Ground water recharging drive: ‘Build more check dams, get Rs 1 cr prize’
60 GPs to get this prize says Minister DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Jan 24: Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar said that the department has planned to give Rs 1 crore each as prize to 60 gram panchayats which construct more check dams in order to improve the groundwater table in the state.
Inaugurating a one day workshop on ‘Water Conservation in ground water exploited areas’, organized by the National Water Mission and the Water Resources Minister at GKVK in the city on Thursday, the Minister said that the department has planned various programmes in order to improve ground water table. Among them, construction of check dams was one. Two gram panchayats which construct more check dams in each district would be selected and Rs 1 crore prize would be given to each of the gram panchayat. In the state, total 60 gram panchayats would be selected for this prize, he said.
The farmers should come forward to construct more percolation pits and check dams to recharge the groundwater. Officials should organize such programmes in each taluk to create awareness among farmers about water conservation and usage. The government has been investing crores of rupees in the name of subsidy for power to agriculture pump sets. But the farmers would not pay taxes. But lift the water illegally from canals through pump sets, he said.
The department has received complaints that farmers have created artificial tanks to store water from canals and sell it. As a result, the tail-end farmers were not getting sufficient water. A committee would be constituted shortly to give a report on action to be taken against the farmers who have illegal water connections, he said.
There were disputes between states in sharing water of Mahadayi, Krishna, Cauvery and other rivers. Now, another project Mekedatu was included into this series. Though the state government has taken up projects without harming other states, unnecessary disputes were being created, he said.
The government has decided to implement Ettinahole project in order to ensure permanent irrigation facility to Kolar, Tumkur, Chikkaballapura districts and people should support such pro-people projects, he appealed.
Central Water Mission Director Nitishwar Kumar, MLA Dr Ajay Singh, Agriculture University vice chancellor Dr Rajendra Prasad, Visvesvaraya Jal Nigam managing director Jayaprakash, Cauvery Neeravari Nigam managing director Prasanna and others were present.
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'Godman' Kharat held in 8th sexual exploitation case; court denies police remand, sends him to jail
Nashik (PTI): Police took custody of self-proclaimed godman-cum-astrologer Ashok Kharat in an eighth case related to sexual exploitation of women and produced him before a Nashik district court which sent him to jail till May 12 after rejecting the plea for his police remand on Thursday.
On April 29, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik police in north Maharashtra filed a request application in the court demanding Kharat's custody in the eighth case.
After the court granted them the necessary permission, the SIT took custody of Kharat, who was in jail in connection with the seventh case of sexual exploitation registered against him.
The 'godman', named in a dozen FIRs related to rape and financial fraud, was produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate B N Ichpurani in the eighth case through video conferencing due to security reasons.
The eighth case related to Kharat allegedly sexually exploiting a woman who had approached him in search of solutions to her family problems, according to police.
During the hearing, the prosecution demanded police custody of the accused in the latest case.
However, the defence strongly opposed the demand and argued that the SIT was giving same reasons for police custody every time and there was no strong reason for accepting their plea.
The court accepted the argument put forth by the defence and remanded Kharat to judicial custody till May 12 in the eighth case.
The SIT will produce Kharat in the court on Friday again and seek his police custody in the ninth case. As the self-styled godman has been granted judicial custody in the eighth case, he will be sent to Nashik Road Central Jail and the SIT will take his custody from there.
Meanwhile, Kharat's judicial custody in the fourth case ended on Thursday. On April 18, the accused was remanded to judicial custody till April 30 in the fourth case of sexual exploitation of women.
In a related development, the SIT conducted a search at Kharat's office in the 'Canada Corner' area of Nashik city on Wednesday. A 'panchnama' (record of search and seizure proceedings) was conducted and the office was locked and sealed again.
Kharat, a well-heeled man with political connections, was arrested for the first time on March 18 after a woman alleged he had repeatedly raped her for three years.
He is accused of sexually exploiting several women by claiming to have divine powers and knowledge of black magic, and also committing large-scale financial fraud.
The SIT is conducting a probe into 12 cases of sexual exploitation and financial fraud registered against the astrologer in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts.
