Regional

Panaji, May 23 (IANS) A day after Congress dared Union Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to come to the Goa capital to review the 'Smart City' project, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday night inspected the work and said that work will not be paused, but will continue in rainy season.

"After taking a review meeting, we have decided to continue the work even in rainy season and complete it as soon as possible, so in October there will be no dust seen in city," Sawant told reporters.

He said that workforce has been summoned again and the work will start in full swing. "We have changed our decision of taking pause. Now we will continue all types of work and construct concrete roads in rainy season," he said.

According to him, it will be good to work in rainy season, so they can work swiftly act if any flooding or problems are seen.

The Panaji city has been dug up to lay a new sewerage network, along with to create new storm water drains, underground utility lines and shift power lines underground.

"There will be no work pending to do in October. All works will be done in monsoon, even constructing a concrete road. I know that people are facing problems, hence will try to complete work in monsoon itself," Sawant said.

Congress in Goa on Monday had suggested the BJP's central leader to have 'Padyatra' in Panaji to know about the substandard work done, and the corruption involved in the project.

Congress leader Amarnath Panjikar had said that they are happy that their movement against corruption in Smart City work forced the Central government to send a minister to check it.

"We have come to know that Union Minister for Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri has come to take a review of Smart City projects, as we have exposed the scams and mismanagement of this work. I hope that he will not only sit in air-conditioned rooms and hold meetings, but will come out and have 'Padyatra' in Panaji city to have a real review," Panjikar said.

"We are happy that he has come to take a review and will do something to lessen the sufferings of people. I hope he will have 'Padyatra' along with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, other ministers and officers concerned to know the problems faced due to smart city work. Only then will he come to know about corruption and sub-standard work done while carrying out work on the Smart City," he added.

He had said that the Panaji Smart City project has become Mission Total Commission, which was exposed by the Congress.

--IANS
sbk/vd

Hyderabad, May 23 (IANS) Customs officials at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here seized gold worth over Rs.1.13 crore from three passengers who arrived from Riyadh on Tuesday.

Based on passengers' profiling, the Air Intelligence unit of Hyderabad Customs, RGI Airport intercepted three male passengers who arrived from Riyadh by flight no XY-325 which landed at 7.25 a.m.

On searching the passengers, gold in paste form was found to be concealed in their shoes. Gold of total net weight 1,818.98 grams valued at Rs 1,13,13,558 was seized.

This is the second gold seizure at the airport in less than a week. On May 18, Customs officials had seized gold worth over Rs 1.10 crore from a passenger who had arrived from Dubai.

Based on suspicious movement of a male passenger from Kerala who arrived from Dubai to Hyderabad by Emirates flight EK-526, theAthe Customs Air Intelligence unit, RGI intercepted him.

On searching the passenger, gold in paste form hidden in a separate sheet wrapped and glued around the waist area of the trouser was identified. Gold weighing net 1,761 grams valued at Rs 1,10,06,250 was seized. The passenger was arrested under Customs Act 1962.

--IANS
ms/vd

Patna, May 23 (IANS) Five persons were killed after being hit by lightning in Bihar's Begusarai and Darbhanga districts on Tuesday, officials said.

In Begusarai, the incident occurred at around 8 a.m. when Uma Mahto, Arun Ram, and Shambhu Shah, were working at an under-construction building in Ward number 20 of Bihat Chakbal area.

Suddenly, rain, with thunder and lightning, started in the region. By the time they could go in and take shelter, they were hit by lightning falling on the building.

Mahto and Ram died on the spot while Shah sustained severe burn injuries and was taken to a nearby private hospital where his condition is said to be critical.

In Darbhanga, three persons were killed and three others injured at different places.

The first incident occurred at Jagdishpur village under Biraul police station when two teenagers - Anand Sahani, 14, and Nitish Kumar Ram, 13 - were killed and two other persons were badly injured.

Another incident occurred at Ahiyari South Panchayat when Jagdish Rai was returning home and was hit by lightning. He also died on the spot while one person was injured.

