BJP MLA Nehru Olekar quits party over denial of ticket
Haveri (PTI): BJP MLA Nehru Olekar on Thursday quit the party after being denied a ticket to contest in the May 10 Assembly elections.
The 65-year-old two-time MLA from the Scheduled Castes community hit the streets along with his supporters to protest against the party overlooking him for the elections.
He was replaced by Gavisiddappa Dyamannavar in Haveri (SC) constituency.
Olekar claimed that thousands of BJP workers were resigning from the primary membership of the party. "We would wait for the opinion of our workers and we will take a decision (future course of action) based on the outcome of a meeting with them," he said.
He added that he had an offer from the JD(S) and another party.
Earlier this year, Olekar was convicted to two years' simple imprisonment on charges of corruption for allegedly diverting government funds to his contractor sons. The order was later stayed by the Karnataka High Court.
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Karnataka fast-tracks investment approvals, cuts red tape across key clearances: Minister Patil
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Saturday said the state government has fast-tracked approvals for investment projects and taken measures to cut red tape.
He said that since 2022, Karnataka has approved 2,028 projects worth Rs 5.11 lakh crore, which could create 7.16 lakh jobs.
Of these, Rs 69,564 crore has already been realised, generating 1.06 lakh jobs, he added.
“Karnataka fast-tracks approvals, cuts red tape,” the Minister for Large & Medium Industries said.
“Clear results of our government’s push to speed up approval processes are now evident. Not only have investment agreements been secured, but effective implementation is also underway,” he said in a post on X.
He added that simplified and swift approval processes are boosting investor confidence and providing greater impetus to industrial growth across the state.
“Karnataka’s investment-friendly environment is further strengthened by its culture of ease of doing business,” he said.
Noting that Karnataka is fast-tracking approvals and aligning departments and districts for on-ground delivery, the minister said: “We have overhauled 18 key approvals, cutting land use change clearance time from 120 to 45 days, fire NOC from 60 to 21 days, factory plan approvals from 30 to 14 days, and electrical approvals to just 10 days.”
In a competitive landscape, Karnataka is acting decisively to ensure faster decisions, fewer delays, and a truly pro-industry ecosystem, he added.
