‘Siddaramaiah’s defeat pained me more than my death’
Speaker Ramesh Kumar becomes emotional on stage
Kolara, Dec 9: “In democracy, power is not important. One should have the responsibility of working under the social concept. It is not enough to ensure voting power to all. Every citizen has to get financial and social freedom. Then only, the democracy and equality will get meaning”, said former chief minister Siddaramaiah.
Inaugurating the 531st Kanaka Jayanti, organized by the District Kuruba Sangha here on Sunday, Siddaramaiah said that “jayantis of social reformers are being celebrated. During my tenure as the CM, around 13 jayantis were started. All of them had given good message to the society. With an intention of not restricting them to any particular community, these jayantis are being celebrated. But some communal forces would accept everything, but oppose Tipu Jayanti. Tipu was neither against Hindus nor against the society. The communal forces have blindness. Our society has been suffering from the order of four castes. Those who recognize others with caste and religion are real communal and fundamentalists”, he opined.
The society should not neglect the persons who work for the society. He has introduced Anna Bhagya scheme from public money. If the central government had introduced this scheme, why it has not started it in other states? The people at the helm of affairs should have the mindset of investing the public money for the people. Don’t you want the labourers to be happy, Siddaramaiah asked BJP leaders.
Expresses displeasure over poor turnout to programme
When Ahinda programme was held in Kolar, people turned out in large number. He has directed all the organizers to do the work together. Is that the respect you have towards the community? Do not conduct the community programme when the government organize the programme, he advised the organizers.
District Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said that Kanakadasa had advocated equality and his message was still relevant to the society. Everyone should become human being. Shudra community was denied access to the temples. Now, once again, the women folk were being denied the entry into some temples. If the people failed to raise their voice against such ill-treatment, probably in future the entry of temples could be denied to all Shudra communities, he said.
Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar said that “politics is not stagnated water. It’s like flowing water. Even then, Siddaramaiah has lost the opportunity of forming the government. Our people will soon forget the people who served them. But the defeat of Siddaramaiah has pained me more than my death. Truth is always bitter and hard to digest. But the truth does not have death. People of Kolar district will never forget former chief minister Siddaramaiah who implemented KC Valley and Ettinahole projects”, he said.
Siddaramaiah’s fans felicitated him on the occasion. After the programme, tableaux were displayed and cultural programmes were conducted.
Former union minister and MP KH Muniyappa, MLC Nasser Ahmed, MLAs K Srinivas Gowda, SN Narayanaswamy, District Kuruba Sangha president Chikkahanumappa, Deputy Commissioner J Manjunath, Dalit leader CM Muniyappa, District Congress president K Chandra Reddy, BJP leader Om Shakti Chalapathi, City municipal council former president Prakash, N Rajanna, Anche Ashwath, Tyagaraj Muddappa and others were present.
‘In five states, election result will be against the BJP administration. The strength of BJP is declining at the centre. A person should be identified on the basis of personality and not on the basis of caste or religion. The people who speak on the basis of caste and religion are real vested interests of the society, communals and fundamentals. If they have real concerns towards the development, they would not oppose the jayantis of social reformers. If they have social concern, they should try to build casteless and classless society. Those who oppose the Constitution are unfit to rule the country’.
- Siddaramaiah, Former Chief Minister
‘Siddaramaiah is Bhageeratha who irrigated plain land. If he had contested from Kolar constituency, he would not have defeated. Nasser Ahmed and myself have appealed him to contest from Kolar constituency. But he did not come. His defeat pained me most. People forget those who served the society. If he had contested in Kolar, history would have been created. But he did not come out of his constituency. Everyone should take a decision to strengthen his hands in future’.
- K.R Ramesh Kumar, Speaker
‘Congress party MLAs phone tapping is the creation of BJP. It’s their culture. The state government has not involved in such cheap activity. No MLA has complained to Siddaramaiah. It is the habit of BJP. It has done such things when it was in power. Based on that experience, the BJP leaders have been making such allegations. They do not have concerns towards farmers. They have been doing politics even in drought. No BJP leader has guts to speak to Central leadership in favour of farmers’.
- Krishna Byre Gowda, Rural Development Minister
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Lakshadweep hosts first-ever investors' meet to unlock fisheries, aquaculture potential
Kavaratti (PTI): The Centre, in collaboration with the Lakshadweep administration, has organised a first-of-its-kind investors' meet in the union territory to boost the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
The meet on "Investment Opportunities in Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector of Lakshadweep Islands" was organised at Bangaram Island on Saturday.
The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAHD), Government of India joined hands with the Lakshadweep administration to organise the event, according to an official statement.
"This was a first-of-its-kind investors' meet in the Island, wherein various Investors from across the country participated. So far, investments to the tune of approximately Rs 519 crore have been envisaged," the statement said.
The event was attended by union ministers Rajiv Ranjan Singh, S P Singh Baghel and George Kurian, along with Praful Patel, the Administrator of Lakshadweep.
An interactive session was held as part of the meet to provide investors with a platform to share experiences and highlight challenges.
They outlined several issues, including transportation of the production to the mainland, cold storage requirements, ice plants, and development of chilled fish handling centres for post-harvest management.
The Investors called for value-added facilities for sashimi-grade tuna, fish oil refining capacities, the requirement of skilled labour, and ornamental fish brood banks for the strategic utilisation of Lakshadweep's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEC) to drive sustainable growth.
In his keynote address, Ranjan Singh said that the Centre issued fishing rules for the EEZ and hence, the fishermen operating there can now legally fish with an authorised "access pass," enabling them to export high-value tuna and other fish products to international markets.
As per international law, fishery resources present in India's EEZ will now be recognised as "Indian origin," which would further facilitate the export of fish products, he added.
The minister further said that the Centre issued the 'High Seas Fishing Guidelines' granting fishing vessels flying the Indian flag the legal right to operate in these waters, it said. He also urged investors to come forward and seize the vast investment opportunities in the sector.
Baghel, in his address, highlighted Lakshadweep's untapped fisheries potential and called for the need to bridge the gap between the archipelago's current production of 14,000 tonnes and its potential of 1 lakh tonnes.
He emphasised that the islands are naturally suited for premium-quality tuna fishing using pole-and-line and handline methods are globally recognised for their clean and sustainable practices. With proper branding, certification, and modern value-chain development, Lakshadweep tuna can access high-end international markets.
He urged exporters to explore newer markets and leverage existing government welfare schemes to strengthen the fisheries value chain.
Minister Kurian focused on emerging investment domains such as seaweed farming and ornamental fisheries, which offer high returns and diversification opportunities.
He emphasised that India must harness its vast EEZ to boost production, strengthen deep-sea fishing, and create value-added seafood products, driving the blue economy forward.
Administrator Patel affirmed the collective commitment to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of leading the blue revolution and urged stakeholders to share sector-wise and policy-related suggestions to help frame Lakshadweep's first fishing policy.
Highlighting upcoming initiatives such as the Minicoy airport development and cooperative society strengthening, Patel assured full support to the investors, with plans for a follow-up meeting in Delhi to accelerate progress.
The investors' meet brought together 22 key investors from various parts of the country. Over 200 participants joined in hybrid mode, the statement said.
The event was attended by senior officials from the Department of Fisheries of the Centre and the UT along with local fishermen societies, the statement added.
