26.07.2011

Under employed opposition leaders...

Karnataka minister VS Acharya tells G Vishnu, Tehelka that he never put pressure on the Lokayukta to give a clean chit to the CM

• Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hedge claims you were present when former Union minister V Dhananjaya Kumar asked him not to indict Chief Minister BS Yeddyurrappa in his forthcoming report on illegal mining. Is it true?
  It is true that I met Hegde at his house in Bengaluru but I didn’t discuss any political matter. Dhananjaya Kumar didn’t make any such statement in my presence. I have high regard for Hegde. His father (Justice KS Hegde) was a senior BJP leader. I have never asked him for any favours.
• What is your comment on the Congress allegation that Santosh Hegde is corrupt.
  Congress leaders are underemployed and don’t know what to do, hence spewing nonsense is their preoccupation. We don’t know why the Congress is attacking Hegde. They always have a hidden agenda. They deliberately projected Chief Minister Yeddyurappa as a villain to hide their own sins. We have all seen how the Commonwealth Games, 2G spectrum and the oil scams consumed the country. People in Karnataka have repeatedly vouched for our performance. We care a hoot for what the Congress says.
• • In the Lokayukta’s previous report on illegal mining, former Congress CM Dharam Singh was also named.
    Dharam Singh’s involvement only dates back to five years ago but the Congress has been exploiting iron ore reserves in the state for 30-40 years now. They began with charging extra premium for the iron ore dust. The Congress has a long history of exploiting resources for its own use. They were the first to export iron ore at the cost of government companies. The Congress policy itself is all about creating bankruptcy. Name any state in the country, the Congress has looted resources there. Be it Karnataka, Odisha or Madhya Pradesh, the raw materials were exploited, exported, completely ignoring the value addition that could have proved beneficial for local industries. Better gain and employment creation is completely ignored. Congress agents have always exported ore at throwaway prices.
  • Is the BJP trying to pressurise Hedge into not naming Yeddyurappa? He has given suggestions to that effect. Rumour has it that you are among those who put pressure.
    Hegde is a person whom we consider with great respect. All this is a media creation. I don’t know what Hegde has said. I have been meeting him since 1975. I never used any meeting to push my own cause or political purpose. The last time I visited his house was six months ago to invite him for a function. No one can doubt my integrity.
  • The Lokayukta has asked for security cover for his staff once the report is out. What kind of threat are they facing?
    I’m not aware of that. If he has asked for security, he should be given protection. Anybody, whether it is a government servant or a private person, if they are feeling threatened, they need to ask and we will give them protection.
  • Do you acknowledge that there exists a powerful mining mafia in the iron ore belts of the state?
    I don’t know about the mining mafia. Today, the atmosphere in the country is fragile. There are a lot of security issues. So let us not limit ourselves to Bellary.
  • 
    The BJP made an unsubstantiated allegation regarding the wealth of Deve Gowda. After Kumaraswamy went on a fast, the remark was withdrawn. Didn’t your party lose face?
    Instead of raising valid issues, they are attacking a good government. Our governance is so good that people are repeatedly electing us and I don’t think there is anything worth pointing out in what the Opposition is doing
  • G Vishnu is a Correspondent with Tehelka.
    vishnu@tehelka.com

Cyber lab to tackle cyber crimes...

Govt to plant 2.5 Crore saplings in State: Dr V S Acharya

Michael Rodrigues /Mangalorean; Photo: Janardan Koadvoor

Udupi, Jul 18: Department of Forest Kundapur Division and Mahathma Gandhi Memorial College Udupi celebrated Vanamahotsava at the MGM College premises on Monday 18 July 2011.

District In-Charge Minister Dr. V S Acharya inaugurated the programme by planting and watering the saplings. Later a Stage Function was organized at Ravindra Kala Mantapa.

Speaking on the occasion Dr. Acharya Said that it is decided to plant 2.5 Crore saplings in the State and 1 lakh saplings in each constituency which is the target this year. Planting trees helps temper the heat of summer on the pavements and it gives beauty to the roads he said.

Asst Officer of Forest department Kundapur Division C B Sadashiv Bhat in his introductory speech said that the forest department had a plan of planting saplings in the state this year. Farmers who are interested in planting new saplings can apply to the forest department and if the farmers continuously take care of the plants for 3 years they will get Rs 45 per each tree.

Farm mechanization...need of the hour

Why Farm mechanization?

Photo: Janradan Kodavoor

What Lok Ayukta Justice Hegde really said...

Excerpts of an interview with Rediff

"I was told by BJP leader Dhananjay Kumar (former Union minister from Mangalore) to go soft on Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa while preparing the report on illegal mining," said Justice Hegde.

"A couple of months ago, Dhananjay Kumar told me during an informal chat to go soft on the chief minister. I had told him clearly that he should not meet me if this is what he wanted to discuss. I had kept the incident under wraps and felt that I should not speak about it. But Kumar went around telling people that 'I had been settled' and the CM's name would not be mentioned in the mining report," he said.

"Why did he have to go around speaking like that when I had made my stand very clear to him? I got confirmation of what Kumar was saying when a BJP minister told me what he was saying about me. I don't like speaking out like this. But when there is a deliberate ploy to malign me, I thought I should speak up," said Hegde.

"During that informal meeting, BJP minister Dr V S Acharya and A G Kodgi were also present.

"They didn't try and influence me in any way. But Kumar had the audacity to threaten to file a defamation case against me. I needed to take the names of Kodgi and Acharya as they were present at that meeting," he said,"

Dr VSA: I have never gone to Justice Santosh Hegde seeking personal favours. I have known his family for almost 30 years and have been to his house several times...

