Deve Gowda plays down Muslim resignations from JDS, says he held discussion with Amit Shah

Bengaluru, Nov 29: The State Level Single Window Clearance Committee (SLSWCC) cleared 62 industrial investment proposals worth Rs 3,607.19 crore with an employment generation potential of 10,755 within the state, the official release stated on Wednesday.

The SLSWCC committee, headed by M.B. Patil, Minister for Large and Medium Industries, and Infrastructure Development approved eight projects involving more than Rs 50 crore investment, totaling Rs 2,088.44 crore. These hold the potential to create 6,360 jobs.

Some of the top investors include Texcon Steels, Hundri Sugars and Ethanol Private Ltd, Bren Life Sciences, Alpine Ethanol, Virupaksha Laboratories and Qualcomm India among others.

Of the total 62 proposals, about 51 investment projects are between Rs 15 crore to Rs 50 crore totaling Rs 941.40 crore, promising employment generation potential of 4,395 within Karnataka.

Three projects with an additional investment of Rs 577.35 crore were also approved by the committee.

Bengaluru, Nov 20: As his government completed six months in office on Monday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said his administration has taken decisive steps to reduce corruption and initiated thorough investigations in various cases.

He said his government is committed to building a state that not only meets the immediate needs of its people, but also lays the foundation for a prosperous future.

In the elections to the 224-member Assembly held in May this year, the Congress ousted the BJP from power with a landslide victory. The Congress got 135 seats to BJP's 66.

"As the Chief Minister of Karnataka, it brings me immense pride to mark the completion of six months of our government's tenure. In this short span, we have been steadfast in our commitment to empower the people of Karnataka and craft a sustainable and progressive future for our state," Siddaramaiah said in a statement.

"Our governance model, the New Karnataka Model, is a testament to this commitment. It is a model that intertwines the welfare of people with holistic development. We have introduced pioneering guarantee schemes that have directly impacted lives," he added.

Noting that the Shakthi scheme, providing free bus travel for women, is not just a travel subsidy; it's an investment in women's empowerment and mobility, the Chief Minister said, similarly, the Gruha Jyothi (200 units of free power to all households) and Anna Bhagya (additional 5 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household) schemes have lightened the financial burden of countless households, ensuring that basic needs like electricity and food are not a luxury but a right.

Moreover, the Gruha Lakshmi scheme (Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family) has been a groundbreaking step in supporting women who head BPL families, ensuring they have the financial resources to lead their families with dignity, he said, adding that, the Yuva Nidhi scheme, (Rs 3,000 every month for graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders) offering unemployment allowances, is a safety net for our youth, sustaining their dreams and ambitions during challenging times.

"Central to our governance is our unwavering stand against corruption. We have taken decisive steps to reduce corruption and initiated thorough investigations in various cases," Siddaramaiah further said. This commitment to transparency and accountability is reshaping the government's relationship with its people, fostering trust and confidence.

"As we step into the future, our focus remains steadfast on creating a Karnataka that is inclusive, progressive, and a beacon of development. We are committed to building a state that not only meets the immediate needs of its people but also lays the foundation for a prosperous future," he said.

"I thank the people of Karnataka for their unwavering faith in our vision and promise to continue working tirelessly to make Karnataka a model state in India," the CM added. 

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said his decision to do justice to the disadvantaged communities, by accepting the report of the Socio-Economic and Education Survey, popularly known as the "caste census", is unwavering. His statement is seen as significant as the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes chairperson is expected to submit the report to the state government this month.

"I fully agree with our proud leader Rahul Gandhi's stand. I feel that the country's independence will be meaningful only when the caste census is conducted across the country and based on its report, "equal share for all - equal rights for all" is ensured," Siddaramaiah posted on 'X'.

"My decision to do justice to the disadvantaged communities, by accepting the report of the Economic, Social and Educational Survey conducted by our previous government, is unwavering," he said while commenting on Gandhi's statement regarding conducting caste census at the national level if the Congress forms the government at the Centre.

Raising the caste census pitch, describing it as an 'X-ray' of the country, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, while addressing an election rally in Udaipur, said the Congress will conduct caste census in Rajasthan if it comes to power and also do so at the national level if it's voted to office at the Centre.

With pressure mounting on his government, from a certain section, to make public the state's socio-economic and educational survey, following Bihar government releasing findings of its caste survey recently, Siddaramaiah had so far been maintaining that a decision will be taken once he receives the report -- which is expected later this month.

The then Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in 2015 had commissioned the social-economic and educational survey, at an estimated cost of Rs 170 crore in the state, the findings of which have not been made public yet.

The state Backward Classes Commission under its then chairperson H Kantharaj was tasked with preparing a caste census report.

However, with strong disapproval from two dominant communities -- Lingayats and Vokkaligas -- the survey report may turn out to be a political hot potato for the government, as it may set the stage for a confrontation, with Dalits and OBCs among others demanding for it to be made public.

Lingayats, led by All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, which is the apex body of Veerashaiva-Lingayats, have expressed disapproval about the survey calling it unscientific, and demanded conduct of a fresh survey; while Vokkaliga leaders at a meeting, which was also attended by Deputy CM D K Shivakumar and prominent seers from the community recently, passed a resolution urging the government to "reject" the caste census.

On the other hand, federations representing Dalits, tribals and other backward classes (OBC) have demanded that the findings of a caste census, kept under wraps, be made public.

Accusing both the dominant communities of trying to block the caste census from coming out, leaders of the Karnataka State Backward Castes Federation and the Karnataka Marginalised Communities Federation have threatened to hold agitations.

On his part, K Jayaprakash Hegde, the current chairperson of Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, has already said he would submit the caste census report to the state government in November.

According to some analysts, successive governments have been shying away from releasing it as the findings of the survey are allegedly contrary to the "traditional perception" of the numerical strength of various castes in Karnataka, especially the dominant Lingayats and Vokkaligas, making it a political hot potato.

Political parties in the state have indulged in a blame game for not accepting the survey and not making it public.

Officials have also cited the then member-secretary of the State Commission for Backward Classes not signing the final report, as the technical hurdle that has hindered the release of the report earlier.

They said the caste census report is currently with the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, and once it submits it, the cabinet would take a call.