Floral boat steals the show at Lalbagh

Bangalore, Aug 8: The annual Independence Day flower show at Lalbagh was inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday.

Organised by the Department of Horticulture and Mysore Horticultural Society, the 198th show was thrown open to the public soon after the inauguration.

A 35-foot-long floral houseboat, displayed at the Glass House, is the star attraction. Organisers said the showpiece, complete with special water effects, had been decorated with more than two lakh roses of different colours. A total of 35 workers created it, the horticulture department officials said.

Isora Gonsale, a visitor from Spain, said: “The floral boat is impressive and so are the fresh flowers. Though I have visited India three times, I never got an opportunity to visit Lalbagh. Finally, here I am.”

Apart from the regular stalls selling wooden toys, jute bags, toolkits for gardening, plant seeds among others, a large collection of bottled grape wine prepared by the Karnataka Wine Board was on display, too. “As many as 14 wine brands will be on display till August 15. But they are not for sale. This is our second exhibition at Lalbagh and our main objective is to make people aware of the health benefits of grape wine,” said Krishna Bellur, Managing Director, Karnataka Wine Board.

Hand replicas

Two mega hand replicas – one showing a cluster of germinated seedlings and the other holding a few bowls of fruits – were a big disappointment. Some visitors said the hands resembled a penguin and others said it looked like the head of a kangaroo and so on.

Sheila J, a visitor, said: “I am a bit confused what these mega hand replicas are all about. The hand looks more like a penguin. The authorities could have done it much better in terms of execution and technique.”

Another visitor Latha said the replica does not look like a hand at all.

Gunawantha J, deputy director of the Lalbagh Horticulture Department, however, said: “To show the clusters of seedlings and fruits, we have placed a basket on each of the hands. Hence, it is looking slightly different.”

Sources in the department said only about 10,000 visitors had turned up on the first day of the show. The day's collection exceeded Rs two lakh, they added.

CM for tissue culture

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said more farmers should adopt the tissue culture method of growing plants as it yielded high quality and disease-free produce. He advised the Horticulture Department to extend its support to farmers to adopt new plant technologies.

“The Animal Husbandry, Horticulture and Agriculture departments should be given more importance as farmers are closely associated with them. We have also allotted more funds in the budget towards it,” Siddaramaiah said.

He declined to comment on the parking bay issue at Lalbagh as the matter was sub judice. Various sections of the public, including Lalbagh Walkers' Association, have opposed the construction of a parking lot on the premises of the botanical gardens.

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Lokayukta team arrives at disputed plot; CM likely to get ED summons

News Network

October 1,2024

Mysuru, Oct 1: The Karnataka Lokayukta team on Tuesday arrived at the disputed plot in Mysuru and began investigation into the MUDA case against CM Siddaramaiah and his wife, news agency ANI reported. Snehamayi Krishna, the complainant in the case was also present with the team.

Sources stated that ED sleuths might issue a notice to CM Siddaramaiah at any time and issue summons to him for questioning. The sleuths are also keenly watching the movements of CM Siddaramaiah’s close associates and relatives, including a cabinet minister in connection with the MUDA scam.

Sources further said that there is a possibility of the ED conducting raids across the state on offices and residences of close associates of CM Siddaramaiah. The ED has also gathered information on bank accounts and financial transactions of CM Siddaramaiah and his associates.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Monday registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to an FIR by the police, against CM Siddaramaiah over the alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife Parvathi B.M. by the Mysore Urban Development Authority. The ED registered the case taking cognisance of the FIR registered against the Chief Minister by the Lokayukta police on September 27.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Lokayukta probing the MUDA case has also expedited the probe. The sleuths led by Mysuru Lokayukta SP T.J. Udesh have visited the controversial land on the outskirts of Mysuru city. The petitioner, Snehamayi Krishna, also accompanied the team.

The move of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife to return 14 sites allotted by the MUDA to her has triggered a debate. BJP MLA from Mysuru T.S. Srivatsa stated on Tuesday that the move of CM’s wife is not acceptable. "The two commissioners who colluded in the MUDA scam are roaming freely even today," he said.

"CM Siddaramaiah first claimed that there was no scam at all. Later, he formed a commission and now there is an FIR against him. After committing the mistake, you offer to return the sale deed. The time is up. He will have to tender his resignation and I am sure he won’t be in the position until Dasara festivities," MLA T.S. Srivatsa stated.

T.J. Abraham, one of the petitioners in the MUDA case said, “I had demanded the MUDA commissioner to take back the allotted sites. He had written back saying the process would be initiated. They were waiting for the investigation report."

"CM Siddaramaiah has not approached the division bench or the Supreme Court to challenge the order against him because there is nothing to be challenged. Returning sites is not a big sacrifice. The Chief Minister has lost it," Abraham stated.

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