Row over 'unauthorised' release of Rs 107 cr for economics school

DHNS
September 25, 2017

Bengaluru, Sept 25: The release of Rs 107 crore by the Karnataka State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) for the construction of a building for the Bengaluru Dr B R Ambedkar School of Economics (BBRASE) without a plan or estimate has not gone down well with the Department of Collegiate Education (DCE).

The KSHEC released the funds under the Special Component Plan (SCP) and the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP). The funds, in turn, have been transferred to the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) without administrative approval.

The DCE was not consulted for the fund release and transfer and has objected to the same, saying the BBRASE guidelines are still being drafted and a permanent director is yet to be identified by the search committee. That’s not all, the accounts and audit staff have not yet been recruited while the blueprint for the construction of the building was not approved either.

M N Ajay Nagabhushan, Commissioner, DCE, has written to the KSHEC, raising the objections. “The DCE will not be responsible for any financial irregularities if funds are released violating norms,” he wrote to S A Kori, Executive Director, KSHEC.

According to sources in the DCE, there is tremendous pressure to start the construction in the absence of laws governing BBRASE.

“The KSHEC has received the DCE’s letter that funds cannot be released for the project without approval. Funds have been transferred after obtaining approval from the Department of Higher Education,” Kori said.

He added: “The government has constituted a board of management under the higher education minister. The board is fully accountable for the funds released by the government. The KHB, which is a government undertaking, manages the construction project.”

The school has been registered under the Societies Registration Act and about 50 students have been admitted for the academic year 2017-18. The guest faculty has been taking classes at the Visual Arts Department of Bangalore University (BU). About 44 acres of land has been allotted for the school on the BU campus, though the permanent staff are yet to be recruited.

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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
May 4,2024

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Mangaluru, May 4: A tragic incident unfurled last evening in Subrahmanya of Kadaba taluk in Dakshina Kananda, where a young gentleman, who had recently entered the bonds of matrimony a mere ten days hence, met his untimely demise due to a lightning strike.

As twilight descended, a tempestuous thunderstorm, accompanied by billowing rain clouds, cast its shadow over the locale.

Somasundar was diligently engaged in the task of piling up dried nuts in the yard to shield them from the impending deluge, when fate cruelly intervened, subjecting him to the fatal force of a lightning bolt.

Despite the expeditious efforts to convey him to Kadaba Community Hospital subsequent to his sudden indisposition, he tragically succumbed to his injuries. 

Somasundar, who operated a car washing enterprise in proximity to Subrahmanya, is mourned by his mother, sister, and wife.

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News Network
April 29,2024

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Mysuru, Apr 29: Veteran politician and incumbent Chamarajanagar MP V Srinivas Prasad breathed his last at 76.The stalwart BJP leader, who had been battling health issues, succumbed to a severe heart attack, leaving behind a void in Karnataka's political arena.

A Dalit leader in the Old Mysuru region, Prasad was in Congress but joined the Bharatiya Janata Party before the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections following a fallout with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The two had recently met in Mysuru and discussed the political scenario in the state.

Prasad extended support to the Congress in the Lok Sabha election 2024 and this is being seen as a crucial factor in the SC-reserved Chamarajanagar constituency, which Prasad represented in Parliament. On April 2, Prasad’s relatives and supporters joined Congress.

He served as a Union minister from 1999 to 2004 as the Loka Jana Shakthi MP. In the Karnataka Assembly elections, he was elected twice as an MLA and served as the state’s revenue minister.

Prasad, known for his distinguished political career spanning over five decades, was admitted to Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru due to urinary tract-related complications and age-related ailments.

However, his condition deteriorated rapidly, leading to his untimely demise in the wee hours of Monday.

Born on August 6, 1947, in Ashokapuram, Mysuru, Prasad's political journey was marked by significant milestones. He represented Chamarajanagar constituency as MP for an unprecedented seven terms and had derved as MLA from Nanjangud constituency twice.

He had held key ministerial portfolios including Minister for Food and Civil Supplies in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and Minister for Revenue and Muzrai in the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government.

He had joined the BJP officially in December 2016 and was elected as MP from Chamarajanagar again in 2019, showcasing his enduring popularity among constituents.

Prasad's demise has plunged the political fraternity and his supporters into mourning. His family members, political associates, and well-wishers are gathering to pay their final respects as his mortal remains are being transported from Manipal Hospital to his residence in Jayalakshmipuram, Mysuru.

The Exhibition Grounds in Mysuru will witness a stream of mourners as Prasad's mortal remains will be kept for public viewing, allowing people from all walks of life to bid farewell to their beloved leader.

Prasad's name had come up in the 'Tehelka tapes' controversy, after the sting operation by magazine Tehelka to expose defence deals under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government. The tapes showed Samata Party leader Jaya Jaitley allegedly telling an arms dealer to deposit money with Prasad, who was then in Bengaluru. However, Prasad denied these claims, saying he was in Mysuru at the time, and also sued Tehelka for defamation.

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