Congress MLAs in Mumbai unreachable to media, not to me: HDK

Agencies

January 16, 2019

Bengaluru, Jan 16: Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday said the Congress MLAs who are in Mumbai are constantly in touch with him and assured that the three legislators will come back.

Speaking to media here, Kumaraswamy reaffirmed that the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition is going on smoothly in Karnataka.

"MLAs (Congress MLAs in Mumbai hotel) are unreachable to the media, not to me. I am in touch with everybody and I am speaking to everybody, they will come back. Our coalition is going on smoothly. I was relaxed and I am relaxed. Don't worry, be happy," the Chief Minister said.

The Congress had alleged that its three MLAs were taken to Mumbai by the BJP in an attempt to lure them into their fold.

The BJP, while dismissing these claims, alleged poaching attempts by the Congress. The BJP, in fact, has housed all its 104 MLAs in a hotel in Gurugram, fearing poaching by the Congress.

The situation in Karnataka intensified on Tuesday after two independent MLAs, H Nagesh and R Shankar, pulled out of the JD(S)-Congress government.

Nagesh and Shankar wrote separate letters to the Governor conveying their decision to withdraw support to the government.

In the 224-member Assembly, JD(S) has 37 MLAs and its coalition partner has 80. It has the support of some Independents in the House where the majority figure is 113.

The withdrawal of support by the two Independent MLAs will not affect the stability of the government but it comes against the backdrop of a political drama wherein the Congress and Opposition BJP are leveling charges of horse-trading.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders KC Venugopal, Siddaramaiah, and Dinesh Gundu Rao are having a closed-door meeting at Kumara Krupa Guest House in Bengaluru.

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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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