K'taka govt asked to prepare detailed project report to tackle traffic congestion in B'luru: DKShi
New Delhi (PTI): The Centre has asked the Karnataka government to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) to ease traffic congestion in Bengaluru, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said.
Shivakumar, who is in-charge of the Bengaluru Urban Development and Water Resources Ministries, discussed the traffic congestion issue with Union Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday.
Sharing the outcome of the meeting with reporters, Shivakumar said he discussed with the Union Minister ways to ease traffic in Bengaluru and also asked how the central government can support this issue.
"In a positive way, he (Gadkari) gave certain suggestions. He has asked us to prepare a DPR," he said.
Shivakumar said the state government has already invited Expression of Interest (EoI) with a proposal for construction of either a tunnel or flyover or any other means through which the traffic can be eased.
"After receiving the proposals, we will talk to the central government, which is ready to support," he added.
The Deputy CM said though Delhi and Mumbai also suffer from traffic congestion people don't talk about it.
The state government is getting ready to solve the traffic problem in Bengaluru. Around 10 companies, including one from Israel, have made presentations and they have been asked to participate in the bids, he said.
"The last date for submission of the EoI is August 8. Let all of them participate with international design and concept. We have decided to take this forward so that Bengaluru traffic congestion is eased," he added.
Besides this, Shivakumar also reviewed the status of inter-state water disputes with officials. He also reviewed status of 350 cases related to the state urban development ministry pending in Supreme Court.
Noting that some parts of Karnataka have not received good rains and farmers have demanded water for their crops, he said the government has decided to release 5,575 cusecs water from Tungabhadra river to certain districts in Karnataka.
Tungabhadra canal, which has a 105 tmc storage capacity, currently has 83 tmc of water, he added.
State cabinet minister Shivaraj Thangadagi has been appointed as chairman of the Tungabhadra Advisory Committee, he added.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
