CM Yediyurappa meets Sitharaman, seeks special grant of Rs 5,495 cr for state
New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday called on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and urged the Centre to accept the 14th Finance Commission's recommendation for a special grant of Rs 5,495 crore to the state on account of reduced devolution, an official statement said.
Yediyurappa is in the national capital on a two-day visit, with the state's cabinet expansion as the top agenda. He is also meeting several union ministers to discuss the developmental works in Karnataka.
In the meeting with the finance minister, Yediyurappa sought release of pending funds under various heads, the statement said.
He said the state government has received only Rs 869.40 crore as performance grant to urban and rural local bodies against the recommendation of Rs 2,100.25 crore. He requested for release of the balance amount of Rs 1230.85 crore, the statement added.
With regard to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNGREGA) Scheme, Yediyurappa sought early release of outstanding material dues of nearly Rs 665.09 crore and unskilled wage dues of Rs 54.65 crore
The chief minister also appealed to the government to notify an additional 50 days under Section 3(4) of the MNGREGA as Karnataka has faced an unprecedented pandemic.
Yediyurappa is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP National President J P Nadda on Friday.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
