Dharam Singh to attend Congress meet
The Hindu
HUBLI: Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior leaders of the Congress will participate in a district-level convention of the party to be held at the Nehru Ground here on September 26.
Addressing presspersons here on Monday, Viranna Mattikatti, MLC and General Secretary of the KPCC, said nearly one lakh people are expected to participate in the convention to be organised to strengthen the party in view of the elections to taluk, zilla and town panchayats.
Asked if the party is organising such conventions anticipating early elections to the Assembly, Mr. Mattikatti said the Congress is ready for polls.
He said the convention is being held not to show the strength of the party.
Mr. Mattikatti clarified that those who have faith in the party's ideology are with it.
He said that preparatory meetings have been held in some places in the district and a few more will take place to make the convention a success.
On whether efforts are still on by some Congress leaders to rope in the former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah into the party, Mr. Mattikatti answered in the affirmative.
The views expressed by Mr. Siddaramaiah now are similar to that of the Congress, Mr. Mattikatti.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
State lacking financial sustainability?
State lacking financial sustainability?
The Hindu
HUBLI: Does the State lack financial sustainability which comes in the way of giving guarantee for any loan?
Yes, if one goes by what S.R. Morey, Minister for Municipal Administration, says. The State Government is not in a position to stand guarantee for anything beyond the stipulated limit, Mr Morey said while addressing presspersons here on Monday. It is not only the Government, but also the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, according to him.
Mr. Morey made this disclosure to explain the inability on the part of the Government in clearing Rs. 176 crores for augmenting drinking water supply to Hubli and Dharwad.
Asked about the promise made to the IT companies on the development of infrastructure, he said The Government had made the announcement but it had to be cleared by the Finance Department. However, he denied that the Chief Minister's promise in this connection is hollow.
Mr. Morey said the sustainability position keep changing every year. "Lets wait for the next assessment," he added.
Mr. Morey denied the allegation that only Hubli and Dharwad have been singled out for such treatment. What is the use of the Government giving clearance for the project, if it is not cleared by the Finance Department? Mr. Morey asked.
Mr. Morey said the Government has received proposals from some private companies for financing the water supply scheme for Hubli and Dharwad. Asked if the Government aimed at privatising water supply, Mr. Morey said it is only an alternative and no decision has been taken as such.
Mr. Morey said it should be possible to supply water daily for the people of Hubli and Dharwad in the next two years.
The Hindu
HUBLI: Does the State lack financial sustainability which comes in the way of giving guarantee for any loan?
Yes, if one goes by what S.R. Morey, Minister for Municipal Administration, says. The State Government is not in a position to stand guarantee for anything beyond the stipulated limit, Mr Morey said while addressing presspersons here on Monday. It is not only the Government, but also the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, according to him.
Mr. Morey made this disclosure to explain the inability on the part of the Government in clearing Rs. 176 crores for augmenting drinking water supply to Hubli and Dharwad.
Asked about the promise made to the IT companies on the development of infrastructure, he said The Government had made the announcement but it had to be cleared by the Finance Department. However, he denied that the Chief Minister's promise in this connection is hollow.
Mr. Morey said the sustainability position keep changing every year. "Lets wait for the next assessment," he added.
Mr. Morey denied the allegation that only Hubli and Dharwad have been singled out for such treatment. What is the use of the Government giving clearance for the project, if it is not cleared by the Finance Department? Mr. Morey asked.
Mr. Morey said the Government has received proposals from some private companies for financing the water supply scheme for Hubli and Dharwad. Asked if the Government aimed at privatising water supply, Mr. Morey said it is only an alternative and no decision has been taken as such.
Mr. Morey said it should be possible to supply water daily for the people of Hubli and Dharwad in the next two years.
Ring road proposal sent to Centre: Minister
Ring road proposal sent to Centre: Minister
The Hindu
DHARWAD: Minister for Municipal Administration S.R. Morey said on Monday that a proposal to build a 9.45-km ring road in Hubli-Dharwad at a cost of Rs. 31 crores has been sent to the Centre for approval.
Presiding over a meeting here to review the progress achieved in the implementation of development works, Mr. Morey said Rs. 20 lakhs has been released for conducting a survey related to the ring road.
For improving the road between Hubli and Dharwad, a proposal seeking Rs. 10 crores has been submitted to the Government. Of the amount, Rs. 3 crores has been released and the work has commenced, the Minister said. Mr. Morey said approval has been given to construct 300 Ashraya houses at Rayapur.
He asked the officials to submit a project report on providing drinking water, power supply and roads in the area. He instructed the officials of the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) to expedite the process of rehabilitation of petty shop owners evicted during the recent "Operation Footpath."
P. Manivannan, Commissioner of the HDMC, said 508 sites have been identified to rehabilitate the displaced shop owners. "We have received 420 applications in Hubli and 300 in Dharwad," he added.
