Chief minister appoints heads to 91 boards, corporations

November 3, 2016

Bengaluru, Nov 3: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has begun the exercise to contain dissent in the ruling Congress by making the long-pending appointments to boards and corporations.

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On Wednesday, he appointed heads to 91 state-run boards and corporations accommodating 21 Congress MLAs, besides a host of party functionaries and workers. The state already has 28 Cabinet ministers.

With Wednesday's appointments, nearly half of the 123 Congress MLAs in the Legislative Assembly will now enjoy government privileges and perks apart from their legislator entitlements.

The government has accordedCabinet minister' status to the 21 legislators who include seniors such as Malikayya Guttedar, R V Devaraj, K Venkatesh and B R Yavagal while appointing them to chair various boards and corporations.

The perks that come with the appointments include a salary of Rs 40,000 per month, house rent of Rs 80,000 per month, maintenance allowance of Rs 20,000 a month and sumptuary allowance of Rs 1.5 lakh per annum. They will also get office vehicle and personal staff.

The remaining appointments that include 60 party functionaries have been made to lesser-known corporations and local urban authorities. They will also enjoy salary and perks but at a lower scale compared with the legislators who have made to the boards/corporations, official sources said.

Siddaramaiah had lobbied hard with the party high command that legislators, especially those who were sulking after failing to clinch a berth in the state Cabinet, be rewarded by appointing them as heads of plum boards and corporations. The move, he hoped, will placate them.

Guttedar, who has been very vocal in expressing his displeasure over not being inducted into the Cabinet, has been appointed Chairman of Karnataka Housing Board.

Periyapatna MLA K Venkatesh will chair Bangalore Development Authority. Chickpet MLA R V Devaraj has been appointed Chairman of Karnataka Slum Development Board, Bengaluru.

The exercise to reward legislators and party workers by appointing them to boards and corporations has been on for the past few months.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had struck down two previous lists and directed Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Congress chief G Parameshwara to give preference to loyal party workers. The appointees will have a tenure of 17 months with the Assembly polls due in May 2018.

The posts have been vacant since May this year after the first batch of appointees resigned following the completion of their designated 18-month tenure.

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News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru CEN police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly posting provocative and misleading content on an Instagram page named “mr_a_titude”, targeting the Bajpe police.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H identified the arrested as Abhishek M, a resident of Katipalla in Mangaluru.

A case has been registered at the Bajpe Police Station under Sections 353(1)(c), 353(2), 56, and 57 read with Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the post.

According to police, the accused uploaded a photograph of a hotel on the Instagram page and alleged that accused persons in a murder case under the Bajpe police jurisdiction were being given “royal treatment” by the police, including being served beef meals daily from the hotel.

The post further accused the police of supporting criminals, misusing their authority, and betraying public trust. Police said the content was provocative in nature and aimed at inciting public outrage against the police.

Following the post, a case was registered at the Bajpe police station, and further investigation was transferred to the CEN police station.

Police records indicate that the accused has a criminal history, with multiple cases registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder, assault, and robbery at the Surathkal Police Station, and one case at the Kaup Police Station.

The Commissioner said the accused was traced and arrested using technical evidence.

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News Network
December 7,2025

SHRIMP.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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News Network
December 20,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 20: The Mangaluru City Police have issued a detailed traffic advisory ahead of the inaugural ceremony of Karavali Utsava, which will be held at the Karavali Utsava Ground on Saturday.

The festival will be inaugurated at 6:00 pm by Dakshina Kannada District Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao. Cultural and public programmes will be held at the venue every evening and will continue until January 2.

According to City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy, parking of vehicles is strictly prohibited on both sides of the road from Lalbagh to Karavali Utsava Ground. Visitors are requested to park their vehicles only at designated parking areas.

To help the public, traffic signboards and parking guidance flex boards have been installed along the routes leading to the venue. The police have urged commuters and visitors to follow these instructions to ensure smooth traffic movement.

Designated Parking Locations

•    Urwa Market Ground – Cars
•    Gandhinagar Government School (near Press Club) – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Ladyhill Church parking area – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Canara School Ground, Mannagudda – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Thimmappa Hotel premises – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Scout and Guide Bhavana premises (behind Karavali Utsava Grounds) – Two-wheelers
•    Urwa Market Road – Two-wheelers
•    Hat Hill Road – Two-wheelers

The police have appealed to the public to cooperate by following traffic rules and parking guidelines to avoid inconvenience during the festival.

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