DK Shivakumar attempts to pacify saddened Nalapad over Youth Cong poll fiasco

coastaldigest.com news network
February 8, 2021

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Bengaluru, Feb 8: KPCC president D K Shivakumar said that he would take both the winners and losers of the Youth Congress election together in the coming days. 

The statement gains significance in the backdrop of controversy over the recently concluded Youth Congress elections wherein the runner up was chosen as president after disqualifying the winner.  

“There is no confusion over the results of the election. Due to cases (against Mohammed Nalapad), some decisions were taken,” he said, adding that he too was fighting cases filed by BJP workers. 

Nalapad had secured the most votes in a prolonged election process but ultimately lost out to Raksha Ramaiah, as he was disqualified.

Attempting to pacify the losing camp, Shivakumar said that he had tasted defeat early in his political career, but had won subsequently. “Winning and losing is not important. Spirit of competition displayed by the candidates is important,” he said.

Speaking to reporters, Nalapad, son of Congress MLA N A Haris, said that he realised he was disqualified only after elections were held. “I have appealed (the disqualification) with my leadership. 64,000 people have voted for me and I owe an answer to them,” he said, adding that he has expressed these concerns with the party.

“I am saddened about the developments, as I was disqualified after I fought and won elections,” he said, expressing confidence in the party leadership to sort the issue. Noting that he had not received any official communication from the party about his disqualification, Nalapad added that there was a clause in the nomination form which resulted in the disqualification.

Results of the app-based elections, held from January 10-12, were declared last week and Raksha Ramaiah, son of former minister M R Seetharam emerged as the winner. The last-minute disqualification of Nalapad, who secured around 7,000 votes more than Ramaiah, had triggered a controversy in the state Congress unit.

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News Network
January 3,2025

Karnataka's Urban Development Minister, BS Suresha (Byrathi), has initiated a detailed investigation into ₹5,527 crore worth of projects executed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship Smart Cities Mission in six cities of the state.

The minister expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of work in Belagavi, Davangere, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru, Shivamogga, and Tumakuru. To ensure accountability, Suresha announced the formation of a committee comprising experts from universities and the Indian Institute of Science. The committee will assess the projects and submit its findings within three months.

Bengaluru, however, is excluded from the probe as it falls under the jurisdiction of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Launched in 2015, the Smart Cities Mission aims to enhance urban infrastructure across 100 cities in India, funded jointly by the central and state governments. Karnataka has spent ₹6,405 crore under this mission, including ₹877.72 crore in Bengaluru.

"Most of the funds have been allocated to roads, drainage, and park maintenance," Suresha lamented in a statement. "The focus should have been on creating permanent infrastructure such as smart schools, hospitals, libraries, and bus stands."

Suresha pointed out that, on average, each Smart City in Karnataka received ₹990 crore, with spending patterns revealing 36% on roads, 8% on energy, 2% on education, 2% on healthcare, and 5% on sports. He criticized this distribution, emphasizing that projects under the mission should have developed long-lasting government assets instead of temporary solutions like roads and drains.

With the mission slated to conclude in March 2025, Suresha urged the remaining funds to be directed towards constructing world-class smart schools. "This will enable children from economically weaker sections to access quality education," he said.

The minister also revealed that he had received multiple complaints from elected representatives about substandard work, particularly in Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Shivamogga. The probe, he assured, will prioritize transparency and accountability.

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