Mr. Morey said the Deputy Commissioner, Police Commissioner, corporation Commissioner and the Managing Director of the North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation should hold discussions on the proposal to shift the city bus stand before taking any action on it.
Narayan Nadamani, Police Commissioner; E. Radhakrishna, Managing Director of NWKRTC; S.B. Bommanahalli, headquarters assistant to Deputy Commissioner; Krishnaji Chauhan of the Public Works Department; Yeligar, Executive Engineer, National Highway Authority, and K.H. Kakanur, Commissioner of the Hubli-Dharwad Development Authority, were present.
The Hindu
DHARWAD: Minister for Municipal Administration S.R. Morey said on Monday that a proposal to build a 9.45-km ring road in Hubli-Dharwad at a cost of Rs. 31 crores has been sent to the Centre for approval.
Presiding over a meeting here to review the progress achieved in the implementation of development works, Mr. Morey said Rs. 20 lakhs has been released for conducting a survey related to the ring road.
For improving the road between Hubli and Dharwad, a proposal seeking Rs. 10 crores has been submitted to the Government. Of the amount, Rs. 3 crores has been released and the work has commenced, the Minister said. Mr. Morey said approval has been given to construct 300 Ashraya houses at Rayapur.
He asked the officials to submit a project report on providing drinking water, power supply and roads in the area. He instructed the officials of the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) to expedite the process of rehabilitation of petty shop owners evicted during the recent "Operation Footpath."
P. Manivannan, Commissioner of the HDMC, said 508 sites have been identified to rehabilitate the displaced shop owners. "We have received 420 applications in Hubli and 300 in Dharwad," he added.
Mr. Morey said the Deputy Commissioner, Police Commissioner, corporation Commissioner and the Managing Director of the North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation should hold discussions on the proposal to shift the city bus stand before taking any action on it.
Narayan Nadamani, Police Commissioner; E. Radhakrishna, Managing Director of NWKRTC; S.B. Bommanahalli, headquarters assistant to Deputy Commissioner; Krishnaji Chauhan of the Public Works Department; Yeligar, Executive Engineer, National Highway Authority, and K.H. Kakanur, Commissioner of the Hubli-Dharwad Development Authority, were present.
Will Sankeshwar be able to garner votes for the Janata Dal (S)?
Will Sankeshwar be able to garner votes for the Janata Dal (S)?
The Hindu
HUBLI: The impact of Vijay Sankeshwar, founder of Kannada Nadu, joining the Janata Dal (Secular) appears to be more psychological than real.
The JD(S) has been able to bag one more Lingayat leader, and Mr. Sankeshwar has come back into active politics after his party, Kannada Nadu, proved to be a political flop. Will this development bring political dividends to JD(S) in the region?
Kannada Nadu, which Mr. Sankeshwar established with lot of fanfare after be broke away from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), proved to be flop in the 2004 elections. Only one party candidate won from Gulbarga district, but he promptly joined the Congress. Mr. Sankeshwar lost the Hubli Rural Assembly seat to Jagadish Shettar, who is now the BJP State President. Kannada Nadu polled only two per cent of the votes, according to Mr. Sankeshwar himself.
The JD(S) garnered only 17 seats out of a total of 95 from the region in the 2004 Assembly elections, with the Bombay Karnataka region giving it just three seats. The JD(S) initially chose to ignore the region. But after the 2004 elections, it dawned on the leadership that unless they mobilise support from this region, it would be difficult to come to power on its own.
With this end in view, it began to focus on the region and the Lingayat community, which has kept away from the party. It has already put two Lingayats from north Karnataka in positions of power: State party President N. Thippanna and Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash. JD(S) Working President H.D. Kumaraswamy, who was here on Saturday to welcome Mr. Sankeshwar into the party, said he will be given an important position. The task given to Mr. Sankeshwar is to counter the propaganda that JD(S) national President H.D. Deve Gowda is inimical to the interests of the region.
Political pundits say that the impression is that Mr. Gowda is anti-Lingayat and anti-north Karnataka.
Treatment of Hegde
This is mainly because of the way he had the late Ramakrishna Hegde thrown out of the erstwhile Janata Dal after becoming the Prime Minister. Despite being a Brahmin, Hegde was a leader trusted by the Lingayats.
The role he played as Prime Minister in reneging on his promise of making Hubli the headquarters of the South Western Zone of the Railways has also been held against Mr. Gowda.
Whether Mr. Sankeshwar can help the JD(S) recover lost ground is the question.
The Hindu
HUBLI: The impact of Vijay Sankeshwar, founder of Kannada Nadu, joining the Janata Dal (Secular) appears to be more psychological than real.
The JD(S) has been able to bag one more Lingayat leader, and Mr. Sankeshwar has come back into active politics after his party, Kannada Nadu, proved to be a political flop. Will this development bring political dividends to JD(S) in the region?
