Campaign to collect "sacred" mud and water from K'taka ahead of unveiling of Kempegowda statue
Bengaluru, Sep 1: Ahead of the grand unveiling of 108-feet-tall bronze statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, the founder of Bengaluru city, at the International Airport here, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday launched a unique campaign of collecting the "sacred" mud and water from all the villages of the state.
The mud and water collected will be used in the Kempegowda Theme Park, which will be developed at the premises of the Airport, for which the ground breaking ceremony was organised today.
The government plans to unveil the statue on November 1, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Chief Guest for the event.
"The government is spending Rs 84 crores to erect Kempegowda statue and to develop Theme Park at the airport. The statue has been named as the 'Statue of Prosperity' to symbolise Kempegowda's vision of development," Bommai said.
He said his state government will also take measures to install a Kempegowda statue on the premises of Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature and secretariat here at a cost of Rs 50 crore, and a similar one will be installed at Lalbagh, a botanical garden here too.
This campaign of collecting mud and water will include all the sections of society and will be a big step towards building Nava Karnataka (New Karnataka) and this symbolises the commitment of the government towards inclusive development, he added.
Minister C N Ashwath Narayan who is the Vice President of Kempegowda Heritage Places Development Authority said, this campaign will be held for 45 days prior to the dedication of the 108-feet statue.
During the campaign, the sacred mud and water will be collected from villages in all the 31 districts, especially from Lakes, Ponds and Rivers, he said, adding that the government is intending to unveil the statue on November 1st, however, the date will be finalized depending on the schedule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Noting that as part of the campaign a vehicle mounted with an LED screen will ply in each district of the state, Narayan said this will air the messages of great personalities and a documentary on Kempegowda will be played.
The theme park at BIA spreading across 23 acres will be developed in two phases and the first phase will be completed in 9 months time, and for this purpose Rs 20 crores has been sanctioned, he said.
The theme park will comprise an amphitheater, pathway, subway, A V exhibition system, 3D projection, fountain, flower garden, VIP lounge, restrooms, kiosks, modern tiles, pavilions, concrete walls etc.
Also, a Kempegowda Study Centre will be established in Bangalore University at a cost of Rs 50 crores, he added.
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Trump says EU has until July 4 to approve last year's trade deal or it will face higher tariffs
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump has said in a social media post that goods from the European Union would face higher tariff rates if the 27-member bloc fails to approve last year's trade framework by July 4.
The announcement on Thursday appeared to be a deadline extension after the president said last Friday that EU autos would face a higher 25 per cent tariff starting this week. Trump made the updated announcement after what he described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Still, the US president was displeased that the European Parliament had yet to finalize the trade arrangement reached last year, which was further complicated in February by the US Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency to impose the initial tariffs used to pressure the EU into talks.
"A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!" Trump posted. "I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels."
It was unclear from the post whether Trump was implying that the tariff rates would jump on all EU goods or the increase would only apply to autos.
His latest statement indicates he might be backing away from his earlier threat on EU autos by giving the European Parliament several more weeks to approve the agreement.
Under the original terms of the framework, the US would charge a 15 per cent tax on most goods imported from the EU.
But since the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has levied a 10 per cent tariff while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues, aiming to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.
