Rs 15,000 crore 'extortion' under the guise of Khata conversion in Bengaluru, alleges Kumaraswamy
Mandya(PTI): Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday accused the Karnataka government of "looting" Bengaluru residents, as he alleged that under the pretext of 'B' khata to 'A' khata conversion, Rs 15,000 crore was being 'extorted'.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday had launched a new scheme that allows 'B' khata properties in Bengaluru to obtain an 'A' khata by paying 5 percent of the property's guidance value, which is expected to benefit over 7.5 lakh properties and generate substantial revenue for the government.
The government has advertised this move as the "Deepavali gift" to Bengaluru citizens.
Khata is an official document in Karnataka that records a property's tax account with the local municipality or corporation
A-khata is issued to genuine properties approved by government planning bodies such as the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), whereas B-khata refers to those without formal government approval.
"People thought a Deepavali gift would bring them real relief. Seeing the big advertisements, even I believed. But in reality, it has turned out to be a betrayal of the people in the name of Deepavali," Kumaraswamy was quoted as saying by his office in a release.
Bengaluru residents are being "gifted" a shock instead, the JD(S) leader said, adding, "to convert from B-Khata to A-Khata, people are required to pay an application fee of Rs 500."
"In the name of this fee alone, the government is extorting hundreds of crores. For a 30x40 plot, they are charging between Rs 4 to 8 lakh. Earlier, residents had to pay only Rs 10,000- Rs 13,000. Now, they are being forced to pay in lakhs. Through this A-Khata scam, the state government is looting Rs 15,000 crore."
"Is this what it means to improve the lives of the people," he asked, and said, "since this government came to power, it has been indulging in extortion from citizens. Its only focus is on making money at every opportunity."
Responding to Kumaraswamy's allegations, Shivakumar said, "Good for him (Kumaraswamy), let him deploy his investigation team to check."
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Akash Singh says signature celebration fuels motivation, reinforces dominance
Lucknow (PTI): Pacer Akash Singh caught the eye with his unique celebration during Lucknow Super Giants' win over Chennai Super Kings, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket after a wicket, a gesture he said was aimed at "motivating" himself and "asserting dominance" over batters.
The left-arm pacer pulled out a scrappy piece of paper after each of the three wickets he took in LSG seven-wicket win over CSK, with the message reading: "Akki on fire -- Akash knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket.
The 24-year-old, who began his IPL journey with Rajasthan Royals and was part of Chennai Super Kings’ title-winning campaign in 2023 before moving to Lucknow Super Giants, registered his best IPL figures with 3 for 26 on Friday.
"'Akki knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket', right?" Akash said when asked about the message on the piece of paper, adding that it serves as a source of motivation and helps him focus on dominating batters and delivering stronger performances for the team.
"Different things motivate different people. Some days I show the paper, some days I don't, but it reflects my mindset on that particular day. When you carry a piece of paper with something written on it, you manifest things and the most important part is when those manifestations actually materialise," he added.
Akash, who hails from Bharatpur in Rajasthan, said the strong backing from the Lucknow Super Giants support staff over the last two years had played a huge role in his growth as a cricketer.
"I've been with LSG for two years and the most important thing has been the backing from the coaches, even when I'm not in the playing XI. This year we have Bharat Arun sir, last year Zaheer sir was there...Tom Moody. The way they guide us, prepare us and keep us ready for opportunities is very important when there are 25 players in the squad," he said.
"When you are not playing, you naturally seek backing and every player wants to make the most of the opportunities he gets. The support from the captain also matters a lot and with Rishabh bhaiya backing you, the confidence grows and you are able to perform better," Akash said, referring to Rishabh Pant.
Akash said Pant had asked him to trust his strengths ahead of the clash against CSK.
"He told me that the new ball is my strength and that I can swing it both ways. So I just tried to make the best use of my skills. The wicket also had good bounce, so I focused on using the bouncer effectively,” added Akash.
On his success against CSK, Akash said his experience of playing in the IPL since 2020, including a stint with CSK, helped him understand the opposition batters better, while backing his own strengths with the ball also played a key role in his impressive spell.
"Obviously, when you play in the IPL and have shared the dressing room with some players, you understand their strengths and weaknesses. My focus was first to back my own strengths, then exploit their weaknesses and also make the best use of what the wicket was offering," Akash said.
Akash said he had sensed over the last two-three games that an opportunity could come his way after being repeatedly told to "be ready", though he admitted he was unfortunate not to get a chance earlier.
"Two days before the match, during practice, I was told to be ready," he said.
Clarifying that he had not been carrying the piece of paper in anticipation, Akash said he often notes down thoughts that could help improve his game..
"Whenever I’m alone or about to sleep, any thought that comes to my mind which can help my cricket, I write it down. The other night I got this thought and jotted it down on paper," he added.
