KARNATAKA

The 2020-21 fiscal sawKarnatakataking a huge hit on its financial Resources. As per the 2020-21 finance and appropriation accounts report published by the comptroller and auditor general (CAG), the government recorded a drop of Rs 14,535 crore in tax revenue collection.

The total debt of the state went up from Rs 3.19 lakh crore to Rs 3.97 lakh crore, thereby increasing the debt by Rs 78,000 crore. The biggest losses were incurred in the SGST, state excise duty, sales tax, stamps and registration and vehicle taxes. However, the non-tax revenue had increased marginally from Rs 7,681 crore to Rs 7,894 crore.

KarnatakaIT ministerCN Ashwath Narayan said the government was in the process of upgrading the Karnataka Skill Connect Portal, which was launched early this year as a digital platform to bring together institutions, skilling agencies, workforce and employers.

KSCPis a job portal with -specific add-ons: Provides psychometric test and technical skill assessments, besides keeps all stakeholders up to date with opportunities and avenues.

As on date, KSCP lists 6,828 jobs, 418 internships, 1,172 apprenticeship vacancies and has 148 industries and 59 institutions registered. The portal intends to provide 1 crore opportunities across these categories.

Karnataka decided to issue a government order to implement its decision to increase reservation for SC & ST by 2% and 4% respectively.

The government will mount pressure on the Centre to amend the Constitution based on the cabinet decision and insert the amended legislation into the 9th Schedule of the Constitution to give it protection from legal scrutiny.

The Nagamohan Das and Subhash Adi committees also established with data that SCs and STs have less reservation in Karnataka compared to their Population and opined that the decision meets all requirements The Supreme Court has prescribed.

Karnataka State Higher Education Council entered into an MoU with IT body National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) on Tuesday, aimed at providing industry-aligned Skill development experiences to students of higher education.

This is likely to benefit over 5 lakh students and faculty every year.

This MoU will make skill development courses available on the ‘Future Skills Prime’ platform of NASSCOM to all students and faculty members of higher education institutions in Karnataka.

The Union ministry of mines has handed 7 blocks of gold mining to the Karnataka government in a bid to consolidate the nations mineral security.

The G-4 stage blocks, which are primarily ready for mineral exploration after preliminary assessment, will be up for grabs and the will have to auction them to generate revenue.

The seven blocks of gold mining which have been identified are in Kakol and Sevanagar in Haveri district, Belaghatta and Katanahatti in Chitradurga district, Marutipur spread across Dharwad and Haveri districts, Kanivehalli located across Ballari and Davanagere districts and Mududi in Hassan district. According to GSI sources, the Union Government has allowed conducting an auction of mining activities in 220 sqkm of the potential mineral area including gold and limestone under the new MMDR amendments.

KodihalliChandrashekhar, president ofKarnatakaRajya Raitha Sangha andHasiru Sene(KRRSHS), has urged the to revoke the amendments to laws on Land reforms and APMC introduced by the previous BJP government because they are detrimental to the farmers.
Chandrashekhar told reporters here on Tuesday that Karnataka Land Reforms Act-2020 paves the way for non-farmers to buy agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes, while the APMC (Amendment) Act 2020-allows for selling agricultural produce outside the ambit of APMC.

However, CMSiddaramaiahclarified that he will verify the act. There is no need to verify because agricultural land shouldnt be commercialised. The government should revoke the act in this session, else we will teach a lesson to Congress, like how we taught BJP, he said.

Experts asked the government to conserve Bhogini Mandapam, the 14th century royal dance hall, on Rachakonda hills.

Kings who ruled from Rachakonda patronised Bhoginis, royal courtesans, who were talented in singing and dancing.

Bhoga Mandapam, which survived till date atop a hill in Rachakonda, was constructed by Sarvagna Singa Bhupala, the Padmanayaka king of Rachakonda who ruled almost whole of Telangana during the last decades of 14th century.

The Siddaramaiah-led government has said that it will repeal amendments piloted by the previous BJP government to the Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMC) Act and that it will restore old provisions of the Act with some progressive additions.

TheKarnatakaAgricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation and Development) (Amendment) Act 2020 is the state version of the central legislation to modify APMC laws. HK Patil said the amended Act will be withdrawn and the Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation and Development) Act, 1966, will be restored with some provisions of the amended Act.

Prior to the amendment, the revenue of all APMCs put together was around Rs 650 crore, but it fell to around Rs 200 crore after the amendment

Maharashtra Resources“>Water Resources minister Jayant Patil attended a high-level meeting withKarnatakachief ministerBS Yediyurappa in Bengalurufor better flood-management between the two states.

After the meeting, Patil said the Karnataka government has decided to set up a real-time data acquisition system (RTDAS) at its Almatti and Narayanpur Dams to monitor water levels, which will help prevent 2019-like floods in Kolhapur andSangli districts, in which 60 people lost their lives.

After the Centre issued an order to repeal all redundant laws and decriminalise many for ,Karnatakahas identified 323 laws which need to be simplified or done away with.

While the Covid-19 pandemic gave states, including Karnataka, ample opportunity to withdraw or modify controversial laws, it also left governments with no voice from industries to suggest which laws were creating hurdles.

According to industries department officials, no Industry body has given suggestions on which laws were hindering fresh factories and units being set up.