Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency: Pramod Madhwaraj to contest under JDS symbol?
Udupi: Contemplations are on to field Congress leader and former Minister Pramod Madhwaraj from the Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha constituency, which has been ceded to JDS after Congress-JDS seat-sharing pact. The final decision regarding this is expected soon.
Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and JDS Supremo HD Deve Gowda have already met Pramod Madhwaraj. Pramod is looking forward to getting Congress leaders' opinion and node. Pramod Madhwaraj is sure to contest from the constituency if both the parties agree, sources said.
Responding on this, former Minister Pramod Madhwaraj said over the telephone, " Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha constituency has been ceded to JDS after Congress-JDS seat-sharing pact. Here, both the parties are contesting jointly. Congress and JDS will jointly field a candidate. Only symbol will be of JDS. Discussions are on over the selection of the candidate."
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41 lakh illicit liquor seized, 1.84 lakh arrested in major drive: K'taka Minister tells Assembly
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka Excise Department has conducted a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor trade over the last two years, resulting in arrests and seizures of alcohol, Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapur said on Tuesday.
As many as 1,09,017 people were arrested, and seizures included 13.66 lakh litres of liquor and 27.19 lakh litres of beer, he said in a written reply to a starred question by Harihar BJP MLA B P Harish in the Karnataka Assembly.
The Minister said the enforcement drive covered the financial year 2023–24, 2024–25 up to June, and 2025–26 from July to October, targeting unauthorised liquor manufacture, storage, sale and transportation across the State.
"During this period, statewide enforcement drives resulted in a total of 1,84,570 raids against illegal liquor sales,” Timmapur said.
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He noted that 9,179 non-bailable cases and 91,968 bailable and compoundable cases under Section 15(A) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, were registered during the same period.
According to him, there have been no reports indicating that students have become addicted to alcohol due to illegal liquor sales.
The sale of alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, and the department has issued periodic instructions to initiate legal action against violators, with strict enforcement and investigation measures in place, the Minister said.
Excise officials are carrying out regular road and night patrols, collecting intelligence, monitoring habitual offenders and conducting raids to identify illicit distillation units, unauthorised liquor outlets and spurious liquor manufacturing centres, he said, adding the department is also enforcing the law to prevent the production, storage, sale and transport of spurious, non-duty-paid and unauthorised liquor.
Regular patrols are being conducted on national and state highways, with suspicious vehicles being subjected to checks.
At the district level, standing committee meetings are held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and joint operations are carried out with the police and forest departments to curb excise-related offences.
The department is also conducting awareness programmes through Gram Sabhas and in schools and colleges to educate the public and students about the physical, mental and social health hazards associated with alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Timmapur added.
