Karnataka govt seeks MoEF nod for B R Shetty’s Jog Falls project

May 19, 2017

Bengaluru, May 19: In what appears to be an effort for easing the bureaucratic rigmarole for Dubai-based NRI B R Shetty, who's investing to make Jog Falls a perennial waterfall, the state government has sought clearance from the ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) for the project.

shetty

However, the MoEF has deferred clearance and sought for a spot-inspection. On March 24, the deputy commissioner and the chief executive officer for the Jog Management Authority, M Lokesh had submitted an application to MoEF. The DC has sought permission for storing and using 400 cusecs of water from a barrage near Sithakatti bridge to be pumped to the top of Jog Falls with controlled release.

In his application for the project, which ideally should have been pursued by Shetty and his company, B R Ventures, the DC has said the project will not only help in attracting tourists but also ensure there's sufficient water for wild animals in the abutting forest range.

"There will be no water for 6-8 months in Sharavathi river. The re-circulation of water will have a positive effect in 4km of the river for eco-system services. The project acts as a source of drinking water for wild animals located in the region during summer," he has reasoned.

This apart, the government has made a case that construction of a storage weir at the upstream of Jog Falls will help in riparian vegetation and water dependent fauna (especially fish) to flourish and increase the flow of water (about 30%) in the river which is normally dry during summer. The government has claimed that the project to pump the water upstream will require 47.80 million units of power during non-monsoon months for re-circulation, but the same amount of electricity will be generated during monsoon and connected to the grid.

Lokesh said that the government had only initiated the first step towards making Jog Falls a perennial waterfall and the rest of the clearances will be taken forward by B R Ventures. "As of now, the MoEF has deferred the matter and is seeking for a spot inspection of the waterfalls, considering it is within the Kargal reserved forest. Once the inspection is completed and if given clearance, the private firm will take up the project," said the DC.

According to Lokesh, the Jog Management Authority and B R Ventures have had a preliminary round of talks and that the company will be present when MoEF officials visit the spot.

Differing voices

Earlier, writer and environmentalist Na D'Souza had opined that the project will spoil the natural beauty of the waterfalls and spell doom for the environment. The chairperson of the public committee, which has opposed the move of the government, had commented that the "unscientific" project had been forced on the government by some wealthy businessmen without giving a thought to the pros and cons. Akhilesh Chiple, a member of the committee, had urged district minister Kagodu Thimmappa to consider the appeal of the committee seriously and drop the project.

NUMBER MATTERS

Total cost of the project: Rs 40 crore

Forest land required : 2.91 acres

Land required : 89.40 acres

Employment to be generated : 5,000

Amount of water to be used for re-circulation: 400 cusecs

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News Network
May 6,2024

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Several women, believed to be victims of Prajwal Revanna, have left their homes in Karnataka's Hassan district over the last ten days, according to media reports.

These departures reportedly come amid fear and stigma after their identities became public due to the circulating video clips showing the women who were allegedly sexually assaulted by Prajwal Revanna.

"The entire district is in H D Revanna’s control. You speak ill about them and chances are high that it will reach them, because the family and the party have a large following," a shopkeeper in Hagare - 20 km from Hassan – was quoted as saying by the news paper. 

Hassan is the bastion of the JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda, and Prajwal, his grandson, is the sitting MP.

The family of the woman whose complaint was the basis of the first FIR against Prajwal has now left their home, the publication reported, citing a neighbour who said, "The woman worked at Revanna’s house as a house help. Some of her videos started to circulate and then, her house was seen locked. We don’t know when she left."

Notably, a former Zilla Panchayat member has also filed a rape case against Prajwal, and in that village many women who worked for the party formerly are now incommunicado, a JD(S) leader told the publication. "We noticed many of the party women deleting their photos with Prajwal on social media. In some instances, men are questioning their wives about their association with the MP. It is shattering the lives of many women in the district," he said.

The local leader added that the former Zilla Panchayat member was there on April 24, but no one had seen the family since the videos came out.

