The students are suspected to have gone to Mavattur lake in Kanakapura near Ramnagar and washed away while swimming.

Following the missing complaint, the police have found the bike of one of the students near the Mavattur Lake. Mavattur police have lodged a case in connection with the case.

The lake is filled to its maximum capacity and overflowing owing to heavy rains.

Further investigation is on.

--IANS
mka/shb/

Lucknow, Sep 13 (IANS) A labourer was killed and four others injured after the shuttering of an under-construction forensics institute collapsed in state capital Lucknow's Sarojini Nagar, Police said.

The incident took place on Monday evening.

The victim has been identified as Akram a.k.a. Anwar Ali. He was rushed to the trauma centre at King George's Medical University where he died during treatment.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has constituted a three-member committee comprising the Principal Secretary, Additional Director General and Chief engineer of the Public Works department to investigate the incident.

He also directed the officials to release compensation to Akram's family. Police said the identity of those injured is yet to be ascertained.

--IANS
amita/khz/

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) Petitioners in the hijab ban case on Monday told the Supreme Court that Karnataka High Court faulted by holding wearing of the headscarf is not an essential practice of Islam, contending that since the court had no expertise in the field, it should not have gone into the issue of whether hijab was an essential religious practice by interpreting the Quran.

Senior advocate Yusuf Mucchala submitted before a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia that human dignity is a constitutionally protected facet and scriptures say people have to observe modesty and wearing of the headscarf may be a personal marker in this context.

He said interpreters and scholars may disagree, but if a woman thinks wearing hijab is right, then she should follow it. "It is not the job of the courts to say follow one and don't follow the other," he said.

He added further that the Karnataka High Court used one interpretation of the Quran against another to give a finding on the essentiality of the hijab, which is objectionable.

The bench replied that it had no option, as the petitioners claimed it to be essential religious practice. "What option does the high court have but to point it out? Now you say the high court cannot do this."

Muchhala said it is only judicial wisdom to not touch a field in which the court has no expertise and the court should have stayed away from it. "When HC encountered the question, it should have said hands off, we cannot look into that," he said.

He said whether hijab is a fundamental right or not is applicable here and the question here is not about religious denomination but an individual's fundamental rights.

The apex court was hearing submissions on the fourth day against the Karnataka High Court's judgement of March 15 upholding ban on hijab in pre-university colleges.

The high court found no infirmity in the state government's order that virtually banned the wearing of hijab by Muslim girls studying in pre-university colleges.

The top court scheduled the matter for further hearing on September 14.

--IANS
ss/vd

Bengaluru, Sep 12 (IANS) The Karnataka government's cyber security centre of excellence, CySecK, has tied up with IT major Dell Technologies to develop enhanced security practices in the state, especially among students.

After the MoU was signed on Monday, Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, Karnataka minister for higher education and IT/BT, said that the MoU will facilitate imparting cyber security awareness and practices to students, start-ups and public offices. He added that this will also benefit small and medium scale enterprises.

As per the agreement, Dell will provide learning of cyber safety practices through its interactive courses and will be available both in Kannada as well as in English, the minister informed.

Dell will also contribute to the start-up ecosystem of the state through its 'Ascend' initiative. This will help in expanding the start-up market in the state, he opined.

To achieve the target of the state becoming a 300 billion dollar digital economy by 2025, putting in place an efficient cyber security system is very necessary, Narayan stated.

Dr Karthik Rao Bappanadu, Head, CySecK, stated that the centre is working to expand the cyber security practices to tier 2 and 3 centres also.

--IANS
pvn/bg

Bengaluru, Sep 12 (IANS) The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has intensified operations to remove encroachments in flood-affected regions of the state capital even as Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said there is no question of any disparity in the drive.

Talking to reporters in Vidhana Soudha, Bommai said eviction notices have been served on those who have built the buildings or houses on Rajakaluve (storm water channel), causing problems in the free flow of water or closing it totally, to clear them.

He said the recent floods had affected not only IT/BT companies and workers but also the common people as houses in low-lying areas too faced problems. The work on removal of all encroachments will be completed, he said.

