No notice received from ED in connection with Valmiki Embezzlement case: CM’s office amid claims
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office on Thursday clarified that it has not received any notification from the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the irregularities in Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes development Corporation.
Allegations had surfaced that a ₹187 crore were embezzled within the corporation. The incident came into light after Chandrashekaran, an official belonging to the corporation died by suicide on May 26, at his residence in Shivamogga. In his death note, Chandrashekaran named three officials and alleged that they had coerced him into opening a parallel account to divert money from the Corporation’s primary account based on "oral instructions by a minister."
ALSO READ: Karnataka: ED arrests two in KIADB compensation 'fraud' case
Amid reports of significant financial transactions, the ED registered a suo-moto case, leading to the arrest of several individuals, including former minister B. Nagendra, who were subsequently jailed.
Meanwhile, the opposition BJP-JD(s) demanded an investigation against the Chief Minister, following rumors that the ED had issued a notice to him. However, the CM’s office has dismissed these reports as false, clarifying that no such notice has been received and the claims are merely fake news.
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11k litres of milk poured into Narmada river after religious event; environmentalists see red
Sehore (PTI): Around 11,000 litres of milk were poured into Narmada river, often called the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh, in Sehore district on the culmination of a 21-day religious event as part of a sanctification ritual, prompting environmentalists to flag its negative impact on the ecosystem.
The event concluded at Satdev village in Bherunda area, located about 90 km from the district headquarters, with a 'mahayagna' on Wednesday.
The milk was offered to the river as part of rituals and prayers for the purity of the waters, the well-being of pilgrims and prosperity, organisers said.
The milk was brought in tankers to the riverbank and later poured into the flowing water amid chanting of mantras in the presence of a crowd of devotees.
However, environmentalists raised concerns over the practice, warning of its potential ecological impact.
"Such large quantities of organic matter can deplete dissolved oxygen in water, adversely affecting the river ecosystem. These impact local communities dependent on the river for drinking water and threaten aquatic life as well as domestic animals," noted environmentalist and wildlife activist Ajay Dube said.
Religious offerings should be symbolic and mindful, he asserted.
Renowned environmentalist Subhash Pandey said 11,000 litres of milk acts as a significant organic pollutant.
"It is highly oxygen-demanding and can lead to oxygen depletion, aquatic mortality, eutrophication (process of plants growing on river surface) and loss of potability. These effects are predictable from dairy-effluent chemistry and have been documented in similar incidents worldwide," Pandey pointed out.
Narmada originates at Amarkantak in the state and traverses 1,312 km westward to Maharashtra and Gujarat, emptying into the Arabian Sea via the Gulf of Cambay.
It is the largest west-flowing river in the peninsula, passing through a rift valley, and acts as a crucial water source for irrigation in MP, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
