Siddaramaiah writes to PM Modi, alleges Gadkari's Shivamogga event was breach of protocol
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who boycotted the inauguration of India's second-longest cable-stayed Sigandur bridge in Shivamogga, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging a serious breach of protocol by the Centre.
In his letter sent on Monday, the Chief Minister claimed that the programme was held by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in Sagara taluk of Shivamogga, without consulting the state government, and his name was mentioned on the invitation card without any prior notification.
He said the ministry's proceeding with the programme, despite the state's disagreement, amounts to "sheer arbitrariness and defies the very spirit of co-operative federalism."
Siddaramaiah also claimed that, since, as per the technical report, the project is not yet complete, the programme should not have been conducted.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday inaugurated or laid the foundation of various infrastructure projects, including the Sigandur bridge in Shivamogga.
The event was boycotted by Siddaramaiah and his cabinet.
He said he also spoke to Gadkari on July 11 after he came to know about the programme and even urged him to postpone it, given his prior commitment in the Indi taluk of Vijayanagara district.
He claimed that though the minister then agreed to postpone the event, it still went underway on Monday, as advertised.
"I wish to draw your (PM) kind attention to the foundation stone laying function and dedicating 9 National Highway Projects of total length of 88 km with an investment of more than Rs 2,000 crore, held on July 14 by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in Nehru Field, Sagara taluk, Shivamogga district," Siddaramaiah said in his letter to Modi.
He said the ministry violated the protocol by not consulting the state before the programme, printing the name of an ex-chief minister, BS Yediyurappa, before the names of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly U T Khader Fareed, and Chairman of State Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti.
"The Government of Karnataka places on record its protest against such non-cooperative action. I do hope that all Central Ministries will be strongly advised to refrain from such discordant acts in future," he added.
The chief minister said that the construction of a major bridge (Sigandur bridge) across the Sharavathi backwaters and approaches between Ambargodu and Kalasavali on NH 369E on EPC mode was originally conceptualised by the state government in 2013, and subsequently implemented by the Centre.
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Bangladesh court sentences Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in corruption cases
Dhaka (PTI): A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in two separate corruption cases related to alleged irregularities in allocations of land in a government housing project.
Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4 Judge Rabiul Alam handed down the verdicts, sentencing Hasina to a total of 10 years’ imprisonment — five years in each case, state-run BSS news agency reported.
The court sentenced 78-year-old Hasina, her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and her nieces, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq, and others in the cases over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol.
The judgment was pronounced at around 12.30 pm.
Tulip Siddiq was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment — two years in each case — while Radwan Mujib Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq were each sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in both cases.
Rajuk member Mohammad Khurshid Alam, the only accused to surrender before the court, was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment in each case, totalling two years.
The court also fined all convicted persons Tk1 lakh each and ordered them to serve an additional six months in prison in default of payment.
Hasina has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year in the face of the massive protests. She was earlier declared a fugitive by the court.
The cases were filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over alleged abuse of power in the allocation of two 10-katha plots.
According to the prosecution, the accused manipulated the allocation process and violated existing rules and regulations of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).
