Karnataka cabinet clears projects worth Rs 3,400 cr, Bengaluru division gets major share
Chikkaballapura, Jul 2 (PTI): The Karnataka cabinet, in a meeting held atop the Nandi Hills here, on Wednesday approved development projects worth Rs 3,400 crores, of which Rs 2,050 crores were earmarked for districts falling under Bengaluru division alone, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said.
A key decision taken at the meeting was to rename Bangalore City University as Dr Manmohan Singh Bengaluru City University, in honour of the former Prime Minister, as proposed in the Budget.
The cabinet meeting was held atop the Nandi Hills here under Bengaluru division, as per the government's decision to hold such meetings in all the four revenue divisions of the state.
"We discussed and took decisions on 90 per cent of the subjects related to the Bengaluru division in this cabinet meeting. Projects or development works worth Rs 3,400 crores were approved, and out of this Rs 2,050 crores were for Bengaluru division alone," Siddaramaiah told reporters after the meeting.
Subjects related to education, health, drinking water, irrigation, lake filling projects were mainly deliberated and cleared by the cabinet, he added.
Deputy CM D K Shivakumar announced the formation of a Cabinet Sub-Committee under the chairmanship of Law Minister H K Patil to review the progress of the probe into illegal mining, recommend further steps to be taken, and submit a report to the government in a month's time.
Referring to Yettinahole project, the CM clarified it is primarily a drinking water project, and filling the lakes is secondary. The cabinet decided to first complete the project to provide drinking water to needy areas of Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, and Hassan districts in two years.
Noting that drinking water will be provided to 75 lakh people in 9 districts under this project, he said, out of 24.1 TMC of water, 14 TMC is required for drinking water.
A revised estimate of Rs 23,251 crores has been made for the Yettinahole Project, of which Rs 17,147 crores have been spent so far, Siddaramaiah further said, while overall about Rs 8,000 crore is required for completing the remaining project work, about Rs 6,000 crore is remaining after spending.
"The cost has increased due to land acquisition. The cabinet discussed this, and the matter (on providing remaining funds) will be brought before the next cabinet through the Finance department," he added.
The cabinet has also given its nod for the establishment of 31 residential schools at an outlay of Rs 1125.25 crores for the educational advancement of children of registered workers of the Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board.
It has also been decided to upgrade 8 Primary health care (PHC) in new taluks into Community Health Centres (CHCs) at an estimated cost of Rs 46 crore, the CM said.
Approval has been given to establish a high-tech flower market of international standards at a cost of Rs 141.5 crore by APMC in Chikkaballapur.
Construction of two hostels in Bangalore at a cost of Rs 10 crore to provide training including accommodation for candidates from backward classes for competitive exams like IAS and IPS was approved.
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World’s ‘nicest judge’ Frank Caprio, who drew huge online audience with his kindness, dies at 88
Rhode Island: Frank Caprio, the Rhode Island judge whose compassionate courtroom manner made him a global sensation, passed away on August 20 at the age of 88.
His death after “a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer” was announced through a statement on his Instagram account.
Widely known as “world’s Nicest Judge,” Caprio rose to international prominence through the television show Caught in Providence, which aired from 2000 and became an internet phenomenon years later. Clips of his empathetic judgments, often laced with humor, warmth, and kindness, attracted millions of viewers on social media, earning him a devoted following worldwide.
Born on November 24, 1936, Caprio served as a municipal judge in Providence from 1985 until his retirement in 2023. His courtroom became a symbol of compassion in justice. His most popular videos have been those where he calls children to the bench to help pass judgement on their parents.
“Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the courtroom and beyond,” his family wrote in their tribute. “His warmth, humor, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him.”
With nearly 3.5 million followers on his personal Instagram account and over 16 million on the show’s official page, he used his platform to highlight systemic issues such as the lack of equal access to the judicial system. In one video, he remarked, “The phrase, ‘With liberty and justice for all’ represents the idea that justice should be accessible to everyone. However, it is not.”
Even in the final years of his life, Caprio remained an advocate for fairness. Reflecting on his approach to the bench, he said in 2017: “I hope that people will take away that the institutions of government can function very well by exercising kindness, fairness, and compassion in their deliberations. We live in a very contentious society. I would hope that people will see that we can dispense justice without being oppressive.”
On social media platformX, Gov. Dan McKee called Caprio a “Rhode Island treasure” and ordered that flags in the state be flown at half-mast in his honor.
