Eye on polls, Siddaramaiah doles out freebies for SC/STs

June 3, 2017

Bengaluru, Jun 3: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced a bouquet of freebies and schemes to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes ahead of the election year in the state.

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Free laptops to SC and ST students pursuing higher education, including professional courses, in private colleges; free bus passes to SC and ST students; increase in quantum of subsidy to SCs and STs to buy tractors, taxis and take up house construction; free foreign tour to agricultural labourers; distribution of seeds free of cost to SC and ST farmers are some of the new initiatives rolled out by the chief minister.

Besides, he directed the officials to chalk out a scheme to provide eggs to SC and ST girl children who have not enrolled at anganawadi centres in rural areas on the lines of the one in Telangana. These schemes will be implemented under the Special Component Plan (SCP) and the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP).

Siddaramaiah made these announcements after chairing the state-level SC and ST Development Council meeting at the Vidhana Soudha. Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya, Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa and senior officers attended the meeting convened to review implementation of the SCP and the TSP.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Anjaneya said that SC and ST students are currently getting bus passes at concessional rate to travel in state-run road transport corporation buses, including the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses. The government and the Karnataka State SC and ST Development Corporation are together bearing 75% of the total cost of the bus passes, while the students are paying 25%. From now on, the bus pass will be provided free of cost, he added.

The subsidy amount for purchasing tractors and taxis has been increased to Rs 3 lakh each from Rs 2 lakh. Similarly, the incentive for construction of houses for pourakarmikas working under the contract system has been increased to Rs 4 lakh from Rs 2 lakh each. The Social Welfare and the Agriculture departments have been directed to jointly chalk out a plan to take about 1,000 SC and ST farmers on foreign tour this year, he added.

Siddaramaiah, in his 2016-17 budget, announced free laptops to SC/ST students in government engineering colleges, polytechnics and government degree colleges. Now, this facility has been extended to those studying in private colleges, Anjaneya said.

The government has released Rs 58,855 crore under the SCP and the TSP in the past four years and of this Rs 54,896 crore has been spent. In the current year, Rs 27,703 crore has been earmarked for this purpose.

Show-cause notices have been issued to the officials who have failed to spend money earmarked for various schemes under the SCP and the TSP. The officials have been warned of strict action if they fail to implement these schemes effectively, he added.

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News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru CEN police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly posting provocative and misleading content on an Instagram page named “mr_a_titude”, targeting the Bajpe police.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H identified the arrested as Abhishek M, a resident of Katipalla in Mangaluru.

A case has been registered at the Bajpe Police Station under Sections 353(1)(c), 353(2), 56, and 57 read with Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the post.

According to police, the accused uploaded a photograph of a hotel on the Instagram page and alleged that accused persons in a murder case under the Bajpe police jurisdiction were being given “royal treatment” by the police, including being served beef meals daily from the hotel.

The post further accused the police of supporting criminals, misusing their authority, and betraying public trust. Police said the content was provocative in nature and aimed at inciting public outrage against the police.

Following the post, a case was registered at the Bajpe police station, and further investigation was transferred to the CEN police station.

Police records indicate that the accused has a criminal history, with multiple cases registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder, assault, and robbery at the Surathkal Police Station, and one case at the Kaup Police Station.

The Commissioner said the accused was traced and arrested using technical evidence.

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News Network
December 17,2025

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Melkar, Dec 17: The 17th Annual Day and Graduation Ceremony of Melkar Women’s PU and Degree College, themed “Fusion-2K25,” was celebrated with dignity and enthusiasm, marking a significant milestone in the institution’s academic journey. The programme reflected the college’s steadfast commitment to academic excellence, character building, and the holistic development of students.

The event was inaugurated by Mr. Asif Mohammed, whose presence greatly enriched the occasion. The celebration was further graced by the chief guests Mr. P. B. Ahmed Mudassir and Mr. Nissar Fakeer Mohammed, along with the distinguished guests of honour Mr. B. A. Nazeer and Mr. Ibrahim Gadiyar. In their inspiring addresses, the guests encouraged the graduating students and appreciated the dedicated efforts of the management, faculty, and students.

The annual report was presented by the Principal, Mr. Abdul Majeed S, highlighting the institution’s academic progress, notable achievements, and extracurricular accomplishments during the academic year.

The presidential address was delivered by the esteemed Chairman of Melkar Women’s PU and Degree College, Dr. Haji S. M. Rasheed, who emphasized the vital role of education in empowering women and shaping responsible citizens. He also stressed the importance of discipline, dedication, and perseverance in achieving success.

Cultural programmes and academic recognitions formed an integral part of the celebration, showcasing the talents and achievements of the students. The graduation ceremony was a proud moment for the outgoing students as they were formally conferred degrees and wished success in their future endeavours.

Ms. Mashmooma Fathima served as the Master of Ceremonies. The welcome address was delivered by Ms. Fathima Nida, and the programme concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Ms. Ayisha Suhana.

The event successfully achieved its objectives and was highly appreciated by the guests and attendees.

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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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