Kittur, Gangavathi visit

Media - Internal Ombudsman: need of the hour!

Snehalatha/ Bellevision

Udupi, 11 July 2011: Journalism which is in the cross roads can be brought to the right path only from within the journalism and cannot be done from outside, opinioned State Higher Education Minister Dr. V. S. Acharya. He was speaking upon inauguration of the new Press Club and laying foundation stone fort the News Bhavana. The Judiciary system, Legislatory system are all sometimes get into humorous or laughable situations. But the journalism should not become like that, said the Minister. Journalist should leave aside the negative approach and must encourage the personalities of good creative thinking and to those who does good work. In the public platform it is not possible for the politicians and officers to take a short cut for a long lasting achievement. And this principle applies to even journalists also, said Dr. Acharya.

State government has announced rupees 1 crore for the welfare of the Journalists, rupees 50 lakhs for the welfare of Senior Journalists, the monthly allowance has been increased from rupees 1,000 to 2,000, Smart card for the Journalists who crossed the age of 60 and also Mere Hanumatha Rao awards have been declared. The government is always ready to hear the petitions of the Journalists, said the Minister. State Journalists Association President Gangadhara Modaliyar speaking on the occasion, said that, after the Neera Radhiya case, there have been evidences that even the Journalism is not out of corruption. Elections have created a new corruption called paid news. The murder of Jyothi Dey in Mumbai proclaim that in our country even the Journalists are not safe. To all these problems and issues the only solution is to follow the Journalism ethics by all Journalists, he said.

other posts on Paid News, Judgemental Media, Media Ombudsman

Grow Fruits and Vegetables and make profit in agriculture

Udupi, 11 July 2011: Paddy farmers have been facing various problems such as economic loss and shortage of labour and therefore they have kept the land unused. But the same farmers should make profit by growing fruits and vegetables, said District Minister Dr. V. S. Acharya. He was speaking upon inauguration of an agricultural training program at Udupi Taluk Panchayath on Saturday.

The program was jointly organized by Karnataka Agriculture Maha Mandala, D.K. – Udupi District Hapcams and other Organizations. Harvesting of the crop, marketing training and also distribution of seeds were part of this program. Dr. Acharya said that, India is the 2nd largest in growing fruits and vegitables, but still the farmers are not making profit out of it. It is because the farmers have failed in protecting, preserving, yielding technologies of the fruits and vegetables. So they need to think seriously about this, he said.

Subhas Marne/ Bellevision

CET Conselling 2011

Bangalore: Finally, the long wait ended on Thursday. Students started lapping up government quota engineering seats as the Common Entrance Test (CET) counselling had a nail-biting start at seven centres across the state.

Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), that conducts the test and seat selection sessions, has declared 73,168 students eligible for engineering seats this year. On Thursday — the first day of counselling — CET candidates who have secured ranks from 1 to 1,600 were called for seat selection under the general merit category.

Note that the total number of engineering seats available to CET candidates is 47,697 in 188 colleges. This year, 83,489 engineering seats are available in the state in total.

KEA said all engineering seats in the Electronics and Communications stream that were available for CET students under the general merit category were taken on Thursday.

Initially, the engineering counselling was scheduled to begin on June 27, but the state government was forced to postpone it by 10 days to Thursday, as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) delayed sending approvals for engineering courses. State higher education minister VS Acharya visited the KEA cell in Malleswaram in the morning when the counselling kicked off and addressed the session.

"This year, all eligible and aspiring candidates will get engineering seats as the number of seats has gone up. Six new colleges have been approved," Acharya said.

Along with the seats, the number of students eligible for engineering seats has also been jacked up.

When the CET results were announced, the count of candidates eligible for engineering seats was 60,543. AICTE had altered the eligibility slab for aggregate marks in Science subjects from 45% to 50% (GM & OBC) and from 40% to 45% (SC, ST) for engineering seats. It then changed the eligibility criterion to include Computer Science and Electronics students, increasing the number.

But it later gave in to the pressure exerted from various states to drop the change in eligibility cap.

After these last-minute changes, KEA came out with a revised rank list with 73,168 students eligible. Due to the delay in the commencement of the engineering counselling, KEA is now racing against time.

It has planned to hold counselling sessions even on weekends without break as the deadline for the completion of the seat selection process is August 2. Of the total 44,305 seats that were available to CET candidates in the general merit category, 982 were filled on Thursday.

Those who have secured ranks from 1,601 to 3,200 are eligible to attend the second day of the counselling today (Friday). Photo:Sanjevani, Report: Daily Bhaskar

VSA 73

Courtesy: Udayavani

Better roads, wider roads save fuel: thus save our environment!

Wider roads: save fuel

Less Pollution

Wider roads: Safer, save lives!

Defending the chopping of trees for widening Sankey Road, Higher Education Minister V S Acharya on Monday said it was not possible to give preference to trees over the road.

Speaking at a World Environment Day event, he said: “There is obviously a need to widen the road to accommodate the increasing traffic. If people want the road to be widened and also the trees to remain, then it is like saying you want to have the cake and eat it too.”

Acharya said the trees existed because of the road and not the other way around and people should not oppose the cutting of trees. “We can plant more saplings later. The road widening should go on,” he said.

The Minister, however, cautioned people not to destroy the environment and to protect the resources. “Modernisation, greed and commerce have led to the destruction of the environment. There should be sustainable development,” the Minister said.

Also read: Hazardous trees on the roadside: an analysis