KSRTC bus hits Squadron Leader Ajjamada Devaiya roundabout in Madikeri, damages circle
Madikeri: In an incident reported on Friday, a government bus collided with the Squadron Leader Ajjamada Devaiya circle located at the old private bus stand in the district headquarters of Madikeri.
The incident involved a bus en route from Madikeri's KSRTC bus stand to Mysore. The collision occurred with the left side of the Sq. L. Ajjamada Devaiya roundabout.
The bus involved in the accident was from the Mysore depot and regularly operated between Dharmasthala, Subrahmanya, Madikeri, and Mysore. The bus was being driven by a driver named Madhu at the time of the accident.
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The collision resulted in damage to the left side of the roundabout, causing stones and bricks to fall to the ground. Fortunately, the statue of Squadron Leader Ajjamada Devaiya remained undamaged.
This incident comes shortly after another collision involving a bus and a statue in the area. Previously, a bus had collided with the Thimmaiah circle, causing damage to the circle and the statue.
Squadron Leader Bollajira Ayyappa, the president of the Kodava Makkada group who was instrumental in installing the Ajjamada Devaiya statue, visited the site expressing his dismay.
The incident has drawn disapproval from the public, prompting the Government Bus Depot Manager Geeta to inspect the area. Local police officials also visited the site for investigation and further action.
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Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accuses EC of ‘bias’, defends state guarantee schemes ahead of bypolls
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the EC of "double standards" and "bias" after it sought details on the state’s guarantee schemes in Davanagere and Bagalkot districts, where bypolls are scheduled for Thursday.
In a post on 'X' on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah said the Election Commission of India had asked the Karnataka government for information on fund releases under five ongoing guarantee schemes in the constituencies going to polls.
The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, respectively.
The schemes are Gruha Jyothi, which provides 200 units of free electricity to every household; Gruha Lakshmi, offering Rs 2,000 to women heading families; and Anna Bhagya, supplying 10 kg of rice per month to each member of BPL families.
In addition, Yuva Nidhi grants Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders aged 18–25 for two years, while Shakti enables women to travel free of charge within Karnataka on government non-luxury buses.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the ECI had remained silent when similar cash transfer schemes were announced in Maharashtra and Bihar ahead of elections, calling the scrutiny of Karnataka’s schemes a "clear case of bias".
"In states like Maharashtra and Bihar, cash transfer schemes were announced or fast-tracked just before elections, directly benefiting voters. Yet the ECI remained silent. This is not neutrality—it is complicity," he said.
The CM accused the BJP and NDA governments of "a double standard", noting that when they act, the ECI "looks the other way", but when Karnataka fulfils its promises, it faces "intense scrutiny".
He added that targeting the state’s guarantee schemes is "not just political but anti-poor, anti-women, and anti-Karnataka."
Siddaramaiah clarified that these schemes were not launched in connection with the bypolls but are ongoing programmes implemented as part of the Congress government’s commitments from the 2023 Assembly elections.
Funds are transferred regularly to beneficiaries in a transparent and structured manner, he added.
"The guarantees are part of governance—a direct investment in human dignity, household stability, and economic participation, not inducement," he said.
He also accused the BJP of "hypocrisy", saying that while it criticises Karnataka’s schemes as "freebies", it rolls out similar programmes in states it governs.
"The Karnataka model has set a benchmark for the country. What is deeply concerning, however, is the ECI’s selective approach," Siddaramaiah added.
