Karnataka govt raises salaries of employees of power companies, transport corporations
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said the government has decided to hike the salaries of employees of Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) and the Electricity Supply Companies (ESCOMs) in the state by 20 per cent.
He also said the employees of transport corporations will also get a raise of 15 per cent in their salaries.
The decision, which comes weeks before assembly elections are to be announced, was made after several rounds of talks between the government and employees of KPTCL and ESCOMs, and transport corporations on the demand for wage revision.
"KPTCL and ESCOMs employees had demanded wage revision, our minister (Energy Minister V Sunil Kumar) and employees had held discussions for two to three days, following which we have come to a decision. I have agreed for 20 per cent wage revision, and orders will be issued in this regard," Bommai said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said: "Also, transport department employees have been demanding a wage hike, stating that it has not happened for the last couple of years. After two to three rounds of discussion with Transport Minister B Sriramulu and officers, I have decided to revise their pay making a 15 per cent increase. Orders will be issued on this too."
According to officials, the hike in salaries will come into effect from April 1.
Employees of KPTCL and ESCOMs had withdrawn the protest call for Thursday following a discussion with the Chief Minister on Wednesday night.
The Joint Action Committee of RTC (Road Transport Corporations) Trade Unions had earlier called an indefinite strike from March 21, demanding an increase in wages along with other demands.
Assembly elections in Karnataka are due by May.
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Rape-accused 'godman' Kharat sent to judicial custody till April 14
Nashik (PTI): A court in Maharashtra's Nashik on Wednesday remanded rape-accused self-styled godman Ashok Kharat in a 14-day judicial custody.
Kharat was arrested on March 18 after a 35-year-old woman accused him of repeated rape over a period of three years. Following his arrest, multiple rape complaints were filed against him.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is conducting a probe against Kharat.
As his police custody ended on Wednesday, he was produced before the court. During the hearing, the SIT sought his judicial custody.
Accordingly, sessions judge B N Ichpurani remanded Kharat in judicial custody till April 14. He will be sent to Nashik Road Central Jail.
Kharat is scheduled to be produced in a court in another case on Thursday.
At least 10 FIRs, eight for alleged sexual assault or exploitation and two for cheating, have been registered against Kharat at Sarkarwada police station in Nashik, while the SIT has received more than 100 complaints over the phone against him.
On Wednesday, an SIT team detained Kharat's son Harshvardhan for questioning from their residence in Karmayogi Nagar here. He was let off at night.
The investigators are also trying to trace Kharat's wife Kalpana in connection with the probe against her husband. She is also named in a cheating case in Ahilyanagar district.
'Godman' Kharat heads a temple trust at Sinnar in Nashik and had several political leaders visit him over the years.
Last week, the SIT visited Kharat's office in Nashik along with a forensic science team, from where they recovered several documents, files and other evidence.
Notably, a 20-feet remote-controlled mechanised snake was also seized from his office. Kharat allegedly used the snake to make his visitors believe that he could control a live snake and thus possessed supernatural powers.