Replying to a question, Bommai said the government has sought directions from courts in many cases. The courts will be seriously apprised of the situation. Several directions have been issued by courts in connection with flood related cases in the past. This time, the encroachments will be removed on a big scale, he added.

Meanwhile, BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said that directions have been given for authorities to clear 600 structures which have encroached the storm water drains in Bengaluru.

The operation has been intensified in Mahadevapura zone which houses major IT and BT companies - was the worst-affected during the recent heavy rains. Sources stated that one of the famous IT park owners in C.V. Raman Nagar had prevented the BBMP officials, who came to vacate encroachment, from their work.

Notice has been served to more than 15 owners of villas located on the Rainbow Drive Layout, which literally sunk in the water. The people had to be evacuated in boats and tractors from the layout. The owners have been asked to vacate the encroachments by themselves, and warned that if they do not do so, the BBMP would do it and owners have to bear the expenses.

--IANS
mka/vd

Bengaluru, Sep 12 (IANS) With the proposal mooted by Karnataka Sahitya Parishat, the nodal agency for promotion of Kannada language has run into a controversy with the Karnataka Jain community opposing the idea of renaming the arterial AdiKavi Pampa road of the Chamarajpet locality in Bengaluru.

The president of Karnataka Sahitya Parishat, Mahesh Joshi has sent a proposal to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to rename AdiKavi Pampa Road as 'Kannada Sahitya Parishat Road'. Karnataka Jain Association has registered a strong protest in this regard.

The association has stated that such a move is an insult to the Jain poet. Kannada litterateurs have also objected to the proposal. They maintain that AdiKavi Pampa has a special place in the realms of Kannada literature.

Representatives of the Jain community from all over Karnataka have submitted a memorandum to the President of the Parishat requesting withdrawal of the proposal to change the road's name.

AdiKavi Pampa Road is situated between a short stretch of the Minto Hospital and Makkala Koota Park. The Parishat has grand plans of elevating this total stretch of road to promote Kannada language. The office bearers of the Parishat have also decided to meet Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in this regard.

Mahesh Joshi has defended the proposal to change the name as the decision has been made after studying roads being developed on specific themes in foreign countries. "This stretch of road will be elevated in such a way that it is going to be a feast for lovers of Kannada language," he said.

"The plan is being made in such a way that every tourist who visits Bengaluru would be compelled to visit this stretch. All stakeholders on this stretch of road have been invited to discuss the proposal," he explained.

"Statues of major Kannada litterateurs would come up, Kannada songs would be played and special lighting arrangements would be made, popular statements by Kannada writers would be installed as per the proposal," Mahesh Joshi stated.

--IANS
mka/kvd

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) The Customs officials seized 12 kg gold worth Rs 5.4 crore from a group of 23 Sudanese passengers who had arrived at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai from Dubai.

The official said that the group of 23 Sudanese gathered and attempted to clear the green channel by creating ruckus and divert attention of the customs officers.

"The Sudanese passengers deliberately created a ruckus at customs arrival area through visible signs and acts of aggression including shouting at the officers and even indulging in physical bouts," the official said.

The customs officers remained professional and through reasonable force officers were able to restrain the hostile passengers and managed the situation.

The official said that the modus operandi was to create a ruckus at the customs arrival area to facilitate sly escape of passengers carrying gold.

"Effective and swift execution by customs officers resulted in recovery of 12 gold bars of one kg each concealed in a specially designed belt worn by one passenger trying to slip away under the cover of commotion. In this matter, five other passengers who deliberately acted in hostile manner to divert attention of the customs officers were also detained for questioning," the official said.

The customs officials learnt that the six passengers had arrived at Mumbai airport with a pre-planned strategy to create situations to help slipping away of one passenger with the seized gold.

The five passengers have admitted being part of the pre-conceived conspiracy to smuggle gold and have also been arrested along with the passenger from whom the gold was recovered. All have been remanded to judicial custody of 14 days.

"In addition, six other Sudanese passengers who added to the commotion by constantly resisting customs check were apprehended. With the help of Bureau of Immigration, Mumbai Airport office, these six passengers have been blacklisted and sent back to Sudan," the official said.

Further investigation in the matter is on.

--IANS
atk/shs