--IANS
ajk/vd

Amaravati, May 23 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh government has in no way interfered with the investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in former minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy's murder case, government advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said on Tuesday.

He made it clear that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government has nothing to do with the ongoing CBI investigation into the allegations against Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy.

Ramakrishna Reddy told reporters that Avinash Reddy has been acting as a responsible person as he appeared before the CBI for 6-7 times. He said this time Avinash Reddy expressed his inability to appear due to his mother's ill-health and has sought time for the same.

Stating that Avinash Reddy is not running away, the YSRCP General Secretary condemned the reports that he was doing a drama to avoid appearing before the CBI. He dismissed as speculation reports in a section of the media that Kurnool Superintendent of Police is not cooperating with the CBI in arresting Avinash Reddy.

Ramakrishna Reddy questioned how others would know if the CBI had sought cooperation from the state police for Avinash Reddy's arrest. "This is a matter between two departments. How will we know," he asked.

He also slammed a section of the media for circulating fake news that central forces were being rushed to Kurnool. He also found fault with the debates on some TV channels where one of the participants called for imposing President's rule in the state.

He said that fake news circulated by some media organisations which are friendly to the opposition TDP caused concern among Avinash Reddy's supporters and they came to Kurnool. He remarked that some of them may have gotten angry over channels for saying that the MP is enacting drama. "This can't be called an attack on the media. Why should we behave in a manner to provoke others," he asked.

Meanwhile, Avinash Reddy, who skipped appearing before the CBI, continued to stay put at a hospital in Kurnool where his mother was undergoing treatment.

The MP's supporters remained outside Viswabharathi Hospital amid reports that he may be arrested by the CBI.

Avinash Reddy's mother Y.S. Lakshmi is beingAtreated for cardiac ailment at Viswbharathi Hospital and he remained at the hospital with his mother for the fifth day.

The Kadapa MP, who is the cousin of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, has written to the CBI seeking exemption from appearance time till May 27 in view of his mother's condition.

In a letter to the CBI, the MP wrote that his father Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy is in judicial custody and being the only son, he is responsible for taking care of her during this critical time.

Meanwhile, in a setback to Avinash Reddy, the Supreme Court refused to pass interim orders to restrain CBI from arresting him. It directed Telangana High Court to conduct a hearing on May 25 on the MP's petition for anticipatory bail.

The MP had not appeared before the CBI on May 16 and May 19 in Hyderabad. On May 16, he cited prior fixed official engagements in Pulivendula as the reason and sought four days' time. On May 19, he conveyed to the CBI that he would not be able to appear before it as his mother took ill.

The central agency had issued a fresh notice on May 19, directing him to appear before it at its Hyderabad office on May 22.

However, the MP once again expressed his inability to appear due to his mother's poor health.

Vivekananda Reddy, brother of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and uncle of Jagan Mohan Reddy, was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula on March 15, 2019, weeks before the elections.

Last month, the CBI arrested Avinash Reddy's father Bhaskar Reddy, a cousin of Rajasekhara Reddy.

--IANS
ms/vd

Bengaluru, May 23 (IANS) A bus driver's son is among 25 young men and women from Karnataka who have cleared the UPSC exams.

Siddalingappa K Poojar, son of a bus driver attached to the state-owned transport company, has attained 589th rank in the Civil Services Examination, 2022.

Hailing from Annigeri town near Dharwad, Siddalingappa came from a poor background and wrote exams in Kannada medium. His mother Shantavva stated that she did not know anything about her son taking up UPSC exams.

"I don't know what he has learned either. I am proud that he has come up in life and brought pride to Dharwad district," she said.

"We never imagined that he would grow so well. We have not helped him and we were not there for him. In spite of it, he made an achievement. He had arranged all the finances. I work at a farm and his father works as a driver," she explained.

Siddalingappa has completed BE (Electronics) and is working at a private company in Bengaluru. He was married last year and is settled in Bengaluru.

