No political clearance was either sought or issued: MEA on Prajwal Revanna's travel to Germany
New Delhi, May 2: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that no political clearance was either sought from or issued by it in respect of travel of suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna to Germany.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also said that no visa is required for diplomatic passport holders to travel to Germany.
Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, is accused of sexual harassment of several women and is believed to be in Germany.
The Janata Dal (Secular) has already suspended the Hassan MP.
"No Political Clearance was either sought from or issued by MEA in respect of the travel of the said MP to Germany," Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing while replying to a volley of questions on the MP's reported travel to Germany.
"Obviously, no visa note was issued either. No visa is required for diplomatic passport holders to travel to Germany. The Ministry has not issued visa note for any other country," the MEA spokesperson said.
Asked about whether the MEA may consider revocation of his passport in view of the allegations of sexual harassment against him, Jaiswal did not give a direct reply.
"As regards the possible revocation of the passport of any individual, I would refer you to the relevant provisions of the Passport Act 1967. We are not in receipt of any directions from any court in this regard," he said.
The government of Karnataka has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations against Revanna.
#WATCH | On JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "No political clearance was either sought from or issued by MEA in respect of the travel of the said MP to Germany. Obviously, no visa note was issued either. No visa is required for diplomatic passport… pic.twitter.com/wltTjWuVgo
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2024
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K'taka govt contemplating hiking water tariff by 1 paise per litre: DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Mar 14 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said the government was planning to hike the water tariff by one paise per litre, claiming that water rates in Bengaluru have not been revised since 2014.
In view of the losses, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has proposed a hike of seven to eight paise per litre, he said.
"But I have told them that 7-8 paise is too much. The government is contemplating a one-paise hike per litre. We will discuss the matter with city MLAs before making a decision," said Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio.
The minister was responding to Congress MLC Ramoji Gowda, who urged the government to expedite the supply of Cauvery water to households given the approaching summer.
"We had a difficult year last year. As many as 7,000 borewells dried up, forcing the government to take over private water tankers. We have executed the Cauvery 5th Stage project, which is providing water to 110 villages," he said.
March 22 is Water Conservation Day, and the government has decided to observe a month-long campaign to create awareness about water conservation, he added, in a statement issued by his office.
Shivakumar alleged that builders had constructed large apartment complexes but had not paid deposits to the BWSSB.
"They have taken connections illegally. We have issued notices to them," he said.
He also warned that the government would take over water tankers this summer as well.
"The water tanker business has become a mafia. We have also decided to fill all the lakes with treated water to help recharge groundwater. The Cauvery 6th Stage plan is also ready," he said.
Noting that many people were using drinking water to wash livestock and water gardens, the minister added, "Many of them are covering bare ground with concrete, which affects water absorption. We will take action on these issues. The water conservation month will help create awareness about all these concerns."
Responding to BJP MLC Keshava Prasad, who raised concerns about compensation for those displaced by the Alamatti Dam and objections raised by Maharashtra, the Deputy Chief Minister said, "I believe an all-party delegation must go to Delhi and urge the Centre to issue a Gazette notification on the third stage of the Upper Krishna project."
When MLC Nagaraj Yadav drew attention to delays in waste disposal, Shivakumar said, "Solid waste management has become a mafia. A tender was called in the past, but vendors collectively moved the court, halting all work."
He added, "The court has yet to deliver a judgment. Some MLAs are blackmailing us over garbage dumping pits—I don’t want to name them. They are demanding Rs 800 crore for their constituencies. Garbage trucks have been parked in Mahadevapura constituency for several days now, and it has become a major issue."
"We are planning to visit Indore to study their waste management model. We haven’t called for a tender, yet the Opposition is claiming I have made Rs 15,000 crore," Shivakumar stated.
