Karnataka mulls supermarkets for govt employees through MSIL: Minister Patil
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil on Wednesday said the government is considering a proposal to establish supermarkets for its employees through the state-owned Mysore Sales International Limited (MSIL), modelled on police and army canteens.
The initiative aims to make essential daily-use items available to state government employees at discounted prices, he said.
In this regard, the minister held a preliminary round of discussions with Industries Department Principal Secretary S Selvakumar, MSIL Managing Director Manoja Kumara, and other senior officials, his office said in a statement.
Karnataka has around six lakh government employees, and the proposed plan seeks to benefit their families, Patil added.
Discussions would be held with the finance department to explore the possibility of subsidies or tax exemptions for the initiative, he said.
MSIL has been directed to submit a detailed feasibility report within a month on establishing such supermarkets.
Initially, four to five outlets are planned in Bengaluru, with a view to later expanding the facility to district headquarters across the state, he said.
However, the decision will be finalised after receiving the feasibility report.
The initiative is expected to expand the operational scope of the state-owned MSIL and provide an additional revenue source, while also benefiting lakhs of government employees and their families, the minister said.
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Sculptor Ram Sutar, designer of Statue of Unity, passes away
New Delhi (PTI): Noted sculptor Ram Sutar, known for designing the world's tallest statue — Statue of Unity — in Gujarat, passed away late on Wednesday night at his Noida residence, his son said.
He was 100 and ailing with age-related illnesses.
"It is with profound grief that we inform you of the passing of my father Shri Ram Vanji Sutar on 17th December midnight at our residence," his son Anil Sutar said in a note shared with the press on Thursday.
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Born in a humble family in Gondur village under the Dhule district of present-day Maharashtra on February 19, 1925, Sutar is known to have been drawn to sculpting from his childhood.
A gold medallist from JJ School of Art and Architecture, Mumbai, Sutar, has to his credit a long list of achievements.
The iconic statues of Mahatma Gandhi seated in a meditating pose and of Chhatrapati Shivaji riding a horse on the Parliament premises rank among his finest creations.
The Statue of Unity honours Sardar Patel, country's first deputy prime minister and home minister.
Sutar was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016.
Recently, Sutar was conferred with the Maharashtra Bhushan Puraskar, the state's highest award.
