Karnataka Cabinet greenlights 18 km tunnel road from Hebbal to Silk Board in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: In a significant move to address Bengaluru’s traffic woes, the Karnataka state cabinet has approved the construction of an 18-kilometer-long tunnel road connecting Esteem Mall near Hebbal to Silk Board at Hosur Road. The project, which is expected to cost ₹12,690 crore, received the green light on Thursday.
Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil announced the cabinet’s decision during a press meet at Vidhan Soudha. He mentioned that while the proposal has been approved, the detailed project report (DPR) is yet to be submitted. "The tunnel road is a critical step towards easing the city's traffic congestion," Patil said.
In addition to the tunnel road, the cabinet has also approved a tourism-boosting project in Bengaluru. The government plans to construct a sky-deck in the city, providing residents and tourists with a unique bird's-eye view of Bengaluru. The sky-deck project has been allocated an estimated budget of ₹500 crore, although the exact location for the construction is yet to be finalized.
Both projects are part of the government’s broader efforts to enhance infrastructure and tourism in Bengaluru, which continues to grapple with traffic challenges amid rapid urban growth.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
