Not enough kitchens to run Indira canteens
The Congress government's pet project 'Indira Canteen' (subsidised canteens), launched by AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Bengaluru two days back, has run into trouble. While there has been an overwhelming response to the canteens, shortage of food has disappointed customers.
The scheme, aimed to build a hunger-free Karnataka, seems to have been launched in a hurry as the kitchens required to prepare food are still not operational. On Friday, a private television channel 'exposed' the contractor utilising an open-air private kitchen at Palace Grounds to prepare food for the 101 of the proposed 198 canteens that are functional in the city.
BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje alleged the Indira canteens were serving leftovers from wedding parties held at the Palace grounds. Within hours after the controversy broke out, Bengaluru mayor G. Padmavathi and BBMP commissioner Manjunath Prasad convened a press meet to defend the scheme.
“All the 18 kitchens will be ready in a month. Of this, six will be ready by next week. The catering contract has been given to two companies—Reward and Chef Take, which will supply food to 12 and 17 assembly constituencies, respectively,” clarified Prasad, adding there was no shortage of funds for the scheme as the state government had sanctioned Rs 200 crore under Nagorothana Scheme.
“In the last two days, 2.53 lakh people from different sections of the society have had meals across 101 canteens. We plan to increase the number of meals per canteen from 300 to 500 plates owing to growing demand,” explained Prasad. “There will be no compromise on the quality of food. The scheme is still a one-day-old baby and is meant to help the poor. I appeal to everyone to co-operate to run this scheme succesfully,” said Padmavathi.
Special Commissioner Manoj Rajan informed that a day's meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner) would cost Rs 25 to the customer and the government would pay Rs 32 as subsidy. A total of Rs 57 per day's meal would be paid to the contractor.
BJP MP leads 'Bhikshandehi' campaign
Udupi-Chikmaglur MP Shobha Karandlaje launched 'bhikshandehi' (seeking alms) campaign to collect a fistful of rice from the households in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, after the Congress government stopped financial aid to two schools run by RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat.
The government has stalled funds provided by Kollur Sri Mookambika Temple towards the midday meals to the two schools—Sri Rama Vidya Kendra, Kalladka, Bantwal and Sri Devi Vidya Kendra, Punacha.
Last week, students of both the schools staged a protest by flashing empty plates and sought to know why Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had deprived the 3,000-odd students of midday meals. “Why did the government discontinue aid to only two schools of the 52 schools that get funds from Mookambika temple in Kollur. Muzrai temples in Karnataka earn crores of rupees as donation. But the money is diverted for the upkeep of churches and mosques,” alleged Karandlaje.
The campaign will be carried out every month by BJP partyworkers, who will hand over the rice to the school managements.
“The move has exposed Siddaramaiah, who considers himself as a ahinda icon. These students who have been deprived of food also hail from ahinda communities,” said Karandlaje adding the move smacked of vendetta politics. She also mentioned that the Muzrai temples had been directed to provide aid to schools in Jevargi, Huvinahadagalli, Holenarsipura and Kanakapura by the Congress government in 2004. Similarly, the JD(S)-BJP coalition government had extended it to Sri Rama High School and Sri Devi Vidya Kendra in 2007.
'Resolve water conflicts out of courts'
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with water expert Rajendra Singh, at Vijayapura during the National water convention | File
Water conflicts should be resolved outside the purview of the judiciary through river-basin parliaments through dialogue, stated water conservation experts during the during the three-day national water convention for drought-free India, that concluded in Vijayapura on Friday.
The new water convention seems no mere coincidence as Karnataka is locked in a legal battle with Maharashtra and Goa governments over sharing of Mahadayi water.
Mooting a river parliament of people from different river basins across India to encourage balanced use and recharge of water, the convention hoped to see separation of land and water rights to ensure equity in water management, and enactment of community-driven decentralised water management law.
The convention was organised by the department of water sources of Karnataka. The stakeholders came up with the 'Vijayapura Declaration' that resolves to declare river basins as a “natural resource for the basin population to protect and share rather than treat it as a commodity use and fight over, besides mooting a national water literacy mission that would include water conservation and management in schools and colleges, education of farmers and the common man to instill water discipline, and steps to ensure free and continuous ecological flow of the river, free of encroachment and pollution, afforestation and improved soil and water conservation to prevent droughts and floods.”
To focus on the implementation of the objectives of the declaration, at least 21 river parliaments were initiated. The meeting was attended by nearly 15,000 stakeholders from across the country including academics, scientists, activists and policymakers, and demanded that a special session on the Declaration be held at the NITI Aayog, Parliament and state assembles to deliberate on the issue and implement the recommendations.
Techies have a reason to cheer
With the metro train seeming a distant possibility, people commuting along the IT corridor of Bengaluru (Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield) have a reason to cheer. The South Western Railway (SWR) on Friday launched a special diesel electric multiple unit (DEMU) train from Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield. The DEMU trains will leave Baiyappanahalli at 8.25 am and arrive at Whitefield at 8.50 am. In the return direction, the train will leave Whitefield at 6.15 pm and arrive at Baiyappanahalli at 6.40 pm. The train will stop at Hoodi and K.R. Puram en route. It will have eight coaches with a total capacity of 2,412 passengers, SWR stated.
Congress leader misbehaves with woman legislator
A Congress leader in Karnataka is facing flak for his “inappropriate” behaviour with a colleague during the Independence Day celebrations in Madikeri. Sixty-six-year-old T.P. Ramesh, chairman of Karnataka Silk Marketing Board was caught on camera holding the hand of MLC Veena Achaiah who was seated next to him on the dais.
The woman legislator quickly freed her hand from her party colleague. However, the video went viral on social media, creating a furore over the Congress leader's “indecent behaviour”. While Ramesh defended himself stating that it was “brotherly” affection and not meant to offend the MLC, Veena admitted it was totally uncalled for, but did not wish to escalate the matter as the senior partyman had apologised to her. “I pushed away his hand. But I kept quiet so as to not disturb the public programme. The incident has hurt me,” added Achaiah.
The Congress government was earlier embarrassed after primary education minister Tanveer Sait was allegedly caught on television cameras watching porn on his mobile phone during the Tipu Jayanti celebrations last year.
