Rs 15,000 crore 'extortion' under the guise of Khata conversion in Bengaluru, alleges Kumaraswamy
Mandya(PTI): Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday accused the Karnataka government of "looting" Bengaluru residents, as he alleged that under the pretext of 'B' khata to 'A' khata conversion, Rs 15,000 crore was being 'extorted'.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday had launched a new scheme that allows 'B' khata properties in Bengaluru to obtain an 'A' khata by paying 5 percent of the property's guidance value, which is expected to benefit over 7.5 lakh properties and generate substantial revenue for the government.
The government has advertised this move as the "Deepavali gift" to Bengaluru citizens.
Khata is an official document in Karnataka that records a property's tax account with the local municipality or corporation
A-khata is issued to genuine properties approved by government planning bodies such as the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), whereas B-khata refers to those without formal government approval.
"People thought a Deepavali gift would bring them real relief. Seeing the big advertisements, even I believed. But in reality, it has turned out to be a betrayal of the people in the name of Deepavali," Kumaraswamy was quoted as saying by his office in a release.
Bengaluru residents are being "gifted" a shock instead, the JD(S) leader said, adding, "to convert from B-Khata to A-Khata, people are required to pay an application fee of Rs 500."
"In the name of this fee alone, the government is extorting hundreds of crores. For a 30x40 plot, they are charging between Rs 4 to 8 lakh. Earlier, residents had to pay only Rs 10,000- Rs 13,000. Now, they are being forced to pay in lakhs. Through this A-Khata scam, the state government is looting Rs 15,000 crore."
"Is this what it means to improve the lives of the people," he asked, and said, "since this government came to power, it has been indulging in extortion from citizens. Its only focus is on making money at every opportunity."
Responding to Kumaraswamy's allegations, Shivakumar said, "Good for him (Kumaraswamy), let him deploy his investigation team to check."
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Two arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting woman at knifepoint in Kochi
Kochi (PTI): Two persons have been arrested after a three-member gang allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at knifepoint near Ernakulam Junction Railway station, officials said on Friday.
The arrested accused were identified as Danish (26), a native of Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district, and Rahul (39), a native of Paravoor in Kollam district.
Police officials said they were searching for the prime accused, Sanjay, a native of Aroor in Alappuzha district.
According to police, the incident occurred on the night of May 5 when the victim was chatting with her friend near a closed hotel near Ernakulam Junction Railway station.
Officials said the accused approached them, attacked the victim’s friend and then allegedly threatened the woman with a knife before sexually assaulting her.
Police said the accused also allegedly disrobed the victim during the attack.
However, the woman managed to escape from the spot and approached a nearby shop for help.
Police were informed immediately and shifted the victim to the police station.
Officials said the accused were heavily drunk at the time of the incident and went into hiding soon after the attack.
Police registered a case on May 6 under charges including rape, disrobing a woman, criminal intimidation and robbery.
The two accused were later arrested in the city, while efforts are continuing to trace Sanjay, police said.
The accused were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
