AAP-DK seeks clarification on PMC termination from Mangaluru Smart City Ltd

Media Release
March 15, 2021

Mangaluru, Mar 15: The Dakshina Kannada district unit of Aam Aadmi Party has sought further clarification from MSCL and Mayor Premananda Shetty on PMC termination. AAP-DK maintains that the response released via the Deccan Herald article dated 5thMarch, 2021 was not satisfactory and is still concerned about the effective utilization of Rs 2,000 Crores of taxpayer’s money by Mangalore Smart City Limited (MSCL).

Commenting on the same, AAP - DK Convenor and RTI Activist Rajendra Kumar said, "We understand from the above-mentioned Deccan Herald article that the PMC termination has no bearing on the smart city projects and commend the action taken by MSCL. Our sole intent is to ensure that the tax payer’s money is not wasted, so insist, that the impact be assessed and details be shared across the public domain.

He further added that MSCL needs to maintain transparency in its operation and address the following:

1.    Execution strategy of its projects post termination of the contract with M/s Wadia Techno Engineering (WTE)
a.    Will an in-house team be hired or a new PMC consultant be appointed?
b.    As per the technical evaluation report (TER), MSCL requires a PMC to have -   
>>    Similar type of work in a single urban infrastructure project with consultation fee not less than 10 crores in last 7 years.
>>    Implementation of ICT project of project value not less than 5 Crores in last 7 years.
>>    Successfully structured and signed concession agreement PPP project in last 7 years
Does MSCL possess the above experience to execute projects, which is a prerequisite? If so, can MSCL specify who on its payroll will satisfy the above?

c.    The key personnel as per the TER of MSCL mentions the highly qualified/ experienced manpower. This includes team leader with urban management specialist, infrastructure/structural expert, PPP specialist, E-Governance/ ICT specialist, to name few. About 50 nos. of key professionals are being referred. Can MSCL guarantee the availability of such specialist personnel and in required numbers, either on MSCL payroll or in the payroll of the consultant to be hired?

2.    The benefits & disadvantages (including the cost and technical impact) of terminating the PMC contract with WTE.

3.    Detailed report on the impact on schedule of its projects (ongoing & proposed) as an effect of PMC termination. 

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News Network
November 22,2025

The Karnataka government has announced a 50% rebate on pending traffic and transport fines. The discount is available from November 21 to December 12.

The rebate applies to all traffic e-challans and violation cases booked by the RTO between 1991–92 and 2019–20. Officials clarified that the offer is not applicable to pending tax dues and is restricted only to traffic-violation fines.

Across Karnataka, more than 4 lakh RTO cases remain pending, including those involving transport vehicles. While thousands of vehicle owners have already cleared their dues, the department expects to generate substantial revenue through this limited-period rebate.

How to Pay and Avail the Discount

There are three ways to check and pay your pending fines:

1. Through Mobile Apps
Available on both Play Store and App Store:
•    Karnataka State Police (KSP) app
•    KarnatakaOne app
•    ASTraM app

Steps:
•    Enter your vehicle number in any of the above apps
•    Verify the photo/details of your vehicle
•    Pay the fine with the 50% discount applied

2. Visit a Traffic Police Station

You can pay your pending fine at any nearby traffic police station.

3. Visit the Traffic Management Centre (TMC)

•    Location: First Floor, Infantry Road, near Indian Express, Bengaluru

Transport Commissioner Yogeesh A M said, “We don't issue e-challans, so there's no online payment system.”

The department estimates ₹52 crore in pending RTO fines up to March 2020. “With the 50% rebate, we expect to collect around ₹25 crore if all dues are cleared,” he added.

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News Network
November 24,2025

israelsyra.jpg

Israeli forces have pushed over the Syrian frontier, erecting a checkpoint and stopping vehicles in the southwestern city of Quneitra, in yet another breach of the Arab country’s sovereignty.

The violation took place on Sunday, when the troops made their way across the border, setting up the outpost near the Ain al-Bayda junction in northern Quneitra, Syrian outlets reported.

According to the al-Ikhbariya paper, an Israeli detachment positioned itself at the junction, halting cars and conducting searches.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that three Israeli military vehicles then moved further into the northern countryside, deploying between the town of Jubata al-Khashab and the villages of Ofaniya and Ain al-Bayda. The agency added that a separate Israeli unit mounted a new incursion in the central region, approaching the villages of Umm Batina and al-Ajraf.

Residents said such activities have surged in recent months, pointing to Israeli advances onto farmland, leveling of extensive forested areas, arrests, and spread of mobile checkpoints.

The Israeli regime began markedly increasing its military aggression against Syria last year.

The escalation coincided with increasingly ferocious onslaughts throughout the country by the so-called Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Takfiri terrorist group, which the government of President Bashar al-Assad had confined to northwestern Syria. The HTS, however, managed to overthrow the government as the Israeli attacks would pummel the country’s civilian and defensive infrastructure.

Various reports have shown that, during the escalation, the regime conducted more than 1,000 airstrikes on the Syrian territory and over 400 ground raids into the south.

Following the collapse of the Assad government, Tel Aviv also widened its grip over the occupied Golan Heights by taking control of a demilitarized buffer zone, in defiance of a 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Earlier this month, senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visited the buffer zone, prompting expressions of alarm on the part of the United Nations.

The United States, the regime’s biggest ally, has, meanwhile, been fraternizing the HTS head Abu Mohammed al-Jolani amid the widely reported prospect of rapprochement with Tel Aviv.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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