Karnataka cabinet approves proposal to declare 21 more taluks as drought hit
Bengaluru, (PTI): The Karnataka cabinet has given its consent to declare 21 more taluks as drought hit, taking the total number of such taluks to 216. As such, it has claimed a total relief of Rs 5,326.87 crore from the Centre, the state's Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs H K Patil said on Thursday.
Karnataka has a total of 236 taluks in 31 districts.
"The cabinet today gave its approval to declare 21 more taluks as drought hit. These are in addition to 195 already declared as drought affected. Out of 21 taluks, 10 are facing severe drought," Patil said.
Briefing reporters about the cabinet decisions, he said that the total agricultural and horticultural crop loss in the state due to drought is estimated to be about Rs 33,770 crore, and the state has claimed relief of Rs 4,414 from the Centre for this, as per norms.
"Also, Rs 355 crore has been sought for the loss of livestock, and drinking water relief of Rs 554 crore. So the total relief claimed is Rs 5,326.87 crore," he said.
The minister said the cabinet had also expressed concern over central ministers delaying appointments for state ministers seeking to make requests for relief in person. The chief minister has tasked the revenue minister with visiting Delhi to speed things up, he added.
With an aim at ensuring the delivery of justice at the doorstep of citizens in rural areas, the cabinet has given in-principle clearance to establish 100 rural courts across the state.
The minister said that the village courts would be set up for panchayats or a cluster of panchayats and they will be of the same level as courts of the Judicial Magistrate of First Class.
The Central government will provide a one-time grant of Rs 18 lakh per court and Rs 3.5 lakh as recurring expenditure, he said. A proposal granting Rs 100 crore for this has been cleared by the cabinet. "As per initial estimates, it will cost Rs 25-30 crore crore per year for 100 courts," he added.
The law department and high court will work out the implementation of the system, as judges have to be appointed by them, the minister said, adding that details of where and when these courts will start would be shared at the earliest.
In other decisions, the cabinet has given administrative approval for a Rs 20 crore programme to strengthen and equip 11 police training schools in the state.
In a move aimed at providing Piped Natural Gas (PNG) for domestic, commercial and industrial customers, and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for vehicles, the cabinet has given approval to the 'State Policy for the Development of City Gas Distribution Network'.
Sharing the highlights of the policy, Patil said it would promote the adoption of natural gas by the state as a green and clean fuel and ensure faster implementation of City Gas Distribution (CGD) infrastructure.
It would also help city gas distribution entities undertake safe operations and provide reliable uninterrupted supply of natural gas by maintaining the asset.
Permissions and clearances for the city gas distribution entity would also be given in a time-bound manner by providing policy framework and necessary support, as per the policy.
Moreover, it would encourage the use of natural gas for industrial and household purposes as well as commercial transport, which would help India fulfil its commitment to the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to reduce carbon emissions.
The policy would also encourage city gas distribution entities to develop compressed biogas plants in collaboration with the local bodies in the respective geographical areas, and promote the government's initiative under the Swachh Bharath Abhiyan -- "this will address the issue of waste disposal in the district," he added.
The cabinet has also given post-facto clearance for extending the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, which grants Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family, to sexual minorities as well.
It has also been decided to continue with the existing system, by providing cash in lieu of the additional five kg of rice to beneficiaries, under the Anna Bhagya scheme.
The cabinet has authorised the Chief Minister to decide on the schedule for calling the legislature session in Belagavi, the minister said.
It has also has given its approval for bringing in an ordinance that will tweak the law on compulsory rural service for doctors.
Till now, everyone who cleared medical exams had to do compulsory rural service. "Now it will be relaxed to the extent of posts available or to the extent of what the government decides...it will now not be mandatory, but the government will select doctors for rural service on merit basis," the minister said, adding that this has been done keeping in mind the unnecessary wastage of human resources.
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Kerala polls: Vijayan, Revanth Reddy trade barbs as campaigning ends
Kannur (Kerala)/Hyderabad (PTI): A war of words between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy turned acrimonious on Tuesday, the final day of campaigning for the April 9 Assembly polls.
The two leaders sparred on the virtual world as well, exchanging letters on their respective social media handles.
