Qamar hits out at Kharge, readies for showdown

Bengaluru, Jun 22: Former minister Qamar-ul-Islam came all the way from Kalaburagi to Bengaluru on Tuesday to hit out the Congress leadership, particularly the party's floor leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, for him losing the ministerial berth.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Islam slammed both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Kharge for dropping him from the cabinet. He held Kharge directly responsible for his sacking. The senior MLA has threatened the party of a show of strength' through Kalaburagi bandh on June 25. He has also said that the party itself will be responsible for a Congress muktha Karnataka.'

Islam (in pic) said Kharge had influenced the party high command to bring MLAs Tanveer Sait and Priyank Kharge into the ministry. “Siddaramaiah had not even bothered to extend the courtesy of consulting me before taking the decision. If he had discussed this matter with me, I would have volunteered my resignation. I will not quiet down till I get justice,” he declared.

Islam said that before the ministry reshuffle, Siddaramaiah, Kharge and party leaders Oscar Fernandes and Digvijaya Singh had assured him that he will not be dropped. “This is my 40th year in politics. Am I here to be used and discarded as per their whim? The party will however remember me when there are elections in Ballari and Bidar. My unceremonious exit has bothered all the communities in the Hyderabad Karnataka region,” he said.

Demanding that the party prove his “inefficiency”, Islam has also sought the party leaders to establish that the decision to drop him was taken by Congress president Sonia Gandhi alone. He has also said it was too soon for him to quit the party/tender his resignation as MLA.

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They think that Ministry is Fathers property to loot......First prove your achievement and then show your ugly face..... Even Kharge's son will enjoy cabinet post only for two years... In the next election, public will KICK OUT cong govt.....

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Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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