KARNATAKA

More than 31,000 farmers are still awaiting the benefits of the state government’s farm loan waiver scheme.

The highest number of such farmers are in Belagavi (3,676), followed by Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Tumakuru and Mandya.

These five districts together account for around 45% of all such farmers.On the other hand, the government said more than 17 lakh farmers have benefited from the scheme that has so far cost the exchequer nearly Rs 8,000 crore.Data from the state co-operation department shows that overall, the government had identified more than 17.4 lakh farmers across districts who were together scheduled to get loan waivers to the tune of Rs 8,155 crore.

Of these, more than 17 lakh farmers’ loans worth Rs 7,987.5 crore have already been waived

The state government has formed a panel headed byR Balasubramaniam, the founder ofSwami Vivekananda Youth Movement, which will lay out a policy for the youth ofKarnatakaafter getting their feedback on 43 questions, many of which are related to Covid-19.

The Department of Collegiate Education (DCE) through a circular dated January 1, 2022, has asked college principals to ensure that students participate in the survey in which youth up to the age of 29 can participate.

Girish N Gowda, a para Olympian, said: The new policy should give more stress towards building a healthy society and enable the youth to be independent. It should cover all critical areas of human development, including physical and mental health, quality education, sports, etc. It should be implemented in a timebound manner.

In 2020-21, the tribals recorded a turnover of Rs 1.56 crore by selling over 75 tonnes of coffee and pepper. Moved by their success, Chamarajanagar DC M R Ravi has announced land to set up these units to encourage the products.

There is a huge demand for organically coffee and black pepper grown in this region at national and international markets, and the produce is sold through the Coffee Board and Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED). TRIFED is a national-level cooperative body under the administrative control of ministry of tribal affairs (GoI). They also sell honey, bamboo products and other minor forest products through these organisations.

Over 650 Soliga tribals from region, who own land measuring a few cents to 2-3acre, have been cultivating coffee and black pepper since 2015. They had been selling their products after forming their own body Bilirangana Hills Soliga Farmers Producers Association.

Popularly known as the Kalasa-Bhandura Nala projectin Karnataka, the project was undertaken by the Karnataka government to improve drinkingwatersupply to the districts ofBelagavi, Bagalkot, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Gadag.

In February, the dispute was resolved after the central government notified the final award of the Mhadai Water Dispute Tribunal that allocated 13.42 thousand million cubic feet of water to Karnataka, 24 tmcft to Goa and 1.33 tmcft to Maharashtra.

The Congress government is likely to immediately implement only three of the five poll guarantees 200 units of free power, 10kg of rice per person in a Below Poverty Line (BPL) family and free travel for women in state-run buses. The other two promises, Rs 2,000 per month for woman head of the family and Rs 3,000 for unemployed graduates, may be fulfilled only post the budget session.

It was reportedly decided to postpone rollout of the Gruha Lakshmi and Yuva Nidhi schemes as both require huge funds, and as of now there is no budgetary allocation. In all likelihood, the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, which requires around Rs 2,000 crore per month, will be rolled out on Varamahalakshmi day or during Gauri Ganesha festival. As far as Yuva Nidhi is concerned, its implementation will also take time since the government has decided to extend the benefit to students graduating from colleges this academic year and the results of some courses are awaited.

An exclusive survey-cum-opinion poll conducted by CVoter in Karnataka ahead of the May 10 assembly elections reveals that as many as 57 per cent of the respondents are angry with the state government and want to change it.

As per the survey, just about 17 per cent of the potential voters say that they are not angry with the government and do not want to change it. There are other ominous signals for theBJPgovernment led by chief minister Basavraj Bommai. Almost 47 per cent of the respondents rate the performance of the chief minister as ‘poor’.

In addition, corruption has emerged as a major issue among the voters in the state after unemployment and infrastructure. In assembly elections in states ruled by the BJP, the last time corruption had become a major issue was in Jharkhand in 2019, where the BJP had lost. Barring that, incumbent BJP governments in states have not faced such levels of anger among a majority of the voters who want to change the government.

The Union tourism ministry is proposing to invest Rs 48 crore under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) and Rs 100 crore under Swadesh scheme to give a major facelift to the tourism infrastructure in the city.

However, activists have expressed disappointment over the way in which development activities are proposed at Chamundi Hills under the PRASAD scheme.

In 2019, it was first proposed to develop Chamundi Hills under the PRASAD scheme at the total estimated cost of Rs 60 crore.However, the proposal was changed following opposition.Green activists are opposing any development works which affect the sacred and sensitive temple area.

According to available documents, development activities are proposed in six sites atop Chamundi Hills under the PRASAD scheme.This includes works worth Rs 20.65 crore in the Chamundi Temple premises.Rs 5.37 crore will be spent on pilgrimage facilities and Mahishasura plaza, Rs 1.51 crore for the development of Devikere, Rs 4.34 crore for the Nandi statue pavilion development, Rs 4.16 crore for redevelopment of foothills and Rs 1.34 crore for the development of viewpoints.

Bengaluru Urban, excludingBBMP areas, has emerged as the first district inKarnatakato have fully vaccinated 100% of its target population againstCovid-19.

The population of 10.3 lakh has been double jabbed, according to data with the state health and family welfare department.

However, in first dose coverage, the district has gone beyond its target and reached 129%, as many migrant labourers, workers from Tamil Nadu and neighbouring districts of Kolar, BBMP and the floating population have taken vaccines in the districts primary health centres. The district has administered first dose to 13.2 lakh persons.

The challenge now is to cover the remaining nearly 3 lakh persons who have taken the first shot in the district, with the second dose, said J Manjunath, deputy commissioner, Bengaluru Urban. He added the target was set based on the 2011 census and given that 10 years have passed, the data may not be accurate.

The coastal belt, especially during elections, is often referred to as the Hindutva factory.

However, theIslamic radicalisationof the coast is becoming a matter of concern with a definitive link with the world of terror coming to light when police had arrested four persons for alleged links with Indian Mujahideen in 2008.
According to an official, several radical elements have taken advantage of the situation of the region and indoctrinated the youth of this region.

In January this year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in cooperation withKarnatakapolice arrested an IS operative Deepthi Marla alias Maryam, wife of Anas Abdul Rahiman from Ullal in connection with an investigation of a case.

In an all-time record,Karnatakareceived 249% excess rainfall in November, which caused flash floods and widespread damage to crops and infrastructure.

Bengaluru recorded 224mm rainfall in November 329% above normal. In the past 100 years, only twice before has the city had more rain than this in November the first in 1916 and again in 2015.

October and November remained extraordinarily wet months throughout Karnataka, with the state recording 35% and 249% excess rainfall respectively. Coastal Karnataka, Malnad and south interior Karnataka received the highest rainfall, while north interior Karnataka registered normal rain.