Party high command to decide on demand for three Deputy CMs in Karnataka: D K Shivakumar
Bengaluru: With Karnataka Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna batting for having three deputy chief ministers in the state, state Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said only the party high command can take a call on it.
Rajanna, who has been insisting on having three deputy chief ministers in Karnataka instead of just one, reiterated on Saturday that his demand is not something which has been fed to him by someone else.
''I said this keeping in mind that making three DCMs will help in the Lok Sabha elections. It's not so that it (creation of three DCMs) will happen soon after my statement. I have only made a request to the party high command and brought it to their notice. They are the ones who take the final decision,'' Rajanna told reporters.
Pointing out that there are more than one deputy chief ministers in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan where the BJP came to power in the recent Assembly elections, Rajanna said it will be appropriate if there are three DCMs in Karnataka too.
ALSO READ: Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna advocates appointment of three Deputy Chief Ministers
Reacting to Rajanna's 'suggestion,'' the lone DCM of the state Shivakumar said, ''Only the high command can answer such questions. I cannot answer it. That is not the issue to be discussed. Everyone has to work together to win the parliamentary election. That’s it.” Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara too said it was only Rajanna’s personal view and not of the party.
''People express their personal views. Having three DCMs in the state could be good from Rajanna's point of view but we don't know what the High Command thinks,'' the Home Minister said.
Rajanna got a supporter in Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa, who found nothing wrong in the demand.
''Rajanna is a senior leader. From political view point, he must have found merits in having multiple DCMs. It is left to the party high command whether to take his views into consideration,'' Mahadevappa said.
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New trains to ease crowding on Namma Metro Purple-Green lines in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Commuters on the crowded Namma Metro Purple and Green lines may soon get relief, as the Railway Board has issued provisional sanction for induction of new train sets, Deccan Herald reported.
The Railway Board communicated the provisional sanction to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in a letter on April 1, raising hopes that additional trains could be deployed during peak hours by May-June.
According to the Railway Board, the approval comes with conditions, including a maximum speed of 80 kmph in fully inflated mode and 25 kmph in deflated mode of the secondary air spring.
The BMRCL will also need a separate sanction from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) by submitting the Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) report confirming the trains’ integration, operation, and compatibility with the Direct To Go (DTG) signalling and train control system for the Purple and Green lines.
The BMRCL has received three DTG trains, including a prototype delivered in January 2025, for the Purple and Green lines. The trains must pass 37 statutory clearances before entering passenger service.
The BMRCL had approached the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), under the Ministry of Railways, to conduct statutory trials related to oscillation, braking, speed and system integration tests for the trains. The CMRS will issue the final sanction after receiving the ISA certificate.
Officials said the ISA certification process is already underway, with new signalling software currently being tested. Final approvals are expected by May-June, after which the trains can be introduced into service.
The new trains have been supplied by China's CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd, which will deliver a total of 21 trains for the Purple and Green lines in partnership with the West Bengal-based Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd (TRSL). Currently, the network operates with 57 trains supplied by BEML.
