Why is Karnataka govt giving iPhones to MPs, asks Rajeev Chandrashekar

Agencies

July 17, 2018

New Delhi, Jul 17: Questioning Karnataka Government's move to distribute iPhones to 40 MPs from the state, a BJP MP has returned the costly gadget and said the state should not waste public money when farmers and civic workers are in distress.

Asked about the issue today, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who was in the national capital, said that he was not aware of it.

"I don't know about this issue. It is not in the knowledge of the (state) government. I don't know where the news has come from. I don't have information about that," he told reporters, adding he would collect the details from his office.

Recently, the Karnataka government had given an iPhone, one leather bag and a folder along with the invitation requesting the state MPs to attend the meeting scheduled on July 18 at Karnataka Bhavan here.

The issues to be discussed in the meeting include Cauvery river water sharing with Tamil Nadu and pending projects with the central government.

Accepting the invitation, BJP MP from Karnataka Rajeev Chandrashekar returned the "costly iPhone" saying that the government should use this money to pay salaries of civic workers in Bengaluru.

"I want to bring to your notice that along with an agenda folder, your government has sent a costly iPhone worth more than Rs 1 lakh to me. My conscience will not permit to accept this phone and hence I am returning it," he said in a letter to the CM.

Chandrashekar suggested that the chief minister use this money to pay civic workers salary, who have been striving hard to keep Bengaluru clean.

He said that the chief minister was talking about cutting down unnecessary expenditure and the government was not able to pay even the salary of civic workers.

"One civic worker committed suicide and farmers in the state are also facing huge debt. In this situation, the public money should not be spent unnecessarily," he added.

The chief minister is here for two-days to meet various Union ministers to discuss the pending projects in the state and also hold a meeting with Karnataka MPs on state issues to be raised during the monsoon session of Parliament.

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Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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