Eshwarappa does it again! Here’s what he said on hearing Azaan during BJP rally in Mangaluru

Bengaluru, Sept 13: The cabinet sub-committee formed to monitor the drought situation in Karnataka has decided to recommend the government to declare 195 taluks as drought-hit. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to give his nod to the proposal soon.

Karnataka has 236 taluks in 31 districts.

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Wednesday held a cabinet sub-committee meeting where a decision to send a proposal to the CM recommending to announce 195 taluks as drought-hit was taken.

“After the survey of crops in several taluks, we have received a report. In 161 taluks, there is a severe drought situation and in another 34 taluks, there is moderate drought. In the remaining 40 taluks, despite the rain deficit, there is no moisture deficit. We have decided to recommend to declare 195 taluks as drought-hit. CM Siddaramaiah is likely to approve the proposal soon,” the minister said.

Karnataka has faced severe rain deficit this year except in July due to which several reservoirs are yet to reach their maximum levels.

“We are prepared to handle the drought. We have decided to form a task force in all drought-hit areas. We are planning to give maximum jobs under the MGNREGA scheme. In the Malnad region there was a 40 per cent rain deficit due to which there was water scarcity in the Cauvery basin. Even in the south interior region, there is a rain deficit. The report for 40 taluks is awaited,” Krishna Byre Gowda said.

He also said that once the CM signs the recommendations, a notification will be issued and will be sent to the Centre.
 

Bengaluru, Sept 18: In an elaborate dating scam, a woman claiming to be a divorcee trapped a divorced man from Bengaluru and cheated him of Rs 1.05 crore.

CK Baba, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast), said the man, a HR professional at a private company, met the woman on a matrimonial site this year.

The woman, who goes by the name Prakathi Sreedharan on social media, is reportedly based in Kerala. She reached out to the man, aged between 35 and 40, on the matrimonial site after their profiles matched.

In the course of their chats, the woman told him she was divorced. The duo reportedly bonded over discussions on failed marriages and ongoing divorces and became close in three to four months.

Having gained the man’s confidence, the woman said she was investing in an online foreign exchange trading platform. She lured him into sharing his personal and financial details with her, promising big returns after describing how she had earned Rs 12 crore as returns on her investment.

Investing small amounts over time, the victim spent a total of Rs 1.05 crore on the trading platform. However, when he tried to contact her to recover his returns, she threatened him with serious repercussions, holding his personal information as leverage.

Without his knowledge, she had changed his pin and security information, logging him out of his bank account.

The man then lodged a complaint with the southeastern CEN police, who swiftly blocked the bank account and began the process of recovering the lost amount.

Cautioning people against falling victim to online fraud, Baba said, "Awareness is your shield against digital deceit. This is a reminder that trust should be earned and not bought at the cost of losing your hard-earned money."

Police advisory to those using dating/matrimonial platforms: 
1) Don’t share personal & financial information, address, or documents
2) Meet in public spaces a few times and verify their authenticity
3) Avoid intimate chats/calls through virtual platforms
4) Be wary of casual, quick declarations of love or personal details
5) Do not get into hasty investment decisions, especially online
6) Contact 1930 or 112 if you suspect fraud

New Delhi, Sept 22: The Parliament passed the Women's Reservation Bill which mandates a 33 per cent reservation for women in both the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and state assemblies.

Speaking on the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill, BJP leader Tarun Chugh said, “It is the determination and dynamic leadership of PM Modi that the Women's Reservation Bill, stalled for over three decades, was passed in the Parliament."

The Rajya Sabha (Council of States) unanimously passed the Women's Reservation Bill, garnering support from 214 members, and none opposed it. The members expressed their approval through enthusiastic desk-thumping. Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and extended their greetings. A day earlier, the Lok Sabha (House of the People) also passed the Bill, with a significant majority of 454 members voting in favour of the legislation, while two members opposed it.

Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan said, “The bill has been passed in both House. This is a historic moment the women in our country. We demanded the bill to be implemented immediately and include OBC reservations as well."

Meanwhile, BJP MP Sushil Modi hailed Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam and called it a historic moment.

“All the members have experienced the history of every moment that how society is changing. The face of the Parliament is changing. We are proud that we are a part of this historic moment and to get the opportunity to pass this bill which will change the image of the country and the Parliament."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the women MPs after the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. "It is gladdening to see the torchbearers of change come together to celebrate the very legislation they have championed. With the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, India stands at the cusp of a brighter, more inclusive future with our Nari Shakti being at the core of this transformation." tweeted PM Modi.

BJP MP Diya Kumari thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, "Women are celebrating today. We are very happy with the passage of this Bill. PM Modi has finally made this dream come true. This piece of legislation was the need of the hour and he (PM Modi) realised it. He spearheaded efforts to have the Bill tabled and passed in all of two days."

Congress MP Joshimani, too, expressed her delight over the Bill's passage, saying, “We are happy that this important piece of legislation is finally close to seeing the light of day."

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rajani Patil said that the bill should be implemented immediately in 2024 Lok Sabha elections and include OBC reservations as well. We should not wait for delimitation or census."

Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda says, “The importance of this bill would have increased if it was implemented in this (2024 Lok Sabha) elections. We have no idea when the bill will be implemented...after census or delimitation? There were demands from the OBC community which the govt did not approve. We demand the bill to be implemented immediately."

The Rajya Sabha had previously passed the Women's Reservation Bill in 2010 while the Congress-led UPA government was in power. However, the bill was not considered by the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and consequently lapsed in the lower House of Parliament.

Speaking on the Bill, Congress MP KC Venugopal said that the bill is passed but we have put the two major amendments. "The first is to include OBC reservation, which the govt denied and the second is to implement the bill immediately. Our demand was to do it for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which was also denied by the govt. This is a little disappointing."

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia hailed the Women, “Today the real foundation of women empowerment has been established by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Today is a historic day for the country..."

Artist Malini Awasthi said that for many decades, there was a demand that women should also get full representation. “They should get their rights. We always say that they are half the population, every political party used to talk about it, but this time Modi govt took the initiative and all the opposition parties also supported it. This is a sign of India's healthy democracy and will send a huge message to the world..."

BJP leader Bansuri Swaraj said, "You know that our population has increased so once the census is done delimitation will happen and boundaries of each constituency will be redrawn and then the 33% reservation will be implemented."