Bengaluru: Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi clarified on Friday that there was no political motive behind the recent meeting with former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. He stated that the discussions held were purely related to developmental issues.

Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Jarkiholi said that the visits of Union Ministers H.D. Kumaraswamy and V. Somanna were pre-planned, while Deve Gowda’s meeting was incidental. “My office is located on the way to Parliament, and I met him there casually,” he explained.

He also mentioned that the Hassan highway issue was supposed to be discussed with H.D. Revanna, but the meeting couldn’t take place as Revanna had already proceeded to meet Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari.

Jarkiholi firmly denied any discussion on the recent "honey trap" controversy during the Delhi visit. “There is no need to go to New Delhi to file political complaints,” he said, dismissing speculation about political undercurrents.

Speaking on coalition rumors, he reiterated that with the Congress holding 138 MLAs, there is no question of seeking support from the JD(S) or H.D. Kumaraswamy. “Just like Somanna, Kumaraswamy also met Prahlad Joshi. As for Belagavi airport, work has stalled, and discussions were held to expedite the project,” he added.

He further noted that he had met several senior Congress leaders, including K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, during the Delhi visit. “It is normal to meet party leaders and consult with them while in New Delhi. There is nothing unusual about it,” he said.

When asked about his political ambitions, Jarkiholi made a cryptic remark:, “I am not an aspirant for the Chief Minister's post. Siddaramaiah is already the CM. My time will come in 2028. Even if we get a chance during a traffic jam in Majestic, might take it,” he added.

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Koppal (Karnataka) (PTI): Authorities on Monday said a show-cause notice had been issued to the headmaster of a government-aided school after worms were allegedly found in the rice served to students under the midday meal scheme.

The incident was reported at a school in Bisaralli village, Koppal taluk, on December 9, officials said.

However, no student complained of any infection or required hospitalisation due to the timely intervention of the authorities.

A senior official from the education department stated that as soon as the matter came to light, a show-cause notice was issued to the headmaster, and a report was requested from him regarding the incident.

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"We have taken this issue very seriously and are expecting the report from the headmaster within two days. Once we receive the report, further action will be decided accordingly," the official said.

To prevent such incidents in the future, the official added, a food health officer has been instructed to collect samples of food grains supplied to both government and aided schools across the district for quality checks.

"We are also conducting meetings with headmasters of various schools, instructing them to carry out regular inspections of food grains and raising awareness to ensure the supply of high-quality food grains to avoid such incidents in the future," the official added.