IT companies also responsible for floods, BJP leader tells Mohandas Pai
Bengaluru: N R Ramesh, BJP Bangalore South district president, has snapped back at Mohandas Pai, senior information technology industrialist, saying in an open letter that the IT industry was equally answerable for the floods tormenting the state capital.
Ramesh wrote to Pai that IT/BT companies as well as Tech Parks in Bengaluru had contributed immensely to the mess that several parts of the city are currently in.
The open letter was written in the backdrop of Pai’s accusation that poor administration, an ineffective government, and high levels of corruption had resulted in the public works being of low quality and the rise of illegal construction in Bengaluru. All these factors, coupled with a lack of urban reforms, had made way for the floods due to the heavy downpour in the city, he had stated. Pai had launched the 'Save Bengaluru campaign' and tweeted about the failure of the Central and state governments and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
Ramesh has told Mohandas Pai, “You have, however, preferred to maintain silence on the contribution of the IT/BT sector to the current situation… IT companies that are members of the Outer Ring Road Companies Association and the Electronics City Industries Association and Tech Parks in the ITPL area of Mahadevapura had encroached upon stormwater drains (rajakaluve) and the buffer zones while constructing their buildings. You seem to have forgotten this.”
The district president, further, said that the companies in Electronic City had merely received all sorts of benefits of the system, but failed to pay Rs 350 crore to Rs 400 crore as property tax to BBMP.
He also pointed out, “Earlier administrations and officers had supported the IT companies in the latters’ works and remained silent during encroachment, which also made way for the floods in the region.”
Ramesh accused the industrialist of trying to blemish the stature of a historic city like Bengaluru by focusing on only the current administration and saying the system has failed in its duties.
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Bengaluru: Four arrested for housebreaking, threats, extortion; fake PSI among accused
Bengaluru: Vidyaranyapura police have arrested four persons, including a man posing as a Police Sub-Inspector (PSI), for allegedly breaking into a house, threatening the occupants, and extorting money while wearing police uniforms.
The arrested accused have been identified as Mallikarjuna, Pramod, Vinay, and Hrithik.
Police said the accused had hatched a plan to pose as police personnel, conduct fake raids, and extort money from residents by intimidation.
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According to the police, Mallikarjuna had failed the PSI examination twice and later falsely projected himself as a PSI. He allegedly conducted photo shoots in his hometown, Siraguppa, wearing a police uniform, baton, cap, and shoes, claiming to be serving as a PSI in Bengaluru.
On December 7, the four accused allegedly went to the house of Naveen in the Vidyaranyapura limits, threatened him with a stick and an iron rod, and claimed they had information that he was selling ganja. Under the pretext of searching, they allegedly extorted ₹87,000 through bank transfer, ₹53,000 in cash kept in the house, and ₹2,000 from his wallet.
Following Naveen’s complaint, Vidyaranyapura police registered a case and launched an operation, leading to the arrest of all four accused. Police have seized ₹45,000 in cash and the car used to commit the crime.
Further investigation is underway.
