'Fake' TA?bills: Council Chairman issues notice to eight Karnataka MLCs

Bengaluru, Jun 2: Legislative Council chairman D H Shankaramurthy has served notices to eight MLCs, including six belonging to the Congress, in connection with charges that they claimed about Rs 17 lakh as travel allowance (TA) by reportedly submitting fake bills.

The chairman has given time to the MLCs till June 3 to explain their stand on the charges. BJP leader in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Padmanabha Reddy had recently complained to the Chairman and urged him to disqualify these members.

The notice has been issued to Allum Veerabhadrappa, Raghu Achar, N S Boseraju, S Ravi, R B Thimmapura (all Congress), C R Manohar and Appaji Gouda (both JD-S) and M D Lakshminarayana (Independent).

The ruling Congress has cried foul and accused the chairman of trying to scuttle its plan to move a no-confidence motion against him. But Shankaramurthy denied the Congress' charges. “I received the complaint on May 24. The notice was issued on May 26 and the Congress members submitted a notice seeking to move the no-confidence motion on May 31. So my issuing the notice has nothing to do with the no-confidence motion. I am only following the rule of natural justice by seeking their explanation.”

The Congress, which is the single largest party in the Upper House, has decided to oust Shankaramurthy and install its own person as the Chairman. The party has 35 MLCs, including three associate members, in the 75-member House. The party is short of only three members to prove a majority, and is hopeful of getting the JD(S) support. Shankaramurthy is only trying to scare off the Congress from going ahead with the no-confidence motion by threatening to disqualify some of its members, sources in the Council secretariat said.

Padmanabha Reddy had in his complaint said that the eight MLCs had voted in the Bengaluru mayoral elections claiming that they were residents of Bengaluru. However, these MLCs have reportedly drawn close to Rs 17 lakh as the travel allowance from the Council secretariat claiming that they reside in various towns outside Bengaluru. He had also demanded criminal action against these MLCs.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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