1. Poll Code: Karnataka Puts Off Rajyotsava Awards
The Rajyotsava award ceremony, Karnataka’s second highest civilian honour presented on 1 November, was postponed in the wake of the model code of conduct that is in force, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said Wednesday.
The awards are presented on 1 November each year, which is celebrated as Kannada Rajyotsava (the state’s unification). “The Rajyotsava award ceremony has been postponed due to the Lok Sabha and Assembly by-elections.
The award ceremony will be held after the code of conduct ends,” Kumaraswamy said in a tweet. Bye-elections to three Lok Sabha seats – Bellary, Mandya and Shimoga – and two Assembly seats – Jamkhandi and Ramanagara – are scheduled to be held on 3 November.
(Source: Deccan Herald)
2. Police to Slap Notice on Arjun Sarja Tomorrow
Actor Arjun Sarja, who’s been accused of misbehaving with colleague Sruthi Hariharan during the making of the film Vismaya two years ago, will on Friday be issued a notice to appear before Cubbon Park police within 24 hours.
On Wednesday, Vismaya producer Umesh, director Arun Vaidyanathan and a close friend of Sruthi Yashasvini, appeared before police and gave their statements.. While Vaidyanathan said he had no idea about the allegations made by Sruthi, Yashaswini told police that the actress had shared her ordeal with her.
Vaidyanathan said Sarja wanted some scenes involving him and Sruthi to be cut as they were too embarrassing.
(Source: The Times of India)
3. 1,500 Extra Buses to Handle Diwali Rush
The KSRTC will operate 1,500 extra buses in addition to the existing schedules to handle the extra rush during Deepavali, which will be celebrated from 6 to 8 November.
Special buses will operate from Bengaluru Kempegowda Bus Station to Dharmastala, Kukkesubramanya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mangaluru, Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Gokarna, Sirsi, Karwar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Koppala, Yadgir, Bidar, Tirupathi and other places. Special buses from Mysuru Road Bus Station will be ply towards Mysuru, Hunsur, Virajpet, Kushalanagar, Madikeri, etc.
All premier special buses will be operated from Shanthinagar to Madurai, Kumbakonam, Trichy, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad and other places in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
(Source: Deccan Chronicle)
4. Garbage: High Court Tells Police Told to Work Out Plan to Keep Vigil
The city police will have to work out a plan, including use of existing closed-circuit television cameras and beat police constables, to keep a vigil on people throwing garbage illegally in public places as the High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday asked the State Advocate-General to get instructions from the Police Commissioner on a methodology to keep a watch against garbage mess.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice S Sujatha issued the direction after counsel for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) said it had cleared 95% of garbage and there were a large number of black spots where people illegally throw garbage even after waste dumped there is cleared every morning.
The Bench pointed out that the vigil, kept by the city police against illegal activities such as putting up banners, posters, and buntings had some effect, and said that people who deface the city in any form would have to face consequences as per the law.
(Source: The Hindu)
5. Flood-hit Coffee Growers in Karnataka Seek Interest Waiver on Loans
Karnataka coffee growers on Tuesday sought interest waiver on loans for heavy loss they incurred after floods damaged their plantations in Kodagu district.
"Together with the Coffee Board, we have made a representation before the Ministry of Commerce asking for reduction of interest rates on all crop loans," said Karnataka Planters' Association (KPA) Chairman H T Pramod.
The coffee growers sought interest waiver on loans up to Rs 10 lakh to zero percent, up to Rs 25 lakh to 3 percent per annum and above Rs 25 lakh to 6 percent per annum.
KPA, the apex plantation decision-making body in the state, estimates the loss and damage to coffee estates, coffee crop and infrastructure due to floods in Kodagu in August and heavy rains in Chikkamagaluru and Hassan districts in the Western Ghats to be Rs 3,000 crore.
(Source: The News Minute)
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