Mangaluru, July 21: MLC Ivan D'Souza has said that the Congress and the JD (S) will face elections through the alliance in the next Lok Sabha polls as well.

Speaking at a press conference held at the City Municipal office on Saturday, he said preparations for the Lok Sabha elections are going on in the state. Discussions are being held with activists across the state.

While the government is taking the Lok Sabha polls seriously, it has set the target to win 20 of the 28 seats in the state. The election preparations will be held under the leadership of the new president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Dinesh Gundu Rao.

It has been proposed in the Legislative Council to issue free bus pass to all students. There is a delay in implementing the scheme due to lack of grants. In the next few days, the government will move forward to distribute free bus pass.

Chief Minister Kumaraswamy has approved to establish a Christian Development Council. It should be implemented immediately, He demanded.

Rs 200 crore have been granted for Christian Development Corporation in 2018-19. The fund must be increased to Rs 300 crore in future, he added.

5,980 students of the district have been given Rs 20.46 crore at zero percent interest in four years. The government had promised to give two crore jobs. But it was not possible. Loans given to students must be waived off immediately,” Ivan D'Souza urged

850 applications submitted under the home-shop scheme

The government has introduced a new scheme called 'Home-Shop Scheme' to rehabilitate the minorities who have been acquitted in the communal riots / communal violence cases.

Those who lost their homes and business places, and those who were released as innocents must utilise this scheme, he added.

For this scheme, already 850 applications have been submitted in the district. August 31st is the last date for the submission of such application. The government is committed to protecting minorities, he said.




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Sambhal (UP) (PTI): The district administration has imposed prohibitory orders and barred the entry of outsiders till November 30 after three men were killed and scores of others, including security and administration personnel, injured in a violence by protesters opposing a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque.

The order has been issued under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), said District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya late on Sunday.

"No outsiders, other social organisations or public representatives will enter the district border without the permission of the competent officer," said the order, which came into force with immediate effect.

Violation of the order will be punishable under Section 223 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the BNS.

Violence broke out in the district on Sunday as protesters opposing the survey of the Jama Masjid clashed with security personnel. The protesters torched vehicles and pelted the police with stones while the security personnel used tear gas and batons to disperse the mob.

Divisional Commissioner (Moradabad) Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said on Sunday, "Shots were fired by miscreants... the PRO of the superintendent of police suffered a gunshot to the leg, the circle officer was hit by pellets and 15 to 20 security personnel were injured in the violence."

A constable also suffered a serious head injury while the deputy collector fractured his leg.

"Three people, identified as Naeem, Bilal and Nauman, have been killed," Singh said.

Twenty-one people, including two women, have been detained and a probe has been launched, the official had said, adding that those accused in the violence would be booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).

District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya said, "The casualty count stands at three. The reason for the deaths of two is clear -- bullet wounds from countrymade pistols. The reason for the death of the third person is not clear but it will be after post-mortem."

Internet services were soon suspended in Sambhal tehsil for 24 hours and the district administration declared a holiday in all schools for Monday.

Tension had been brewing in Sambhal since November 19 when the Jama Masjid was first surveyed on the court's orders following a petition claiming that a Harihar temple had stood at the site.

Trouble started early on Sunday when a large group of people gathered near the mosque and started shouting slogans as the survey team began its work.

District officials said the survey could not be completed on Tuesday and was planned for Sunday to avoid interference with afternoon prayers.

Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is a petitioner in the case, had earlier said the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) ordered the constitution of an "advocate commission" to survey the mosque.

The court has said a report should be filed after conducting a videography and photography survey through the commission, he had said.

On Sunday, Jain urged the Archaeological Survey of India to take control of the "temple".

Gopal Sharma, a local lawyer for the Hindu side, had earlier claimed the temple that once stood at the site was demolished by Mughal Emperor Babur in 1529.