Karnataka Govt. to commemorate ten years of implementation of Article 371J
Bengaluru: Karnataka Government will commemorate the 10 years of implementation of the Article 371 J (Providing a different development organisation for Hyderabad-Karnataka region) and preparations in this regard are underway announced Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar during a media breifing on Tuesday.
In addition, he also announced that a new building with 371 beds at the Kalaburagi branch of the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research will be inaugrated as a part of the celebration. He stated, "Kalaburagi MP Mallikarjun Kharge has brought an international standard ESIC (Employees State Insurance Corporation) hospital to the Kalaburagi district. The district is shaping up to become the third medical hub of the state given the development in the sector. Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, KIDWAI, Jayadeva Hospital are being established. This will lead to the people of this region to avoid going to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Additionally, we will discuss with two opposition leaders and finalise a date regarding the celebration program."
ALSO READ: Book Congress leaders for disrespecting Governor: Govind Karjol
"The implementation of the Article 371 J was spearheaded by Mallikarjun Kharge for the development of Kalyana Karnataka region. This has led to educational, occupational and social revolution," he added.
Article 371-J provides for special provisions for the Hyderabad-Karnataka region (Which include Kalaburagi, Bidar, Raichur, Koppal, Yadgiri and Ballari), this was inserted in the Constitution by the 98th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2012.
During the press conference, Shivakumar also commended efforts of workers in repairing the Tungabhadra dam. he said, "Unfortunately, the chain link of the 19th gate of the 70-year-old dam broke. Both the BJP and JD(S) attacked us for this, we worked day and night without sleeping to reinstall the gate. Engineers and technicians were called immediately and the gate was reinstalled. Everyone has worked hard for this. The government will very soon hold a program to honour every worker, engineers, technicians and officials who have worked hard to reinstall the gates."
Furthermore, he said that it is a miracle that the dam survived. "The dam was repaired saving a lot of water for the farmers. The entire country was watching what would happen anxiously, we have been successful in this."
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Supreme Court rejects plea for reverting to ballots in elections
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking to revert to ballot paper voting in elections in the country.
"What happens is, when you win the election, EVMs (electronic voting machine) are not tampered. When you lose the election, EVMs are tampered (with)," remarked a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale.
Apart from ballot paper voting, the plea sought several directions including a directive to the Election Commission to disqualify candidates for a minimum of five years if found guilty of distributing money, liquor or other material inducement to the voters during polls.
When petitioner-in-person K A Paul said he filed the PIL, the bench said, "You have interesting PILs. How do you get these brilliant ideas?".
The petitioner said he is the president of an organisation which has rescued over three lakh orphans and 40 lakh widows.
"Why are you getting into this political arena? Your area of work is very different," the bench retorted.
After Paul revealed he had been to over 150 countries, the bench asked him whether each of the nations had ballot paper voting or used electronic voting.
The petitioner said foreign countries had adopted ballot paper voting and India should follow suit.
"Why you don't want to be different from the rest of the world?" asked the bench.
There was corruption and this year (2024) in June, the Election Commission announced they had seized Rs 9,000 crore, Paul responded.
"But how does that make your relief which you are claiming here relevant?" asked the bench, adding "if you shift back to physical ballot, will there be no corruption?".
Paul claimed CEO and co-founder of Tesla, Elon Musk, stated that EVMs could be tampered with and added TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, the current chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, and former state chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had claimed EVMs could be tampered with.
"When Chandrababu Naidu lost, he said EVMs can be tampered with. Now this time, Jagan Mohan Reddy lost, he said EVMs can be tampered with," noted the bench.
When the petitioner said everybody knew money was distributed in elections, the bench remarked, "We never received any money for any elections."
The petitioner said another prayer in his plea was the formulation of a comprehensive framework to regulate the use of money and liquor during election campaigns and ensuring such practices were prohibited and punishable under the law.
The plea further sought a direction to mandate an extensive voter education campaign to raise awareness and importance of informed decision making.
"Today, 32 per cent educated people are not casting their votes. What a tragedy. If democracy will be dying like this and we will not be able to do anything then what will happen in the years to come in future," the petitioner said.
