CM Siddaramaiah announces Rs 50 cr to each assembly segment for MLAs to carry out development work
Bengaluru, Jul 18 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to MLAs announcing that Rs 50 crore will be allocated to their assembly constituencies for the development work.
There has been discontent among the legislators, including those from the ruling Congress, about lack of fund allocation for development work in their constituencies.
"Under the Chief Minister's Infrastructure Development Programme announced in the State Budget for the year 2025-26, a special grant of Rs 50.00 crores will be allocated to your assembly constituency," Siddaramaiah said in a letter dated July 15 to MLAs.
It said, "The amount of grant for the works has been fixed as follows. Public Works Department, road and bridge works, rural road and bridge, and urban area works: Rs 37.50 crore. Other departmental works that may be selected by the members of the Legislative Assembly at their discretion: Rs 12.50 crore."
MLAs have been asked to provide details of the works in a specified format along with their demand letter to the Chief Minister, it said, adding that a district-wise meeting of MLAs has been arranged on July 30 and 31 in Room No.-313, Committee Room, 3rd Floor, Vidhana Soudha, and the legislators have been asked to attend the meeting along with details of the works.
Though the letter nowhere specifies the allocation of funds is only for Congress MLAs, the BJP and JD(S), however, have alleged discrimination. Official sources too have said that the funds will be released to all MLAs.
Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka, urging the CM to provide equal funding for all MLAs to ensure balanced development, alleged discrimination stating that the BJP and JD(S) MLAs will be given Rs 25 crore, as per the information he has got.
"No development has happened in the last two years. Congress MLAs have themselves said that they are unable to show their face in the constituency. Now there is a circular stating allocation of Rs 50 crore has come, but the BJP and JD(S) MLAs are being discriminated against, as there is information that they will be given Rs 25 crore. This is only information, there is no guarantee yet," he told reporters.
JD(S) has also questioned Siddaramaiah, whether he is the chief minister of the entire state or only for Congress MLAs?
"Is it right to give a grant of Rs 50 crore only for the development of the constituencies of Congress MLAs? Is it right to discriminate by not giving grants to the constituencies of the MLAs of BJP and JD(S)," the party asked in a post on 'X'.
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Bangladesh court sentences Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in corruption cases
Dhaka (PTI): A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in two separate corruption cases related to alleged irregularities in allocations of land in a government housing project.
Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4 Judge Rabiul Alam handed down the verdicts, sentencing Hasina to a total of 10 years’ imprisonment — five years in each case, state-run BSS news agency reported.
The court sentenced 78-year-old Hasina, her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and her nieces, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq, and others in the cases over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol.
The judgment was pronounced at around 12.30 pm.
Tulip Siddiq was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment — two years in each case — while Radwan Mujib Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq were each sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in both cases.
Rajuk member Mohammad Khurshid Alam, the only accused to surrender before the court, was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment in each case, totalling two years.
The court also fined all convicted persons Tk1 lakh each and ordered them to serve an additional six months in prison in default of payment.
Hasina has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year in the face of the massive protests. She was earlier declared a fugitive by the court.
The cases were filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over alleged abuse of power in the allocation of two 10-katha plots.
According to the prosecution, the accused manipulated the allocation process and violated existing rules and regulations of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).