Yalagooresha Arjuna Nayaka from Vijayapura has secured 809th rank. He is the resident of Tanda near Sarura in Muddebihal taluk. His late father worked as an LIC agent and mother is a housewife. He has two brothers, three sisters.

--IANS
mka/uk/

Bengaluru, May 23 (IANS) Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday rapped Karnataka police officials and questioned them whether they are trying to saffronise the state police department.

"Are you all set to saffronise the police department? We will not allow it under our government," Shivakumar stated while addressing the meeting of high level police officers of Karnataka at the Conference Hall in Vidhana Soudha of Bengaluru.

"We know how police officers came to the police station wearing saffron shawls in Mangaluru, Bijapur (Vijayapura), Bagalkot and insulted the department," he said. "You should have come to this meeting wearing a saffron shawl," Shivakumar taunted the police officers.

If it was to be patriotism, then they should have come to work wearing the national flag. "We will not allow saffronisation of the police department," Shivakumar reiterated.

Imagine the level the police department would stoop down if an ADGP ranked officer is indulged in fabricating OMR sheets in the PSI recruitment scandal? Shivakumar questioned.

"You harass those who conducted the press conference and brought this scandal out? You have harassed Priyank Kharge. The Karnataka police department had made a name in the entire country. You have destroyed the honour, dignity of the department.

"Wherever you see, everywhere it is all about money. Everything has to be cleaned under our government. The people are looking forward to a big change by this government. This should begin from the police department," Shivakumar said.

The message of change should reach people. Your earlier behaviour won't be tolerated. I know how you (police department) behaved with me and CM Siddaramaiah during the PayCM campaign. You lodged cases against us. Thousands of false cases were lodged on our party workers. They were harassed. You did not spare me and Siddaramaiah, what you could have done to normal people," Shivakumar questioned.

"However, you (police) did not lodge any case with the opposite party (then ruling BJP). You danced to their tunes and colluded with them. Why have you not booked a case on those who issued a statement that Siddaramaiah should be dealt in the same way as erstwhile Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan was dealt. They have provocation of murder, but you didn't book him (former IT and Higher Education Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan)," Shivakumar stated.

"It that's not a crime? We have evidence of whatever you have done. All this will not be tolerated henceforth. You should change, your conduct should change. If not, we will have to change you. We will not carry forward hatreds. We don't believe in it. You change yourself and start the work afresh and give peace to people," Shivakumar maintained.

--IANS
mka/uk/

Thiruvananthapuram, May 23 (IANS) Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will on Thursday make the 'Total e-Governance Kerala' declaration making the state the country's total e-governed state, an official statement said.

The government has built a single window service delivery mechanism called e-Sevanam which integrates more than 800 plus government services online, and enables online delivery of the whole range of government services by leveraging state-of-the-art technology and platforms, it said.

This unique achievement, which comes decades after Kerala became the first fully literate Indian state and began its quest to become a fully e-literate society, has been realised through a set of visionary policy initiatives of the government seeking to transform the state into a digitally empowered society, the statement said.

Besides digitising the delivery of government services to the people by making them transparent and inclusive, total e-governance will also ensure inclusion of all sections of the society, including the less privileged and marginalised, it added.

The delivery of all vital services has already been digitised, covering all key domains including health, education, land revenue, documentation of properties, public distribution system and social security payouts.

Kerala IT Mission, the nodal agency for implementation of digitisation initiative, has made all services easily accessible for people of all strata of society.

--IANS
sg/vd

Mumbai, May 23 (IANS) Former Lok Sabha Speaker and ex-Chief Minister of Maharashtra Manohar G. Joshi has been admitted to a private hospital for certain complications arising out of a brain tumour, official sources said here on Tuesday.

Joshi, 86, was rushed to the P.D. Hinduja Hospital in Mahim and was taken to the ICU under the care of a team of senior doctors and neurosurgeons.

A hospital medical bulletin said this afternoon that he was brought there in an emergency semicoma condition, but breathing on his own, and not on a ventilator.

