KSRTC, BMTC take 'revenge', sack 55

July 29, 2016

Bengaluru, Jul 29: Flag bearers of the recent bus strike that brought the government to its knees were in for a rude shock on Thursday when the BMTC and KSRTC administration handed them their termination letters as they came to resume work.

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As they reached their respective offices, 55 employees who actively took part in the strike were given termination letters and asked to pack their bags and leave. The two corporations also suspended 27 people citing such reasons as unauthorised long absenteeism from work, corruption charges and misbehavior in office. In addition, the KSRTC has kept ready the “charge sheet” against 65 employees in the Mysuru division and is expected to issue them soon, according to the employees' union.

G Venkatesh, a driver in the BMTC's Rajarajeshwari Nagar depot, said the depot manager asked him to wait for a few hours when he went for the general shift at 6.30 am on Thursday.

The manager later handed him a termination letter. The reason cited was that there was a misbehavior case against him in 2012. Anand, a driver attached to the Kengeri depot, was informed by the official concerned about the dismissal order issued against him, but he did not turn up to receive it.

The unions of state-run transport corporation staff have accused the administration of “taking revenge” against them as they locked horns with the government over pay hike and did not heed the repeated appeals to call off the strike.

H V Anantha Subbarao, general secretary of KSRTC Staff and Workers' Federation, blamed Rajender Kumar Kataria, Managing Director of KSRTC, for “spoiling” the harmony between the unions and the corporations. He said such an extreme action was never taken when the employees went on strike. The unions will fight until the employees are reinstated, he added.

The KSRTC administration defended the action against the staff saying it was “routine” and had nothing to do with the strike. Kataria told Deccan Herald that an employe could not be dismissed overnight. The action taken was the result of inquiries pending against them for at least three to four years, he said.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy echoed a similar opinion. The regional controller of the BMTC had despatched dismissal and suspension orders to the depots concerned long ago. They were handed over to them on Thursday when they came back after strike, he said.

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News Network
April 26,2024

A 91-year-old woman passed away minutes after casting her vote in Karnataka's Hunsur on Friday, April 26. Hunsur comes under Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency. Despite her advanced age, Puttamma exercised her democratic right.

Voting held on Friday in 14 constituencies in Karnataka. Polling began at 7 am and will ended at 6 pm.

Chende artiste Manohar dies 

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Chende artiste Manohar (58) died of cardiac arrest after exercising his franchise in Kodagu district.

He had cast his vote at B Shettigeri polling station in Ponnampet taluk. Later, Chende artiste Manohar (58) reportedly collapsed after coming out of the polling booth. Though he was rushed to hospital, doctors declared him brought dead.

Ponnampet Tahsildar Mohankumar said “Manohar had come out of the polling booth and collapsed 200 metres away from the booth.

For the uninitiated, Chende (also known as Chenda) is a cylindrical percussion instrument widely used in cultural events in Tulu Nadu of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in India.

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News Network
April 23,2024

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Mangaluru, Apr 23: As an outbreak of avian flu has been reported in some districts of neighbouring Kerala, the border areas of Karnataka, including Mangaluru, have been put on high alert, officials of the Karnataka Animal Husbandry department said.

At present, the situation in Kerala is being monitored before any action can be taken, they said.

“Our Kerala counterparts have assured us that the avian flu has been contained within Alappuzha district. However, loading, booking and carrying poultry and poultry products on trains and at railway stations are still under consideration (surveillance), the officials said.

Not only railways but also road transport ferrying chicken loads from Kerala to Mangaluru are under surveillance. Mangaluru, being one of the largest consumers of chicken from Kerala, has halted chicken procurement from Kerala-based suppliers.

Sudhakar Shetty, a market functionary, stated, “The animal husbandry department of Kerala has advised containment of avian flu within a few districts in Kerala. We are closely monitoring the situation.” Despite this, the market has not experienced significant fluctuations in supply yet, as local stocks have been adequate to meet the demand for the next few days.

Demand for chicken could fall for a few days due to a series of temple festivals in coastal areas, where many consumers refrain from consuming meat-based meals until Saturday. Nevertheless, Sunday could witness a change, as consumers may desire hot chicken curry for their Sunday meals, according to the local people.

As officials in the animal husbandry department in Dakshina Kannada have raised awareness in the market about avian flu in the neighbouring state, the question arises whether prices will fall if demand decreases.

“We do not want to contribute to the hysteria surrounding avian flu until our local stock falls below the level of demand,” said Aston D’Souza, a farm owner.

Dakshina Kannada also serves as a good market for suppliers from Shivamogga, Hassan, and Chikkamagaluru.

“In case supplies dwindle due to an unlikely prolonged shutdown of Kerala supplies, we can always purchase from those districts, albeit at a slightly higher cost than Kerala stock,” Shetty said.

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News Network
May 2,2024

Bengaluru, May 2: Prajwal Revanna, grandson of former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, was issued fresh summons on Thursday by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which is investigating the case of obscene videos involving the former JD(S) member, several news outlets reported.

The SIT also junked his appeal which sought seven days time to join the probe, as per these reports.

Prajwal and his father, H D Revanna, have sexual harassment and stalking cases filed against them over the matter. Gowda's son, H D Revanna, however, said that what took place '4-5 years ago' is now being turned into a legal case.

JD(S) in its core committee meeting suspended Prajwal from the party till the end of the probe. Prajwal, meanwhile, took to X to state he would join the probe in seven days time, asserting 'truth will prevail'.

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