JD(S) to petition Governor on 'anti-farmer' amendments to acts
Bengaluru: The JD(S) on Friday decided to petition the Karnataka Governor on the state government's "anti-farmer" amendments to acts, days after threatening a state-wide agitation on the issue.
"We have convened a meeting of our party MLAs, defeated candidates and district presidents at the party office on August 4 to discuss details about protests against the anti-farmer amendments by the state government," former Prime Minister and JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda was quoted as saying by his office in a release.
He said they had also decided to hold a separate meeting with presidents of JD(S) taluk units later at the party office.
"On all these matters, we will also write a letter to honourable Governor," he said.
The party would also bring to the Governor's notice, the state government not convening the assembly session, he said.
Gowda had on Tuesday threatened to launch a state-wide stir against the amendments to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act and had demanded its immediate rollback.
He had also spoken against amendments to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act.
Principal opposition Congress too has planned protests, along with some farmers organisations, demanding withdrawal of the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, that liberalises agricultural land ownership.
Gowda further said there was no need to unnecessarily create an issue by dropping lessons on Tipu Sultan from school textbooks and added that the government must take a decision that is acceptable to all.
"There are many residential schools in the name of Tipu in Gulbarga, Bijapur, Srirangapatna, Ramanagara, Dharwad. When government opened those residential schools there was no opposition," he said.
Chapters on controversial 18th century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan and his father Haider Ali were among those dropped from the class 7 Social Science test books, following the Karnataka government's decision to reduce syllabi for 2020-21 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
However the government subsequently asked the Karnataka Textbook Society (KTBS) to put on hold the trimmed syllabus of books that omitted chapters on Tipu Sultan, following criticism from various quarters.
On BJP leader and MLC C P Yogeshwar's charge that his son and former Chief Minister H D Kumarswamy was indulging in "adjustment politics", Gowda said, "there is no need for Kumaraswamy to do so. Is there any proof for the allegation made by him? Politicians should not simply talk about anyone lightly."
Yogeshwar had yesterday alleged that the JD(S) leader was trying to "adjust" with the government for his political survival, referring to Kumaraswamy's recent outbursts against Congress.
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Commercial LPG price hiked by Rs 993 per 19-kg cylinder
New Delhi (PTI): The price of commercial LPG was hiked by the steepest ever Rs 993 per 19-kg cylinder on Friday, marking the third straight monthly increase due to rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
A 19-kg commercial LPG - used by establishments such as hotels and restaurtants - now costs a record Rs 3,071.5 in Delhi as against Rs 2,078.50 previously.
Rates were last increased by 195.50 per cylinder on April 1. Prior to that, prices had gone up by Rs 114.5 per 19-kg cylinder on March 1.
In three increases, commercial LPG rates have gone up by Rs 1,303.
Prices of domestic cooking gas LPG - the one used in household kitchens - remained unchanged. Domestic LPG rates were last hiked by Rs 60 per 14.2-kg cylinder on March 7. It costs Rs 913 per 14.2-kg cylinder in Delhi.
State-owned Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum revise ATF and LPG prices on the first day of every month based on international benchmarks and the exchange rate.
Global oil prices have shot up almost 50 per cent after the war in West Asia disrupted energy supply chains.
Petrol and diesel prices continue to remain frozen after a Rs 2 per-litre reduction in March last year; petrol currently costs Rs 94.72 per litre in Delhi and diesel Rs 87.62.