The case is currently being probed by an SIT team and when they reached the Revanna residence, party workers were reportedly heard talking about the women. "I know this woman, she lived close to our residence and was very active in JD(S) activities. Her house is locked… she has small children," one said, as per IE.

Another shopkeeper added, "It was really wrong to reveal the faces of the women. I know some of them, and they have gone into hiding. We don’t know whether they can return."

He noted that it is impossible to survive in Hassan while fighting a case against the Revanna family.

While Prajwal's father, H D Revanna is in SIT custody, a Blue Corner notice has been issued against the sitting MP.

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May 10,2024

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A day after National Commission for Women said no woman from Hassan approached the national body to file complaints against Karnataka MP Prajwal Revanna, a new FIR accusing BJP leader Devaraje Gowda of abusing and assaulting a woman has come to light.

The FIR against Gowda was filed by a woman at the Holenarasipura town police station on April 1, after her husband had filed a complaint against the BJP leader on March 30. 

The purported victim's husband has alleged in his plaint that Gowda barged into their home, and threatened the couple while the BJP leader also abused the woman.

Gowda, notably, flagged Prajwal Revanna's case to the saffron party.

Reacting to the allegations levelled against him, the BJP politico posted a video on Facebook where he details how he met the woman and her husband in his office. He also claims that the allegations against him are a plot and false.

It must be noted here that a Special Investigation Team is currently probing the sexual assault cases against Prajwal Revanna who along with his driver Karthik is no longer in the country. A Blue Corner notice is also in place to apprehend the son of H D Revanna who himself is placed under judicial custody till May 14.

In a major twist to the entire case— the woman in the FIR alleged that Devaraje Gowda who apprised BJP of the sex videos involving Prajwal Revanna— has been harassing her for the past 10 months under the guise of helping her sell a property.

The woman also said that she came in contact with Gowda during the process involving the property that she wanted to sell. However, on the pretext of guiding her, the woman alleged that the whistleblower BJP leader physically assaulted and harassed her while Gowda also threatened the couple.

The woman has now sought police protection for herself and family. Further levelling allegations against Gowda in her plaint, she said that the politico had taken her to an isolated place where he assaulted her and threatened to kill the couple.

Former chief minister of Karnataka and Prajwal Revanna's uncle H D Kumaraswamy recently demanded a CBI probe in the Prajwal Revanna matter. However, Home Minister G Parameshwara turned down the demand for the investigation to be handed over to CBI.

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May 18,2024

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In a fresh claim, arrested BJP leader and advocate G Devaraje Gowda has alleged that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and four other ministers were behind exposing Prajwal Revanna’s sex scam that has brought disgrace to Janata Dal (Secular) H D Deve Gowda family. 

Devaraje Gowda has been arrested in a sexual abuse case. 

Speaking to reporters while being taken to the district prisons, in Hassan on Friday, Gowda alleged that he was offered Rs 100 crore to drag the name of H D Kumaraswamy in the Prajwal’s case. 

“D K Shivakumar had offered me Rs 100 crore to project that H D Kumaraswamy was behind the case. The offer was made through ministers N Chaluvarayaswamy, Krishna Byre Gowda, Priyank Kharge and another minister. They had even sent Rs 5 crore as advance to Bowring Club. But I did not agree. Hence, they hatched a plot to trap me,” Gowda alleged.

“It is D K Shivakumar, who collected all information from Prajwal Revanna’s former car driver Karthik and readied the pen drive. A team of four ministers were formed to handle the issue. As I did not agree to the plan. They planned to bring disrepute to the BJP, Narendra Modi and H D Kumaraswamy,” he said.

Gowda further alleged that former MLC M A Gopalaswamy of Channarayapatna was sent to him for negotiation.

“The main intention of D K Shivakumar is to bring disrepute to Modi and BJP in the case. Besides, he wanted to defame H D Kumaraswamy’s leadership in the state” he claimed. “They filed a sexual harassment and rape case against me, but found no evidence. Now, they are trying to fix me in the pen drive case” he alleged.

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