KARNATAKA

The state-level convention ofKarnatakaState Loading and Unloading Labourers Federation organised byKarnatakaShramika Shakthi (KSS) will be held on July 10 at Freedom Park at Bengaluru, said Mysuru district unit president Kariayanayak.

He said that the convention is organised to mark the 10th anniversary of implementation of AnnaBhagyascheme by the . The scheme provides jobs to lakhs of loading and unloading workers in the state, he said.

He said that CM Siddaramaiah, food and civil supplies minister KH Muniyappa, labour minister Santosh Lad will take part in the convention.
He said that the association will demand the state government to constitute a Loading and Unloading Welfare Board on the lines ofMaharashtragovernment to ensure all government benefits, including Scholarship, PF, ESI, medical care, loan, free bus passes and other social security schemes are provided to them.

TheKarnatakagovernment is likely to forgo its share of taxes on diesel for all four state-run road transport corporations (RTCs) to bail them out of their financial problems.

At present, the four RTCs together spend a whopping Rs 11.5 crore daily to purchase around 13 lakh litres of diesel. They can save over Rs 1.5 crore a day if the waives its share of taxes.
The daily diesel payout would have been more than Rs 15 crore if RTCs went for bulk purchase, as there is a gap of almost Rs 35 a litre between retail and bulk prices. As a result, RTCs have been buying diesel from retailers recently.

Realising the urgent need for addressing the financial needs of these corporations, whose collective losses are touching Rs 5,000 crore, the government has set up a panel under retired Ias officer MR Srinivas Murthy to suggest reforms to make the RTCs not only self-reliant but also profitable. The committee is expected to submit its report in a few weeks.

The water pathways of the Cauvery recorded heavy inflow on Thursday with Karnataka releasing more water from the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini Dams to the state.

A public works department (PWD) official at the Stanley Reservoir at Mettur said Karnataka had increased the quantum of water being released from the Kabini dam to 5,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) from 700cusecs on Thursday morning. The water discharged from the KSR dam was also increased to 1,400cusecs from 800cusecs on the day.

The inflow to both the Kabini and KSR dams had increased following continuous rain in the catchment areas such as Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikmagalur, Hasan and Koorg districts. The tributaries of the Cauvery had swelled following the incessant rain, forcing Karnataka to release more water to the state.

Allaying fears of people residing in rented accommodation about the free power scheme,KarnatakaCMSiddaramaiahand energy ministerKJ Georgeon Tuesday confirmed that tenants, too, would get the benefit of the scheme if they were consuming less than 200 units of power in a month.

Karnataka witnessed its steepest hike in power tariffs in mid-May when the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) ordered a 70-paise hike per unit. Even though the previous BJP government constantly rejectedproposals to increase the power tariff, theKERCuploaded its revised orders on its website on May 12, a day before the results of the state assembly were announced.

KERC revised the fixedcharges tariff and merged the urban and rural slabs into one category. While KERC had allowed revisions in tariffs between a minimum of 20 paise and a maximum of 48 paise in the past decade, this was the first time that KERC allowed such a steep hike.

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Union minister Pralhad Joshis recent statement on installing a big statue atUnkal Lakehas triggered a controversy with activists wanting the statue ofChannabasavanna, one of 12th-century sharanas, at the waterbody.

The erasing of Channabasava Sagar from a board there is the bone of contention. The lake was already named after Channabasavanna in January 2003. The erasing of his name form the board recently has left activists and the residents of Unkal and Hubballi upset.

The nextKhelo India, a programme introduced to revive the Sports culture in India at the grass-roots level by building a strong framework for all sports played, will be held in Karnataka, saidNarayana Gowda, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs.

Inaugurating the 81stAll India Inter-University AthleticsChampionship at Swaraj Maidan,Moodbidri, he said the government is committed towards promoting sports in Karnataka. “In all the departments, 2% of jobs will be reserved for sportspersons and will get 50% of reservation in the departments related to sports, he said.
He said as many as 75 sports students are being groomed in the state to take part in the next Olympics.

The procession took place as part of 81st All India Inter-University Athletics drew a huge crowd and over 150 troupes representing diverse cultures of India participated in the event.