Cabinet panel to look into govt holidays in Karnataka

Agencies

November 19, 2018

Bengaluru, Nov 19: The Karnataka cabinet Monday decided to constitute a cabinet sub-committee to look into possible changes in government holidays in view of growing opinion against such vacation on grounds that it affected public work.

The cabinet which approved 21 days of generalholidays for 2019 for various festivals and other events decided to form the sub-committee to discuss about the nature, number of holidays and the occasions for holidays among others, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said.

There wasgrowing discussion about increase in government holidays andfalling number of working days. Also, officials were of the view that the holidays be given during the weekend, which would help them inspending time with their families, he said.

The committee had been asked to submit a report, he told reporters here.

According to official sources, there had been suggestions to restrict the government holidays to important nationaldays, doing away with birth anniversaries of various personalities and giving an additional Saturday off in addition to the existing holiday on second Saturdays.

The cabinet paid tributes to Union Minister Ananth Kumar, who passed away on November 12.

It decided to bear the land acquisition cost of about Rs 4,500 crore for the 65-km peripheral ring road around the city to overcome traffic congestion.

The project was long pending as no agencywas willing to foot the bill for land acquisition, he said, adding the cabinet decision was taken after exhausting all other means.

According to the state government's estimate, total expenditure for the project, including land acquisition of about 1,810 acre, was expected to be about Rs 17,000 crore.

The cabinet decided to go vertical by adapting ground plus fourteen floors model, instead of ground plus three floors model, under the Chief Minister's one Lakh Housing Project with an intention of benefiting more people in the limited space available in cities.

For modernising the police under "SmartPolicing programme", Rs 32.89 crore had been approved, Gowdasaid.

The cabinet also decided to bring inan amendment to the Lokayuka act to authorise the Upalokayuta to take up cases, if the Lokayukta recuses himself from any case.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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