'Jaladhare' aimed at supplying quality drinking water to villages to be launched soon: Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru, October 02: Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that a detailed project report (DPR) was being prepared to launch ‘Jaladhare’ project aimed at supplying the quality drinking water to all villages in the state.
Inaugurating the Gandhi Gram Puraskar presentation programme organized by the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj department at the Banquet Hall at Vidhana Soudha here on Tuesday, the CM said that the Jaladhare programme would require more than Rs 60,000 crore and the project was aimed at providing quality drinking to the houses of each village in the state through taps from river water sources. Shortly, the details of the project would be placed before the people, he said.
The credit of introducing the decentralization of power to the nation should go to Karnataka. In 1984-85, then Panchayat Raj Minister Nazeer Saab in the chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde government had introduced decentralisation of power. Noticing that, then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had amended the Constitution and applied that system to the entire country, he added.
Then Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister in the erstwhile Congress government, HK Patil had started Gandhi Gram Puraskar from 2014 to honour the presidents and officers of the gram panchayats which work honestly and the coalition government has continued the award, the CM said.
The gram panchayats which have got the Gandhi Gram Puraskar during the 150th year Gandhi Jayanti would retain special memory. More than zilla and taluk panchayats, the gram panchayats would have more scope to develop the villages. The gram panchayats in and around Bengaluru would have more than Rs 5 crore revenue and they could do what the state government could not do. The gram panchayats have scope to reach the benefits to the people directly, the CM said.
Priority should be given to cleanliness in villages and gram panchayat presidents and PDOs have more responsibility. Desilting of tanks, clearing of encroachments, increasing the water storage capacity and other works to develop the villages, he said recalling the service of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said that each gram panchayat was like a government on the line of central and state governments. Identifying the best gram panchayats would inspire others to work more efficiently. For the drinking water schemes, the central government should give 70 per cent funds. But for the last four years, the centre has given just 12 per cent and remaining 88 per cent was being borne by the state government, he said.
MLA R Roshan Baig presided over the programme in which, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department Principal Secretary LK Atheek, Secretary Savithri, Director Kempe Gowda and others were present.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
