Koppal: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should get cabinet approval for the Social and Economic Census report this week and implement it by November 1, demanded CM's economic advisor and MLA, Basavaraj Rayareddy.

Speaking near the Ginigera airport in Koppal taluk, Rayareddy said, “Unnecessary issues are being discussed in the state; they should come to an end. Karnataka is a land of social justice and culture, the very ground where Basaveshwara walked.”

Rayareddy mentioned that he had discussed developmental issues with CM Siddaramaiah and recalled the social, educational, and economic survey conducted by the state government between 2013-18, which covered all religions and castes. The survey, headed by Kantharaj, cost ₹165 crore but the report did not reach the then CM Siddaramaiah in time. Subsequent governments under Kumaraswamy and Bommai also did not release it, he said.

Jayaprakash Hegde, appointed to the Permanent Backward Classes Commission, submitted the report to the government on February 29, 2024. “Eight months have passed since the report was handed over, and the CM has expressed his thoughts on it. I have urged Siddaramaiah to release the report, as he cares about the welfare of the underprivileged. I demand that the cabinet approve and implement it from November 1,” Rayareddy emphasized.

He further stated that during a program in Sindhanur, he would urge the CM to announce the implementation of the report. Highlighting the need for updated data on the population of different castes in the state, Rayareddy argued that the current reservation of 50% can be increased to 75%. He noted that the report offers provisions to extend reservation to other marginalized sections and sub-categories if necessary.

Rayareddy called for the implementation of the report to ensure that it benefits the people and addresses social justice concerns in Karnataka.

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Kozhikode (Kerala) (PTI): A Kerala court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 41 years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor boy near Valayam in 2021.

Nadapuram Fast Track Special Court judge K Naushad Ali sentenced 64-year-old Panchara Musa, also known as Ganapathiyat Musa, under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), according to special public prosecutor Manoj Aroor.

As the sentences are to run concurrently, the convict will have to serve the highest term of 20 years’ imprisonment, SPP Aroor said. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 52,000 on Musa.

The incident took place in August 2021 when the accused allegedly took the 14-year-old boy to a bus stop in Valayam town and sexually assaulted him, the prosecutor said. The accused also gave Rs 50 to the boy, he added.

Following the incident, the boy and his father lodged a complaint at the Valayam police station.

A case under various provisions of the POCSO Act and the IPC was registered, and the accused was subsequently arrested, the SPP said.

The prosecution examined 16 witnesses and submitted 16 documents to substantiate its case against the accused, he added.