There will be no multiple power centres, says new CM of Karnataka

News Network
July 28, 2021

Bengaluru, July 28: Newly-appointed Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday assured an efficient, honest and people-friendly government, as he asserted that there will be no multiple power centres in his administration and rejected suggestions about him being likely a "rubber stamp CM".

"My government will have the stamp of being a pro-people administration in the history of Karnataka and I will ensure it," Bommai told reporters here in response to a question on him being perceived in some quarters as a rubber stamp Chief Minister as he is a confidant of his predecessor B S Yediyurappa.

Responding to a question on power centres being created in the state with Yediyurappa still around in active politics, Bommai said in his administration the centre of power will be in the team not with individuals.

"In our system and the constitution there is the position of the Chief Minister, there is a Cabinet, there is bureaucracy, executive and judiciary. The Chief Minister is first among equals, he is the team leader and I want to take everyone together," he said.

Bommai on Wednesday took oath as the new Chief Minister ending months of speculation about the change of guard in the state.

The Chief Minister said he will be visiting flood-ravaged Karwar on Thursday and was waiting for the Prime Minister's appointment for Delhi visit.

He also clarified that his first visit to Delhi is for meeting PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP national president J P Nadda to thank them, and thereafter he will discuss with leaders on the Cabinet expansion.

Asked about his statement on working under Yediyurappa's guidance, Bommai said, "When I say I will work under the guidance of Yediyuyrappa it means, following the strong and pro-people decisions taken by him during Covid. Despite coronavirus and financial distress, he had formulated several schemes in the Budget and has given a good administration."

The Chief Minister, who held a single-member Cabinet meeting and meeting with Additional Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries of various departments, said officials have been given a "broader picture on the orientation" of his government. "There should be efficient, honest and people-friendly administration and with effective administration we should make people feel that the government is in favour of the last person of the society, the poor, the farmers, backward, women, and the downtrodden. Not by mere orders, but by its effective implementation." He stressed the need for micro-level management, owning responsibility for effective implementation of department's programmes, inter-department coordination and time bound implementation.

"We should work as a team." Warning officials against "chalta hai" attitude, Bommai stressed the need for financial discipline, and asked officials to reduce unnecessary expenditure in departments to less than five per cent by March 31 next year, without affecting programmes.

To lessen the delay in file movements a new system will be introduced, and a file clearance drive will be held and detailed order will be issued in this regard, he said.

"Intention is to bring in an updated file clearance system, where files are cleared within 15 days."

Speaking on improving the state's financial condition, the Chief Minister said discussions will soon be held with the finance department on reducing committed expenditure along with planned expenditure, aimed at bringing in financial discipline.

"The immediate priority is Covid and floods management," he said, adding, steps that need to be taken on controlling the possible coronavirus third wave and vaccination, will be given utmost importance. 

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News Network
April 29,2025

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The Supreme Court Tuesday dismissed a plea by former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, undergoing life imprisonment in connection with a 1990 custodial death case, for bail and the suspension of his sentence. While denying him the relief, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta also directed that the hearing of his appeal be expedited.

“We are not inclined to enlarge the appellant Sanjiv Kumar Bhatt on bail. However, we make it clear that the observations made herein above are restricted to the prayer for bail only and will have no bearing on the appeals of the appellant and the co-accused. The prayers sought by the appellant, Sanjiv Kumar Bhatt, for the grant of bail are dismissed. Hearing of the appeal is directed to be expedited,” Justice Mehta said while reading out the order.

The case dates back to 1990 when Bhatt was posted as the additional superintendent of police in Gujarat’s Jamnagar. He had detained around 133 people under the stringent Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) (TADA) Act during a communal riot in Jamjodhpur town.

On November 18, 1990, one of those detained, Prabhudas Vaishnani, died in a hospital after he was released, allegedly due to torture while he was in custody. A complaint of custodial death was registered against seven policemen, including Bhatt, by Amrutlal Vaishnani, the brother of the deceased, following which the investigation was transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) branch in Gandhinagar.

In 1995, the CID investigating officer requested sanction from the government to prosecute Bhatt as is required for the prosecution of a government officer when on duty. However, the government did not grant the sanction. After that, CID filed a summary report, which is a closure report, in the court. However, the court rejected this report in December 1995 and instead took cognisance of offences alleged against Bhatt and six others.

An A-summary report was filed in this case in 1995 after the Gujarat Government refused to grant sanction for prosecuting Bhatt. However, after Bhatt’s deposition in relation to the 2002 communal riots before the Nanavati and the Mehta commissions between May and July 2011, the state government withdrew protection granted to him, and the Jamnagar court began framing charges soon after.

A Jamnagar sessions court sentenced Bhatt to life imprisonment in June 2019. This was subsequently upheld by a Division Bench of the Gujarat High Court.

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coastaldigest.com news network
April 30,2025

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Mangaluru, April 30: The Netravati bridge at Jeppinamogaru, which had been closed for repair works since March 19, is set to reopen for vehicular traffic from May 2, police commissioner Anupam Agrawal announced.

Officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) confirmed that the bridge repairs are now complete. A new bearing has been installed in one of the bridge’s pillars, and all necessary structural maintenance has been carried out. Currently, the concrete curing process is in its final stages and is expected to conclude within the next two days, paving the way for the bridge to reopen as scheduled.

The closure of the old Netravati bridge had led to severe daily traffic congestion, as vehicles were diverted to the newly constructed parallel bridge on National Highway 66, where two-way traffic was temporarily permitted. Traffic jams were especially intense during peak morning and evening hours, causing vehicle queues that often stretched from Pumpwell and Kallapu to the Thokkottu flyover. Even emergency vehicles faced difficulties navigating through the gridlock.

To manage the situation, light vehicles heading towards Deralakatte and Konaje — or traveling towards Mangaluru from these areas — were diverted via the Harekala-Pavoor bridge. However, this alternate route also witnessed significant congestion during rush hours. As a result, many commuters, especially those traveling from Thokkottu, Talapady, and Kerala, were forced to start their journeys at least an hour earlier than usual.

The public had been urging authorities to expedite the repair works to ease traffic woes. With the bridge now ready to reopen, commuters can expect a significant improvement in traffic flow along the busy corridor from May 2 onward.

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News Network
May 13,2025

Udupi, May 12: A tragic incident unfolded at a wedding in Nandikur, Udupi district, when a four-year-old boy, Vasudeva, drowned in a temple pond near the venue.

According to a police complaint filed by Satyanarayana, 38, a resident of Kurkalu village in Kaup, the child had accompanied his mother, Soumya, and siblings—Vaishnavi (10) and Vishnu Priya (1)—to attend a wedding at the Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple Hall in Nandikur.

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Soumya was feeding her infant daughter inside the hall while Vasudeva remained nearby. After tending to the baby, she stepped away briefly to wash her hands, during which time she noticed that Vasudeva was missing.

A frantic search ensued involving family members and others at the venue. About 15 minutes later, at around 2:15 p.m., Vasudeva was found unresponsive in the temple pond adjacent to the hall. Bystanders pulled him from the water and attempted resuscitation.

He was immediately rushed to a private hospital in Udupi, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Despite this, the family sought further medical assistance at a hospital in Manipal, but physicians there also confirmed that he had passed away.

The Padubidri police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.

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