Have taken up challenge to restore rain-battered Bengaluru: CM Bommai
‘Maladministration of Cong governments has led to deluge in capital city’
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday blamed the previous Congress governments' 'maladministration' and unprecedented rains in the capital city for the deluge.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, despite all odds, his government has taken it up as a challenge to restore the rain-battered city, and ensure that such things don't recur.
Owing to the torrential downpour that lashed the state capital for the last couple of days, several areas are still under water with houses and vehicles partially inundated, thereby affecting normal life.
"Karnataka, especially Bengaluru, has not received unprecedented heavy rain. For the last 90 years, such rain has not been recorded. All the tanks are overflowing; some of them have breached. There have been continuous rains, every day it is raining," Bommai said.
He said, a picture is being portrayed that the entire city is facing difficulties, which is not the case. "Basically, the issue lies in two zones, particularly the Mahadevapura zone, for reasons such as the presence of 69 tanks in that small area. Almost all the tanks have either breached or are overflowing. Secondly, all establishments are in low lying areas, and the third is encroachments," he listed out.
Blaming the "maladministration and unplanned administration" of the previous Congress governments for the present day misery, Bommai said that they had given permissions for construction activities "right-left-centre" in the lake areas, on the tank bunds and buffer zones. They had never thought of maintaining the lakes, he said.
Stating that his government has taken overcoming the situation as a "challenge", the CM said, officers, engineers, workers and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are working round-the-clock. "I have given Rs 1,500 crores for development of storm water drains, I have yesterday released Rs 300 crore to remove all encroachments and do a pucca structure along the storm water drains and for the infrastructure, so that there are no impediments and bottleneck in the flow of water,” said Bommai.
"We have cleared lots of encroachments and will continue to do so. We are installing sluice gates by the tanks so that they can be managed better. I have instructed officials to ensure that the control room staff work for longer hours. We have started dewatering in most of the areas. Other than one or two areas, almost all areas have been dewatered," Bommai said, adding that there is no respite from rain for such work to continue properly.
Observing that the T K Halli pump house in Malavalli taluk of Mandya, which pumps Cauvery water to Bengaluru, is affected due to overflowing of the Bheemeshwara River and water from the surrounding lakes, the CM said, two pump houses were affected. “Flood water is being drained out, but it will take two days to drain out water and to resume work in full capacity,” he added.
An alternative plan has been formulated for water supply to Bengaluru, he said. “Around 8,000 bore wells are under the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and 4,000 under Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will be activated and they would supply water during the disruption in Cauvery water supply to areas. Water in tankers will be supplied on behalf of the government to the areas where there are no bore wells, he added. "I request cooperation from the people for the next couple of days,” Bommai stated.
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Lakhimpur Kheri violence case: SC expresses disappointment over non-production of witnesses in trial
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday expressed disappointment over the non-production of witnesses in the ongoing trial against Ashish Mishra, son of former Union minister Ajay Mishra, and others in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the status report filed before it by the Uttar Pradesh government has not assigned any reason whatsoever for the non-production of witnesses.
It noted that no witnesses have been examined in the trial for the last two months.
"We direct the presiding judge to take lawful measures to secure the presence of witnesses," the bench said.
It asked the trial judge to make an endeavour to conclude the trial in a time-bound manner, and also to file a status report before it.
The trials in two cases related to the incident are going on before a court in Uttar Pradesh.
The bench noted that in the first case, out of 131 witnesses to be examined, 44 have been examined, 15 have been discharged and 72 are still to be produced.
In the second FIR, out of 35 witnesses, 26 have been examined and nine were left, it said.
Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for Ashish Mishra, said that as per the latest status report filed by Uttar Pradesh, 44 witnesses have been examined so far in the first FIR.
"No witnesses have been examined in the last two months," Dave said.
He argued that the last status report filed by the state in March also said that 44 witnesses had been examined.
"What have you done from March till today?" the bench asked the counsel appearing for Uttar Pradesh.
The state's counsel said that 3-4 witnesses were summoned for the recording of their deposition during the trial.
The bench said at least 7-8 witnesses should be summoned instead of three or four for a day, so that even if some of them do not turn up, the trial court could proceed with the recording of statements of those appearing before it.
The top court also wondered how official witnesses can remain absent during the trial.
"We are disappointed to note that the so-called status report does not assign any reason whatsoever for non-production of witnesses...," the bench said.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the relatives of the farmers who were allegedly mowed down in the incident, said the apex court will have to do something regarding the manner in which the trial was going on.
The bench noted that besides the two FIRs, another FIR was registered in October last year concerning alleged witness intimidation.
It said that, as per the state's status report, the chargesheet was filed against the main accused in that case.
The bench noted that the status report reveals that, as far as Ashish Mishra is concerned, his alleged role in the third case is still being investigated.
The top court directed the investigating officer of the third case to conclude the pending probe and ensure that the appropriate report is filed before the concerned court within four weeks.
The bench posted the next hearing in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case for July.
On October 3, 2021, eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Tikunia in Lakhimpur Kheri district during a protest by farmers against Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area.
Four farmers were mowed down by a sports utility vehicle. A driver and two BJP workers were then allegedly lynched by angry farmers. A journalist also died in the violence.
In one of the cases, the trial court in December 2023 framed charges against Mishra and 12 others for alleged murder, criminal conspiracy and under other penal laws in the case of the farmers' deaths, paving the way for the trial.
