Karnataka Government extends Shakthi Scheme smart card distribution period by 6 months
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has announced a six-month extension for the distribution of smart cards under the Shakthi scheme, as informed by Minister of Law, Parliamentary Affairs, and Legislation H.K Patil during a press conference held on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Siddharamaih at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, he informed that, “Initially, the government had set a three-month timeline for distributing smart cards under the Shakthi scheme. However, in the recent cabinet meeting, it was decided to prolong this period by an additional six months.”
He further stated that beneficiaries will be required to pay a service charge of Rs 14.16 fixed for each smart card issued.
“The cabinet has approved for the procurement of 250 new buses into the KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crores, 375 new buses to the North Western Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore, 250 buses to the Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crores and procuring 320 AC electric buses for the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation at a estimated cost of Rs 150 crores,” he added.
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Cong chief Kharge writes to PM Modi, calls for dialogue with all parties on caste census
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to draw upon the Telangana model for the caste survey, remove 50 per cent cap for reservation and immediately implement Article 15(5) providing for reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs in private educational institutions.
In a letter to Modi, Kharge also called on the prime minister to have a dialogue with all political parties soon on the issue of the caste census.
"Conducting any exercise such as the caste census which gives the backward, the oppressed and the marginalized sections of our society their rights cannot and should not be considered divisive in any way," Kharge said.
"Our great nation and our large-hearted people have always come together as one whenever needed, just as we have done after the recent cowardly terrorist attacks in Pahalgam," he said in his letter to Modi dated May 5.
The Congress believes that conducting the caste census in the comprehensive manner is absolutely necessary to ensure social and economic justice and equality of status and opportunity as pledged in the Preamble of our Constitution, Kharge said.
Sharing Kharge's letter on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Following the CWC meeting on May 2nd, the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge ji wrote to the PM last night on Mr. Modi's sudden and desperate U-turn on the caste census - even as the nation's anguish and anger at the brutal Pahalgam terror attacks continued unabated."
"Kharge ji has made three very specific suggestions," he said.
