K'taka spl Cabinet meeting on internal quota for SCs postponed
Bengaluru (PTI): A special Cabinet meeting, which was Scheduled to take place on March 27 to discuss the internal reservation for Scheduled Castes has been postponed in view of the Model Code of Conduct in force for the Assembly bypolls, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said on Thursday.
Addressing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, he said the special meeting scheduled for Friday had been deferred following legal advice, and would now be held after April 9. He added that the date for the meeting would be fixed later.
Bypolls in Davangere South and Bagalkot constituencies are scheduled on April 9.
"The Advocate General expressed the opinion that, since this is a broad policy matter, it may amount to a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Therefore, we have postponed tomorrow's Cabinet meeting until after the Code of Conduct period," Patil said.
He clarified that while the meeting on the internal reservation issue has been deferred, ongoing administrative processes would continue uninterrupted.
"As of now, nothing is stalled. All ongoing processes will continue," he said, adding that only decisions that were to be taken in the postponed meeting have been deferred.
The minister said the Cabinet, which met on Thursday, considered 10 subjects, including the appointment of retired District and Sessions Judge A G Gangadhar as Registrar (Inquiry) in the Lokayukta on a contract basis.
It also approved payment of about Rs 23 crore in pending dues under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) for treatments carried out by private hospitals between 2015-16 and 2018-19.
He said the Cabinet decided to drop the Lokayukta's recommendation to initiate an inquiry against a Public Works Department official, and approved inclusion of 379 Water Resources Department personnel appointed prior to 2003 in the respective seniority lists.
Patil further said post-facto approval was granted to the Karnataka Government Educational Institutions Land Protection and Regularisation Bill and the State Civil Services Teachers Transfer Regulation Amendment Bill, as well as to the Motor Vehicles Tax concessions law passed in the Assembly.
On queries regarding holding discussions without taking decisions, he said, "When we are not going to take decisions, how and why should we discuss? Therefore, no discussion was held," reiterating that the special Cabinet meeting would be convened after April 9.
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18 injured in amusement ride mishap at Jatra Mahotsava in Gadag
Gadag: At least 18 people were injured, four of them critically, after an amusement ride malfunctioned during the Jatra Mahotsava held at the premises of Tontadarya Mutt on Sunday night.
According to Deccan Herald, the incident occurred around 9 pm when the ‘Dancing Play’ ride (also known as Break Dance or Crazy Dance) reportedly developed a mechanical fault, causing three chairs to tilt dangerously while in motion.
The people inside these chairs were injured and rushed to Gadag Institute of Medical Sciences and Karnataka Medical College and Research Institute (KMC-RI) Hubballi.
Police said that among the injured, two are from Koppal district, one from Tumakuru, and the remaining are from Gadag district. The identities of some victims are yet to be confirmed.
The four victims, who are in critical condition, are severely injured in the head and have been shifted to KMC-RI, officials said.
Meanwhile, members of the Hindu Veerashaiva Lingayat Yuva Vedike staged a protest, demanding strict action against the contractor responsible for organizing the amusement rides, as well as the Jatra Mahotsava committee.
