"Embarrassing situation, big people from all parties" involved in illegal sand mining: K'taka min
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said that "big people from all parties" are involved in illegal sand mining, after a woman MLA claimed that she was receiving threats from the sand mafia following her attempts to stop their activities in Raichur district of the state.
This was an "embarrassing situation," he said.
The Home minister was responding to a question raised by JD (S) MLA from Devadurga, Karemma Nayak in the Legislative Assembly.
"I have not shared details of who is involved, who is the leader behind it. It is a big racket. Big people are involved. Big people from all parties are involved...it is a little embarrassing situation," Parameshwara said while speaking on illegal sand mining in Raichur district.
He said he will soon call a meeting on how police should tackle it.
"We have no mercy on this. I will call the meeting of legislators from the district and take their suggestions before taking any decision," he added.
Karemma Nayak, earlier raising the issue said, she is speaking with a lot of pain about illegal sand mining in her constituency.
"After becoming the MLA I have been honestly fighting to stop illegal sand mining, but it has not been possible till today.....sand is illegally mined and transported using JCBs (earth movers) and tippers from Krishna river overnight. I'm getting lots of complaints from farmers about the activity also affecting their crops like chilli and cotton, with dust covering the crops," she said, adding that there has been no proper action despite her complaining to the authorities.
Stating that he has received threats at her house for raising voice against illegal sand mining, the MLA said, "I'm a woman MLA. What action is the government taking if such things are happening. Such things should stop.....those who came to threaten me did a press conference where two cops were deployed for them."
There is demand for sand locally, the government floated tenders for extraction and supply of sand, but the bids have not been opened, she said. "Big hands are behind it as illegal mining means money. It results in loss of royalty for the government."
Parameshwara said that the illegal sand mining is not limited to Devadurga and that it happens across the state and necessary measures are being taken to control it from time to time.
Highlighting the role that the Mines and Geology Department has to play in controlling such activities, he said there is a Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, and there is a committee comprising officials including Deputy Commissioner and the police. "When a complaint is filed, the police take action," he said.
There is also a separate Sand Task Force, he said, adding that "sometimes there are lapses. I will see to it that they work properly....there is no question of compromising on this issue, but we can't stop this in one day."
The minister also assured protection and safety to Karemma and other legislators.
"I want to assure Karemma Nayak that we will not let any trouble in any way. We, the police department, are here to protect you. This assurance is for all legislators. In case of any lapses I will certainly take action," he assured.
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'I am calling it off': Arijit Singh retires from playback singing
New Delhi (PTI): "I am calling it off, it was a wonderful journey," said Arijit Singh on Tuesday, announcing that he will not be taking up any new assignments as a playback singer, a decision that sent shockwaves across his fan base.
In a message shared on his social media pages, Singh said he has decided to step away from playback singing, a move that comes at the peak of his career as one of the most popular and in-demand voices in Hindi cinema.
“Hello, Happy New Year to all. I want to thank you all for giving me so much love all these years as listeners. I am happy to announce that I am not going to be taking any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey,” he wrote.
The 38-year-old, however, clarified that he would continue to make music independently and complete existing commitments.
“God has been really kind to me. I am a fan of good music and in future will be learning more and do more on my own as a small little artist. Thanks again for all your support. I still have to finish some pending commitments, will finish them. So you might get some releases this year. Just to be clear that I won’t stop making music,” he added.
While Singh did not elaborate on the reasons behind his decision, the announcement was met with disbelief with many fans expressing their dismay in the comments section.
"Too soon sir, can’t be real," wrote one user.
Another person said, "This cannot be true."
"Arreey but whyyyyyy ??????? Why are you doing this to us ??? Please don’t go man. We need you for atleast 20 more years," read a comment.
Singh's rise in the Indian music industry has been nothing short of meteoric.
He started out as a contestant on reality show “Fame Gurukul” in 2005 and made his playback debut in 2011 with “Phir Mohabbat” from the Emraan Hashmi-starrer "Murder 2".
He broke into the big league with the soulful hit “Tum Hi Ho” from “Aashiqui 2” in 2013. The success of the song made him a household name.
After that, Singh quickly became the voice of many moods, be it love, heartbreak or happiness. He went on to deliver a string of chartbusters such as “Channa Mereya”, “Agar Tum Saath Ho”, “Raabta”, “Kesariya”, “Gerua”, “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” and "Chaleya".
Over the years, he has lent his voice to nearly all of Hindi cinema’s leading stars -- from superstars Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan to actors like Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.
Singh recorded songs in multiple Indian languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Marathi, and collaborated with leading composers and filmmakers.
His work earned him numerous Filmfare Awards, including multiple Best Male Playback Singer honours.
In July last year, Singh edged past global pop stars Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran to emerge the most followed artist on music streaming platform Spotify with 151 million followers.
