Will remain CM till high command wishes: Siddaramaiah
Belagavi (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday reiterated that he will remain as the chief minister as long as the Congress high command wants him to continue.
He also said that his party has got a mandate for five years to rule and will also come back to power after 2028 assembly elections.
"I am saying this very clearly. We have high command. We abide by their decision. Whatever high command says is ultimate," Siddaramaiah told the Assembly.
The leadership issue popped up in the Assembly during the question hour.
Congress MLA from Kunigal, H D Ranganath, alleged that the farmers in his constituency were not getting short-term loan from the District Central Cooperative Bank (DCC Bank) whereas farmers from neighbouring Madhugiri constituency got short term loans worth Rs 100 crore.
Ranganath, who is loyal to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and wants to see him as the next CM, alleged that the farmers of his constituency are being discriminated against.
K N Rajanna, who is considered to be a Siddaramaiah loyalist, represents the Madhugiri segment.
Replying to Ranganath, Siddaramaiah assured him that if there was any discrimination then he would rectify it.
"Hope Ranganath trusts me," the CM said.
The Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, R Ashoka, quipped that the discrimination appeared to be intentional.
The CM retorted, "Don't add fuel to the fire. Opposition is meant for adding fuel."
Ashoka replied, "It means there is fire. Ranganath is performing poojas to see that D K Shivakumar becomes CM."
Ashoka also said it does not matter if the Opposition is adding fuel, but the concerning matter is that the ruling Congress MLAs are involved in creating unrest.
Siddaramaiah reprimanded Ashoka, saying that he should keep quiet when the ruling MLAs are silent.
Ashoka said, "They are not quiet sir. They are doing poojas every day. They want to see Shivakumar as CM. I am reading it in the newspapers every day."
To this Siddaramaiah said, "Even if you try to instigate, no one from our side will react… All 140 MLAs are standing in unison."
The Leader of Opposition then sought to know whether he would remain CM for full five years.
In reply, Siddaramaiah said, "Why are you asking me this question. People have given us a mandate to rule for five years."
The chief minister said, "The voters of Karnataka have blessed us to complete a five-year term. We were blessed by people twice -- in 2013 and 2018 assembly polls, whereas the BJP never got a public mandate and they will not be blessed by the voters in future to hold power single-handedly. They will remain in the opposition forever."
BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar pointed out that, "Siddaramaiah had been saying 'I will remain as chief minister for five years’, but now he is saying ‘we will rule for five years’. There is a shift from the singular term 'I' to the plural term 'we'."
To this, the chief minister said, "We are running the government. It was always plural (collective). It was never an individual affair. I am the CM till now and will remain in the post till the high command wishes."
The power tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar refuses to die down though the two leaders tried to clear the air through their 'breakfast diplomacy'.
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MP HC sets up judicial commission to probe water contamination in Indore
Indore (PTI): The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday set up a commission of inquiry comprising a former HC judge to probe the issue of water contamination in city's Bhagirathpura, saying the matter requires probe by an independent, credible authority and "urgent judicial scrutiny".
It also directed the commission to submit an interim report after four weeks from the date of commencement of proceedings.
A division bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi constituted the commission while hearing several public interest litigations (PILs) filed simultaneously regarding the deaths of several people in Bhagirathpura due to the consumption of contaminated water.
The HC reserved the order after hearing all the parties during the day, and released it late at night.
The state government on Tuesday told the HC that the deaths of 16 people in Indore's Bhagirathpura area was possibly linked to a month-long outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The government presented an audit report of 23 deaths from the current gastroenteritis epidemic in Bhagirathpura before the bench, suggesting that 16 of these fatalities may have been linked to the outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The report, prepared by a committee of five experts from the city's Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, stated that the deaths of four people in Bhagirathpura were unrelated to the outbreak, while no conclusion could be reached regarding the cause of death of three other people in the area.
During the hearing, the high court sought to know from the state government the scientific basis behind its report.
The division bench also expressed surprise at the state government's use of the term "verbal autopsy" in relation to the report, sarcastically stating that it had heard the term for the first time.
The HC expressed concern over the Bhagirathpura case, stating that the situation was "alarming," and noted that cases of people falling ill due to contaminated drinking water have also been reported in Mhow, near Indore.
In its order, the HC said the serious issue concerning contamination of the drinking water supply in Bhagirathpura area allegedly resulted in widespread health hazards to residents, including children and elderly persons.
According to the petitioners and media reports, death toll is about 30 till today, but the report depicts only 16 without any basis or record, it said.
It is averred that sewage mixing, leakage in the pipeline, and failure of civic authorities to maintain potable water standards have led to the outbreak of water-borne diseases. Photographs, medical reports, and complaints submitted to the authorities prima facie indicate a matter requiring urgent judicial scrutiny, the HC said.
"Considering the gravity of the allegation and affecting the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the need for an independent fact-finding exercise, the Court is of the opinion that the matter requires investigation by an independent, credible authority," it said.
"Accordingly, we appoint Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, former judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, a one-man commission of inquiry into the issues relating to water contamination in Bhagirathpura, Indore, and its impact on other areas of the city," the HC added.
As per the order, the commission shall inquire into and submit a report on the cause of contamination -- whether the drinking water supplied to Bhagirathpura was contaminated; and the source and nature of contamination (sewage ingress, industrial discharge, pipeline damage etc).
The panel will also probe the number of actual deaths of affected residents on account of contaminated water; find out the nature of disease reported and adequacy of medical response and preventive measures; suggest immediate steps required to ensure safe drinking water as well as long-term infrastructural and monitoring reforms.
It will also identify and fix responsibility upon the officers and officials found prima facie responsible for the Bhagirathpura water contamination incident, and suggest guidelines for compensation to affected residents, particularly vulnerable sections.
The commission shall have powers of a civil court for the purpose of summoning officials and witnesses; calling up records from the government department, hospitals, laboratories and civic bodies; ordering water quality testing through accredited laboratories; conducting spot inspections.
All state authorities involving district administration, Indore Municipal Corporation, public health engineering department and Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board shall extend full co-operation and provide records as sought by the commission, it said.
The state government shall provide office space, staff, and logistical support to the commission, it said.
During the hearing in the day, the state government also presented a status report to the court in this matter.
According to reports, a total of 454 patients were admitted to local hospitals during the vomiting and diarrhea outbreak, of whom 441 have been discharged after treatment, and 11 are currently hospitalised.
According to officials, due to a leak in the municipal drinking water pipeline in Bhagirathpura, sewage from a toilet was also mixed in the water.
