Ankola Landslide: One truck located in Gangavali River, says Minister Krishna Byre Gowda
Bengaluru: Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda announced on Wednesday that a truck has been located in the Gangavali River amid the ongoing search for 3 victims who went missing after a landslide in Shirur on July 16. One among them is truck driver Arjun, a native of Kerala.
Minister Byre Gowda confirmed on X that a truck has been definitively identified in the river, and naval deep divers will soon attempt to anchor it. A long boom excavator is being used to dredge the river, while an advanced drone-based Intelligent Underground Buried Object Detection system has been deployed. The Coast Guard will conduct a helicopter search for any bodies in the water, he said.
Update on operation at Shiroor landslide.
— Krishna Byre Gowda (@krishnabgowda) July 24, 2024
One truck has been definitively located in the water and that the naval deep divers will attempt anchoring shortly.
The long arm boomer excavator will be used to dredge the river.
Advanced drone based Intelligent Underground Buried…
The search for the victims, now in its ninth day, intensified with the arrival of a long boom excavator at the Gangavali River, where a sonar signal had detected metal parts. The excavator will remove mud from a depth of 60 meters. Additionally, a state-of-the-art radio frequency scanner is set to aid in locating Arjun and two other missing individuals.
ALSO READ: Bihar woman found dead with throat slit in Bengaluru, police suspect murder
The Navy and disaster management forces are employing advanced technology, including sonar and radar, in the search operations. Former army officer M Indrabalan will also join the mission with sophisticated surveillance equipment. Four expert teams from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Surathkal have also arrived to assist.
The Karnataka government clarified that there was no delay in initiating the rescue mission for Arjun. The search began immediately after the complaint was received on the night of July 19, with operations starting on July 20. The Karnataka High Court has also been informed of the rescue effort.
The landslide, which occurred on National Highway 66, led to significant damage and injuries. Rescue operations commenced shortly after the incident, with efforts involving national and state disaster management forces, the fire services, the navy, and local authorities. The government had initially warned against moving the soil quickly to avoid triggering further landslides.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
ALSO READ: Budget session: Law Min. HK Patil introduces Microfinance bill in Karnataka assembly
“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
