Karnataka Dy CM meets Rajnath Singh; seeks 750 acres defence land in Belagavi for IT park
New Delhi, Feb 13: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwatha Narayana on Saturday called on Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and requested him to handover 750 acres defence land in Belagavi to facilitate setting up of a proposed IT park.
The defence land, which originally belongs to Belagavi, is located adjacent to the National Highway 4 and is ideal for the development of IT park, he told reporters after the meeting.
Though the state government had sought for the transfer of this land in November 2012, it is still in the possession of the defence department, he added.
Narayan, who holds the Electronic and the IT-BT portfolio, said the state government has introduced a new IT policy recently and has rolled out the 'Beyond Bengaluru' project to promote IT/ITes, electronic industries in regions outside Bengaluru.
"In light of the above reasons, handing over of the land in Belagavi would enable the growth of the IT-related industry so as to achieve a balanced growth," he said.
The proposed IT park aims to generate about 60 lakh direct and indirect jobs and there has been a persistent demand for this from the representatives of the Belagavi region, he added.
Met Hon'ble @DefenceMinIndia Shri Rajnath Singh ji and discussed issues regarding our plan to set up an IT park in Belagavi.
— Dr. Ashwathnarayan C. N. (@drashwathcn) February 13, 2021
Thank you for your positive response @rajnathsingh ji. The new IT park will boost our grand vision to develop our IT sector #BeyondBengaluru. https://t.co/pFNiFvCl6w pic.twitter.com/Pg2HhGM2sa
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Car driver alleges assault by auto drivers after minor road incident in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): In a suspected case of road rage, a car driver was allegedly chased and assaulted by two autorickshaw drivers following a minor road incident on Sarjapur Road here, police said on Monday.
The incident occurred on March 25 around 8.20 pm when Shriraj Bhardwaj, a native of Ajmer in Rajasthan, and his colleague were driving on Sarjapur Road and allegedly encountered an autorickshaw coming from the wrong side of the road, they said.
The victim later lodged an online complaint regarding the incident on March 26.
A senior police officer said that in this connection, a Non-Cognisable Report (NCR) has already been registered at the Bellandur Police Station and further investigation into the matter is underway.
Registration of NCR means the complaint has been noted in the station diary, but a formal FIR and investigation will require further legal steps or magistrate approval, police said.
Following the incident, Bhardwaj took to 'X', recalling the episode and claiming that it began with a negligible touch between the vehicles that caused no damage.
"What followed was not an argument, it was a chase. The auto driver started aggressively chasing us, trying to block our car multiple times in moving traffic, hitting the vehicle, and attempting to open the doors. We chose not to engage and instead tried to reach a safe place," he alleged.
According to him, the situation escalated when another autorickshaw joined the chase. Together, they allegedly blocked their path near Sarjapur Bridge, and one of them picked up a concrete stone and smashed the windshield of his car while they were still inside.
"We somehow managed to reach RGA Tech Park, thinking a gated office space would mean safety. It didn't. Both drivers followed us inside. Before I could even step out of the car, I was physically assaulted, repeatedly hit in the face, leaving me injured," he alleged.
"Only after things calmed down did the main accused flee. When the police arrived, the second driver apologised in front of them," Bhardwaj further alleged.
He said that following the incident, he has made up his mind to leave Bengaluru and never return.
Bellandur police said they have registered a non-cognisable report and traced the autorickshaw driver.
"The complainant is yet to record his statement for further action. We have been trying to contact him but he informed us that he is out of state. Further inquiry into the matter is underway," the officer said.
The auto driver, however, has alleged that his vehicle was damaged and that he was asking them to stop the car to resolve the issue, but they did not stop, which led to the incident.