His condition was described as 'stable, but continues to need critical management', as per the statement.

Former CM and Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, wife Rashmi and other family members and party leaders rushed to the hospital to enquire after Joshi's health.

Joshi was the first Shiv Sena CM for four years (1995-1999) when the party bagged power in alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party.

Later, he served as the Speaker of Lok Sabha (2002-2004) during the tenure of the late Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, becoming only the second from the state after the Congress' Shivraj Patil (1991-1996) to occupy the august office.

--IANS
qn/ku/

Bengaluru, May 23 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday gave clear-cut instructions to the state police to initiate "ruthless action" against provocative posts on social media in the state.

Chairing the meeting of top police officers at Vidhana Soudha, he underlined that they should be more careful about maintaining peace and co-existence in the society. "Ruthless action must be initiated against those who disturb the peace and co-existence in the society. The police must also prevent the menace of drugs," Siddaramaiah reiterated.

He also asked the police to look into finding solutions to traffic problems in Bengaluru and reining cyber crimes in the state.

"The people have elected the government for a change with hope and the officers must respond to the problems of the people," he said.

Siddaramaiah asked senior officers to visit the police stations and conduct inspections. The people who come to lodge complaints should not be treated as accused persons and police officers should behave cordially with them. Their woes would be addressed, he said.

"Our government will not tolerate goondagiri, unofficial club activities and drug mafia in the state. If these are encouraged, strict action would be initiated against the officers. We will compliment good workers and if there is dereliction of duty, we will initiate action without any hesitation," he warned.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, cabinet ministers K.J. George, K.H. Muniyappa, B.Z. Zameer Ahmad Khan, M.B. Patil, and Satish Jarkiholi were also present.

--IANS
mka/vd

Bengaluru, May 23 (IANS) Karnataka BJP on Tuesday took potshots at the newly-formed government over the statements by Congress party leaders on power-sharing.

"Shivakumar will never become CM. Siddaramaiah will never allow him to become the CM," the BJP commented on Twitter.

"M.B. Patil through his statement (Siddaramaiah will be CM for full tenure) has sent a direct warning to D.K. Shivakumar. However, even after the Congress has obtained a majority, there are no signs that this government is going to be stable after seeing all the developments in this regard," the party remarked.

The BJP has dubbed the Congress government as 'ATM sarkar'. "It is a tragedy for the state that this government is formed with only the condition of supplying funds to the high command and it is going to be the priority," the saffron party claimed.

The BJP has also tagged the video of cabinet minister M.B. Patil in which he announced that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is going to complete the five-year tenure and there is no power-sharing.

The statements of M.B. Patil has triggered a row in the state. Reacting to the row, Shivakumar on Tuesday curtly stated that he should not be disturbed. Shivakumar looked disturbed and maintained distance from media persons.

When his statements triggered a row and raised speculation in political corridors, M.B. Patil on Tuesday said that he has not made any personal comments over the issue. "I have reiterated what senior leaders announced in the press conference," he said.

Sources said that Shivakumar is upset over the remarks and his media statement 'don't disturb me' was aimed at M.B. Patil.

Priyank Kharge, a cabinet minister, reacting over the statement, explained that the statements on power-sharing by M.B. Patil was irrelevant. "No one knows the details of the discussion between them. It is known only to CM Siddaramaiah, DyCM D.K. Shivakumar, Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal.

"The legislature meeting did not discuss power sharing. I don't know what information M.B. Patil has it. I can tell what I know," he maintained.

Siddaramaiah got miffed at the questions of the media about power-sharing at the Delhi airport last week and asked the media on who gave them the information on this?

Siddaramaiah is known for bulldozing feudal, majoritarian decisions and fully stands with Dalits and OBCs. However, it is going to be difficult for him to take unilateral decisions this time as Shivakumar, representing the dominant Vokkaliga community, is the Deputy Chief Minister and state party chief.

--IANS
mka/dpb