Global tender will be called for Bengaluru tunnel road: DCM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, May 22 (PTI): Karnataka cabinet on Thursday decided to call global tender for tunnel road project in Bengaluru, which is estimated to cost about Rs 17,780 crore, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Thursday.
As a minister in-charge for Bengaluru Development, Shivakumar after the cabinet meeting said, "It has been decided to call a tender for the tunnel road. Chief Minister has been authorised to decide on whether to go for a hybrid model or other model. The Chief Minister and I will decide on it technically. It will be a global tender. The estimated cost is Rs 17,780 crore."
The twin tunnel will run from Hebbal's Esteem Mall Junction to Silk Board Junction, covering 16.745 km.
It will feature three main carriageways along with two or three-lane entry and exit ramps, officials said.
The cabinet has also approved the revised project cost of Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase-II from Rs 26,405.14 crore to Rs 40,425.02 crore.
Officials said, the estimate has been revised as the length of the metro line has been increased from 72.09 km to 75.06 km, also due to increase in cost and area of land acquisition, increase in guideline rate of land and increase in cost of civil works.
It has also been decided by the cabinet to waive off the entire interest amount for all such associations or organisations which have been allotted Civic Amenity Sites from the Bengaluru Development Authority, if they pay the entire lease amount to the authority within 120 days, Shivakumar said.
He said, this is being done by relaxing the provisions of Bangalore Development Authority (Allotment of Civic Amenity Sites) Rules, 1989, as a special case and as a one-time measure.
Shivakumar said, a new garbage collection and disposal plan is being devised for Bengaluru at a cost of Rs 4,791 crore for a period of 7 years.
"Earlier, during the BJP regime, 98 package tenders were called for garbage disposal. Some people approached the court regarding this issue, and the court dismissed their petition and ruled to take a final decision on this tender in the next four months. We have decided to make one package in each area, and garbage disposal will be done through 33 packages, including two packages in large areas," he said.
The tender for this will be called soon, he said. "A garbage disposal plan at a cost of Rs 4,791 crore for a period of 7 years is being prepared. There are enough differences between the existing system and the new system. Many responsibilities including garbage segregation, vehicle responsibility, and building waste segregation will be given."
The cabinet approved "Arbitration and Conciliation Centre (Amendment) Rules, 2025".
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said, "This will allow increasing fees. Earlier, it was fixed 13 years ago".
The cabinet decided not to permit sanction for prosecution against former chairman and 8 former members of Karnataka Public Service Commission for alleged irregularities in 2011 batch Gazetted Probationers Recruitment.
"We have decided to close this matter, as the cabinet has already decided and a law was enacted stating that the selection of 48 Assistant Commissioners and other probationers in 2011 was proper," Patil said.
Administrative approval was granted to purchase and supply 2 MRI scan machines for two district hospitals of Mysuru and Davangere at a total cost of Rs.30 crore under the ECRP-II grant under the National Health Mission's Free Diagnostic Services Program.
Approval was given for the state government to give guarantee to Karnataka State Co-operative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank, Bengaluru for availing NABARD re-finance of Rs1600 crore during the year 2025-26.
It was also decided to reject the recommendation made by Lokayukta to entrust Departmental Enquiry against Bharat Lal Meena, Rtd. IAS, the then Commissioner, Bangalore Development Authority and PB Ramamurthy, Retired IAS, the then Chairman, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board under Section 12(3) of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act.
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Rahul Gandhi should've been allowed to quote Naravane's 'memoir' in LS: Sharad Pawar
Baramati (PTI): NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi should have been allowed in the Lok Sabha to quote from an unpublished "memoir" of former Army chief MM Naravane.
The controversy on the memoir, 'Four Stars of Destiny', centres on the events of the Indo-China stand-off in 2020.
A row erupted in the Lok Sabha on Monday after Gandhi sought to quote from the unpublished "memoir" of former Army chief Naravane, but Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, along with other BJP members, strongly opposed it and accused the Congress leader of "misleading" the House.
Pawar said Gandhi "should have been allowed" to speak on the subject in Parliament during the Budget session.
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"If the former Army chief has written something and if the leader of the opposition is saying something, then it is his (Gandhi's) right and he should have been given that opportunity," the Rajya Sabha member said at a press conference in Baramati.
He said that an atmosphere of suspicion should not prevail unnecessarily in the country.
"The former Army chief has written something in the book which shows there was some concerning situation. If a discussion had taken place in Parliament on the issue, people could have got a clear picture," Pawar said.
Though the book is unpublished, Gandhi held a copy of it and the Lok Sabha speaker asked to authenticate the copy, he noted. "Why was there opposition (to Gandhi) when the copy was authenticated?" Pawar asked.
Gandhi on Wednesday cited the unpublished "memoir" to claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not fulfil his responsibility during the India-China conflict in 2020 and passed the buck on to Naravane.
Addressing reporters in the premises of Parliament House complex, Gandhi held up Naravane's unpublished "memoir" and said he would like the youngsters in India to know that this 'book' exists despite the government claiming otherwise.
He said Naravane has written the full account of what happened in Ladakh.
Gandhi has also written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, lodging his strong protest over being disallowed from speaking in the House on a matter of national security and terming it a "blot on our democracy".
He has also said that it was for the first time in history that LoP was not allowed to speak on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address.
