Hassan: Two young men reportedly died in a head-on collision between a scooter and a bike near the Doderi guard gate in Channarayapatna taluk of the district on Tuesday.

The deceased have been identified as Ramesh (23) of Mattighatta village and Purushottam (26) of M. Honnenahalli village.

Ramesh and Kiran were riding a scooter when the bike driven by Purushottam, coming from the opposite direction, collided with them.

Ramesh is learnt to have succumbed to his injuries at the spot.

While the biker, Purushottam, was also seriously injured and died after failing to respond to treatment.

Kiran, who was on the scooter, sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at Hassan District Hospital.

Hirisave police visited the site, registered a case, and are conducting further investigation.

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Bengaluru: Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the proposed VB-G Ram G scheme, stating that the MNREGA programme, which has been a lifeline for rural India for nearly two decades, appears to be facing an uncertain future.

Speaking to media, Kharge said that as March 31 draws to a close, there is no clarity on the rollout of the new scheme from April 1. He pointed out that the central government has not yet issued the necessary guidelines for implementing the scheme for rural workers and villages.

He criticised the Centre for its lack of preparedness, stating that there is no clarity on fund allocation, no final parameters for classifying gram panchayats, and key processes such as social audits have not been defined.

Kharge said the situation comes at a critical time, as summer marks a peak period for rural employment demand, when many people depend heavily on wage employment for their livelihood.

He added that reports have emerged of delays in approvals and families not receiving work despite demand.

He further alleged that the Centre’s move to shift from a statutory employment guarantee to a rule-based allocation system is already showing negative consequences.

Kharge also raised concerns over provisions such as a mandatory 60-day halt during agricultural seasons, which he said would further limit employment opportunities for rural workers.

The BJP-led central government had claimed that the new scheme would transform rural India, but in reality it is turning out to be detrimental to people’s livelihoods, he said.

“The crisis in rural India due to the stalling of MNREGA is beginning to unfold. Given the Centre’s past record in handling such situations, there is growing concern over the impact on rural livelihoods,” Kharge said.