SC dismisses plea against holding of 'Kambala' outside two districts of Karnataka
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea against the holding of buffalo racing sport 'Kambala' in parts of Karnataka other than Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, asking why it be restricted only to a particular area of the state.
The Kambala race, held in Karnataka between November and March, involves a pair of buffaloes tied to a plough and controlled by one person. They are made to run in parallel muddy tracks in a competition where the fastest team wins.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a plea filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, challenging a November 14 order of the Karnataka High Court.
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The high court had rejected the prayer to restrain the state from notifying any place outside the two districts of Dakshin Kannada and Udupi for holding Kambala.
"If they want to showcase the culture in different parts of the state, what is wrong? Let people in other parts of the state also familiarise with the culture. Why restrict it to a particular area only?" Justice Mehta observed during the hearing.
The counsel appearing for PETA India referred to an affidavit filed earlier by the state in the apex court which was then dealing with pleas concerning Kambala.
The counsel said in that affidavit, the state had submitted that it was a sport that was traditional in two coastal districts of Karnataka.
"It has nothing to do with the tradition and the culture in Bengaluru," the counsel argued, adding that now, the event is to be held at a ground in the state capital.
While dismissing the plea, the bench said, "One of these days, we may put some questions to PETA also".
In May 2023, a five-judge constitution bench of the apex court upheld the validity of amendment acts of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka which allowed bull-taming sport 'Jallikattu', bullock-cart races and buffalo racing sport Kambala, saying they were "valid legislations".
Jallikattu, also known 'Eruthazhuvuthal', is a sport played in Tamil Nadu as part of the Pongal harvest festival.
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Siddaramaiah seeks Centre's urgent intervention over commercial LPG cylinder shortage
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday sought the Centre's urgent intervention to ensure supply of adequate commercial LPG cyclinders to hotels and restaurants in Bengaluru.
He said hotels, restaurants and catering establishments in the city would be forced to suspend operations if supplies are not restored, affecting a large number of students and working professionals who depend on them for regular meals.
In his letter to Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, he also requested him to issue appropriate directions to the oil marketing companies to address the current supply constraints that would help ease the situation.
Referring to the March 9 order issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas prioritising LPG supply for domestic consumers, Siddaramaiah said while the intention behind the order to ensure uninterrupted LPG supply to households across the country is well understood and appreciated, its implementation appears to have led to an unintended shortage of commercial LPG in Bengaluru.
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He cited that several hotels and restaurant associations in the city have reported that they are unable to procure commercial LPG cylinders, and many establishments are expressing concern that they may have to temporarily shut operations if supplies are not restored soon.
Bengaluru has a large ecosystem of small restaurants, mess facilities, and catering units that serve lakhs of people every day.
According to him, as per the discussions held with the oil marketing companies, the state's commercial LPG demand has traditionally been supported by supplies from the three OMCs-IOCL (around 500-550 MT per day), HPCL (around 300 MT per day) and BPCL (around 230 MT per day) and the sudden disruption of this supply is now severely affecting hotels, catering establishments and other commercial users in Bengaluru.
Any disruption to their functioning will have a direct impact on daily life in the city, he said.
"This issue also affects a large number of students and working professionals who live away from their homes and depend on hotels and mess facilities for regular meals. In addition, Choultries (wedding halls), hostels, and event venues that rely on commercial LPG for food preparation are also facing uncertainty, particularly with scheduled social and community events," the chief minister said in the letter.
Given the scale of dependence on commercial LPG in a metropolitan city like Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah sought the union minister's intervention to ensure that adequate commercial LPG supply is made available to hotels, restaurants, choultries, community halls and any other pure commercial establishments.
"Appropriate directions to the oil marketing companies to address the current supply constraints would help ease the situation. A timely resolution will help ensure that businesses continue to operate smoothly while also avoiding inconvenience to thousands of people who rely on these services on a daily basis," he added.
