Belagavi: An upbeat Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday asserted that the ruling party would win the Karnataka assembly poll and return to power again.
"The Congress will win the assembly election in Karnataka again and return to power as our government fulfilled all the promises it made and lived up to the people's expectations," said an elated Gandhi at a public rally near Ramdurg in the state's northwest border district.
Resuming his tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, Gandhi said though they both have money and media with them, the Congress had the people with it because of its good governance in the state.
Gandhi was on a three-day visit to the state since Saturday to seek the people's blessings in the assembly poll, due in April-May, through the Jan Aashirwada Yatra, organised by the party's state unit.
Urging Modi to learn from Siddaramaiah how to deliver promises and govern the state, the party chief decried the former for dubbing the Congress government being corrupt and taking 10 per cent commission in its projects.
Terming Modi a self-proclaimed "chowkidar" (watchman) of the country, the party chief expressed dismay over his failure to check a smart trader duping a state-run bank of crores of rupees and went away scot free.
The self-proclaimed "chowkidar" of the nation is shockingly silently while crores of public money is looted right under his watch. "Will Modi speak up and inform the nation how fraudsters manage to get away while the 'chowkidar' silently watches," thundered Gandhi.
Winding up the second leg of his visit to the state a fortnight after the four-day tour of the erstwhile Hyderabad-Karnataka region, the party chief interacted with the rural people, farmers and women from self-help group.
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Tuesday said a 7-km railway barricade has been approved for the Madikeri division and 20 km for the Nagarhole division in 2025–26 to curb human-elephant conflict in the regions.
Responding to a proposal raised by BJP MLC Suja Kushalappa during Zero Hour in the Legislative Council, he assured that work on the proposed railway barricades would begin soon.
Citing the death of a 17-year-old girl in an elephant attack on February 28 and that of a tribal woman on March 9 in the state, the minister said these deaths caused by elephant attacks were "extremely painful".
"Human life is very precious and cannot be valued in monetary terms. The Forest Department is taking all measures to prevent human-wildlife conflict."
The minister further said steps such as maintenance of elephant-proof trenches and solar-powered fencing were being undertaken, while two elephant task forces were currently in operation.
Orders have also been issued by the Chief Wildlife Warden to capture two rogue elephants.
In both cases, Rs 5 lakh compensation has already been disbursed to the families of the deceased, and the remaining Rs 15 lakh each will be provided within a week, he added.
Khandre said the government was making sincere efforts to find a permanent solution to the human–elephant conflict.
