Karnataka CM announces Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia to next of kin of deceased in Bengaluru building collapse
Bengaluru, Oct 24: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh each to the next of kin of each deceased in a building collapse here, and said the government will bear the full medical expenses of those injured.
Faced with criticism over his government's handling of the situation in the rain-battered city, he said the worst-hit Yelahanka received 170 mm rainfall on a single day. It was the first time such a very heavy rain lashed the area in 125 years, but his government is not shedding responsibility citing record rains, and efforts are on to restore normalcy.
The building collapse incident, which claimed eight lives, was not due to the impact of rain, but owing to shoddy construction work, the CM said, adding, the building was constructed in a revenue layout unauthorisedly without taking any licence, and officials are being held responsible for it.
Siddaramaiah said eight people have been rescued. Three of the six injured are in a serious condition but all of them are out of danger.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the building collapse site at Babusapalya near Hennur, he said next of kin of those killed would be given an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh each -- Rs two lakh by the Labour Department and Rs three lakh by the city civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
The government is also thinking about giving ex-gratia to those injured, he added. The Chief Minister also visited the hospital where they are being treated.
"The money is not equivalent to the lives lost, but compensation has to be given as the deceased are labourers. All necessary arrangements will be made to send the bodies to their native places," he said.
The Chief Minister noted that the concerned Assistant Executive Engineer of the area has been suspended after the building collapse. "I have said the notice should be given to the zonal officer -- an IAS officer and also to the Executive Engineer of the area," he said.
Siddaramaiah appealed to the citizens to construct the houses in accordance with the law and not by violating it. Also, constructions should be stopped once notice is issued by the authorities. "In this case the work was not stopped, which has led to this unfortunate incident."
"This (building) collapse is not due to rain, but due to shoddy construction," he said.
The Chief Minister said he has instructed the BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath that no unauthorised constructions should be allowed for any reason, and in case unauthorised constructions are undertaken the Assistant Executive Engineers, the Executive Engineers and the Zonal officers would be held responsible.
On notices served by the previous BJP government to those who undertook unauthorised construction, the Chief Minister said: "Some had gone to courts and got stay, some had gone to appellate authority. I will look into it."
Asked about allegations against his government with regard to "maintaining infrastructure" following waterlogging and pothole issues, among others, following rains, he said: "it is easy to make allegations, didn't such incidents take place during their (opposition tenure)."
This time, he said, the Yelahanka area in the city received 170 mm rainfall on a single day. "This was the first time such a rain had occurred in 125 years," Siddaramaiah said. "We are not shedding responsibility and expressing our inability by citing heavy rains; the governments should have the strength to manage it and ensure that no untoward incidents take place."
More than 1,000 families, who were affected by the rains this week, have been shifted; rescue works are on and they will continue, he said. "There were more rains this year, I also admit that we have not developed the necessary infrastructure to manage things when there are heavy rains during the tenure of the previous governments."
When he was Chief Minister earlier, he had ordered BBMP to clear encroachments on storm water drains, Siddaramaiah said. "Even now I have given (order). By borrowing loans, we will do disaster management, we are taking a Rs 3,000 crore loan for this...we will take all necessary measures to stop such untoward incidents."
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KSDL invites innovative technology to check sandalwood theft
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has invited farmers, scientists and organisations to come up with innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft in the state.
The state-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), which manufactures Mysuru Sandal Soap has also planned sandalwood cultivation, state Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil said on Thursday.
"In a bid to promote sandalwood cultivation, the KSDL has planned a major initiative. As part of it, farmers, scientists, and organisations possessing information on advanced equipment or innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft have been invited to approach KSDL and share the details," Patil said in a statement.
Those interested in this initiative will be given an opportunity to demonstrate such technologies before the organisation, the minister said, adding if the proposed solutions are found suitable and effective, steps will be taken for consideration and implementation.
Patil stated that the cost involved in deploying technologies aimed at preventing sandalwood theft would be borne by KSDL.
Further, with a view to encouraging sandalwood cultivation, four farmers who have supplied the highest quantity of sandalwood to KSDL will be honoured with awards on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar on June 4, he said.
On the same occasion, police personnel and forest officials who have made notable progress in apprehending sandalwood thieves and registering cases, along with members of the public who have provided credible information leading to such action, will also be recognised and rewarded, the minister added.
Patil observed that farmers cultivating sandalwood trees on their lands have been facing increasing threats due to theft in recent years. Illegal felling and theft of sandalwood trees have continued for decades.
Although stringent laws are in place to curb such activities, the number of cases resulting in convictions remains very low, he noted.
"In this context, it becomes the responsibility of the organisation to extend both legal and technical support to farmers and encourage them to take up sandalwood cultivation on a larger scale," he said.
According to him, over the past three years, KSDL has procured 174.5 metric tonne of sandalwood directly from farmers across the state and transferred Rs 6.08 crore to their respective accounts.
