“No political agenda behind meeting JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda,” clarifies Satish Jarkiholi
Bengaluru: Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi clarified on Friday that there was no political motive behind the recent meeting with former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. He stated that the discussions held were purely related to developmental issues.
Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Jarkiholi said that the visits of Union Ministers H.D. Kumaraswamy and V. Somanna were pre-planned, while Deve Gowda’s meeting was incidental. “My office is located on the way to Parliament, and I met him there casually,” he explained.
He also mentioned that the Hassan highway issue was supposed to be discussed with H.D. Revanna, but the meeting couldn’t take place as Revanna had already proceeded to meet Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari.
Jarkiholi firmly denied any discussion on the recent "honey trap" controversy during the Delhi visit. “There is no need to go to New Delhi to file political complaints,” he said, dismissing speculation about political undercurrents.
Speaking on coalition rumors, he reiterated that with the Congress holding 138 MLAs, there is no question of seeking support from the JD(S) or H.D. Kumaraswamy. “Just like Somanna, Kumaraswamy also met Prahlad Joshi. As for Belagavi airport, work has stalled, and discussions were held to expedite the project,” he added.
He further noted that he had met several senior Congress leaders, including K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, during the Delhi visit. “It is normal to meet party leaders and consult with them while in New Delhi. There is nothing unusual about it,” he said.
When asked about his political ambitions, Jarkiholi made a cryptic remark:, “I am not an aspirant for the Chief Minister's post. Siddaramaiah is already the CM. My time will come in 2028. Even if we get a chance during a traffic jam in Majestic, might take it,” he added.
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Taj Mahal top earning ASI monument through ticket sales from FY19-20 to FY23-24: Govt
New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI): The iconic Taj Mahal in Agra earned the "highest income" through the sale of tickets among the ASI-protected monuments from FY19-20 to FY23-24, according to data shared by the government.
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared the data in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha.
He was asked the amount that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has received from selling entry tickets to various monuments in the last five years, year-wise and monument-wise; and the monuments that have received the highest income through selling entry tickets in the last five years.
In his response, the minister shared the data in a tabular form for cycles of financial years ranging from FY19-20 to FY23-24.
According to the data, Taj Mahal earned the top slot for all five years.
The Mughal-era architectural wonder was commissioned by Emperor Shah Jehan in the 17th century and it is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
In FY19-20, the Agra Fort in Agra and Qutub Minar in Delhi were in the second and third positions.
In FY20-21, the Group of Monuments Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu and Sun Temple, Konark were in the second and third positions. In FY23-24, Qutub Minar and Red Fort of Delhi were in the second and third positions.