The escalation came after Vijayan, responding to Reddy's earlier remarks, used Malayalam expressions considered nearly derogatory, signalling strong disapproval of the Telangana CM's comments.
Reddy, campaigning for the UDF in Kollam district, hit back swiftly, likening Vijayan to PM Narendra Modi.
He said he would take any personal remarks from the senior leader as a "blessing" considering his age, but objected to what he described as insults directed at the people of Kerala. "But you cannot abuse our Kerala people," he said, hours before campaigning drew to a close.
The controversy began after Reddy had said "nee po mone Vijaya" by invoking a famous dialogue from superstar Mohanlal's blockbuster movie "Narasimham" while referring to Vijayan on April 1 during a UDF campaign roadshow in Nemom constituency.
Earlier in the day, while reacting to Reddy's earlier remarks, Vijayan said a CM must maintain basic standards of conduct and questioned whether such dignity was being followed.
In his response to a query, Vijayan used Malayalam words that were seen as nearly derogatory for Reddy, signalling his strong disapproval of the remarks made against him.
Sharply reacting to the CM's objectionable remarks, Congress leader V D Satheesan said Vijayan appeared to have "completely lost composure" and warned that any further deterioration in his conduct would have brought "greater embarrassment" to the state.
After the critical remarks during the press meet, Vijayan wrote on his 'X' handle that political differences are natural, but expressing strong disagreement through personally insulting remarks is an attitude that he rejects. Reddy's statements lacked factual backing.
In a detailed letter attached with the 'X' post addressing the Telangana CM, Vijayan said the experience of the people of Kerala was "vastly different" from what Reddy had portrayed.
He clarified that he did not intend to engage in a debate over the performance of the Telangana government, stating that it was for the people of Telangana and political parties there to assess their government.
Referring to Reddy's comments, Vijayan said the LDF government has been consistently publishing progress reports over the past 10 years on the implementation of its election promises, underlining its commitment to continuous accountability.
He also rejected the allegation of "selective appropriation" of Kerala's achievements, including its top ranking in the NITI Aayog SDG Index, and said such criticism was misplaced.
Dismissing claims of industrial stagnation, Vijayan said Kerala has made significant strides in the startup ecosystem and ease of doing business, adding that these achievements have been widely acknowledged.
He also alleged that key infrastructure projects in Kerala, including the Kochi Metro and Vizhinjam Port, faced delays under previous Congress-led governments at the Centre, while long-pending promises such as a railway coach factory remained unfulfilled.
Vijayan further accused the BJP-led Union government of discrimination against Kerala and said the state has been actively resisting what he described as "anti-federal and undemocratic" policies through legal and political means, including approaching the Supreme Court.
He also rejected Reddy's criticism that the LDF was not vocal enough against the BJP, asserting that Kerala has been at the forefront of defending constitutional values.
Concluding his letter, Vijayan reiterated the state government's commitment to building a "Nava Keralam" and moving forward as a model for others.
On April 1, while addressing party workers in Nemom, Reddy used the popular Malayalam film dialogue "Nee po mone Vijaya". He adapted it to target Vijayan, saying "Nee po mone Vijaya".
Reddy went further, claiming that Vijayan's "time is over" and that his "expiry date has passed".
Responding to these allegations, Vijayan had said that the Telangana CM was "misinformed" and accused him of "ridiculing" Kerala and its people while trying to hide the weaknesses of his own state.
In a later response, Reddy defended his remarks and said that many of the statistics cited by Vijayan were taken from the NITI Aayog SDG Index 2023 24, arguing that the data was already outdated.
Reddy in his letter questioned the veteran Marxist leader's claim that Kerala would become the first state to completely eradicate extreme poverty by late 2025 had been achieved. Further, he chooses to conduct himself respectfully and gracefully in his criticism of the Kerala government's performance, whereas Vijayan opted to use language of poor taste.
Reddy, in his letter on X, said that while he respects NITI Aayog's corruption rankings, he wants to know why the infamous gold smuggling case, linked to individuals connected to the CMO, remains unresolved, and why 4.5 kg of gold allegedly misappropriated from the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple has not been accounted for.