Kannada Nadu, which Mr. Sankeshwar established with lot of fanfare after be broke away from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), proved to be flop in the 2004 elections. Only one party candidate won from Gulbarga district, but he promptly joined the Congress. Mr. Sankeshwar lost the Hubli Rural Assembly seat to Jagadish Shettar, who is now the BJP State President. Kannada Nadu polled only two per cent of the votes, according to Mr. Sankeshwar himself.
The JD(S) garnered only 17 seats out of a total of 95 from the region in the 2004 Assembly elections, with the Bombay Karnataka region giving it just three seats. The JD(S) initially chose to ignore the region. But after the 2004 elections, it dawned on the leadership that unless they mobilise support from this region, it would be difficult to come to power on its own.
With this end in view, it began to focus on the region and the Lingayat community, which has kept away from the party. It has already put two Lingayats from north Karnataka in positions of power: State party President N. Thippanna and Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash. JD(S) Working President H.D. Kumaraswamy, who was here on Saturday to welcome Mr. Sankeshwar into the party, said he will be given an important position. The task given to Mr. Sankeshwar is to counter the propaganda that JD(S) national President H.D. Deve Gowda is inimical to the interests of the region.
Political pundits say that the impression is that Mr. Gowda is anti-Lingayat and anti-north Karnataka.
Treatment of Hegde
This is mainly because of the way he had the late Ramakrishna Hegde thrown out of the erstwhile Janata Dal after becoming the Prime Minister. Despite being a Brahmin, Hegde was a leader trusted by the Lingayats.
The role he played as Prime Minister in reneging on his promise of making Hubli the headquarters of the South Western Zone of the Railways has also been held against Mr. Gowda.
Whether Mr. Sankeshwar can help the JD(S) recover lost ground is the question.
No going back on promise to grant land for rail shed: Morey
No going back on promise to grant land for rail shed: Morey
The Hindu
SOLVING PROBLEMS: Ministers H.K. Patil, S.R. Morey, Jabbarkhan Honnalli and Basavaraj Horatti at a meeting on problems related to Railways in Hubli on Monday.
HUBLI: There is no question of going back on the promise by the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna to grant 100 acres of land at Navalur between Hubli and Dharwad to shift the railway goods shed, which will be converted into a railway station.
This was made clear by S.R. Morey, Minister for Municipal Administration; Jabbar Khan Honnalli, Minister for Sports and Youth Services, and Basavaraj Horatti, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj. They were responding to questions by presspersons after attending a meeting of elected representatives convened by Pralhad Joshi, Dharwad North MP.
Mr. Morey was clarifying the doubts raised on his remarks made at the meeting earlier. He had said that the land in question is under the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board and it cannot be given free. Mr. Morey made it clear that there has to be a proposal to that effect before any decision can be taken. So far, the State Government has not received any proposal from South Western Railway. "Let the proposal come and the Government will take a suitable decision. There is no question of going back on the promise made by Mr. Krishna," Mr. Morey said Earlier in the meeting, Mr. Morey said perhaps Mr. Krishna had not realised that the land in question is with the KIADB when he made the promise.
Jagadish Shettar, President of the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, said he was present when Mr. Krishna made the promise at a function to lay the foundation stone of the SWR's zonal office by the then Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee and the promise should be honoured.
H.K. Patil, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, said some arrangement could be worked out with the Railways with regard to the land. The Railways could transfer some part of its land, which the administration might need in lieu of transfer of 100 acres. The transferred land may not be equal to what is sought by the Railways, he added. A.D. Mainrai, Divisional Railway Manager, said the Railways may not be having vacant land that may be of any help to the district administration. Mr. Pralhad Joshi said shifting of the Goods Shed is crucial for the development of the Hubli railway station. It is also coming in the way of introduction of new trains. Every time a proposal is made, the limitation of space at the station is cited as one of the reasons. The Government should honour the commitment of Mr. Krishna and transfer the land free of cost, he added. Railway officials said the Railway Board has rejected proposals for buying land in view of the promise made by Mr. Krishna.
The Ministers asked the officials to send a proposal to the State Government and invited them to attend a meeting to be convened in Bangalore shortly by Mr. Morey in this connection.
On the work on Bijapur-Bagalkot-Gadag railway line, the officials were asked to send details to enable the Government to release Rs. 35 crores during this financial year itself. The remaining funds could be given the next year to enable the work to be completed by March 2007.
The officials said the work on the Bijapur-Bagalkot section has ended and the line will be opened for traffic soon.
The Hindu
SOLVING PROBLEMS: Ministers H.K. Patil, S.R. Morey, Jabbarkhan Honnalli and Basavaraj Horatti at a meeting on problems related to Railways in Hubli on Monday.
HUBLI: There is no question of going back on the promise by the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna to grant 100 acres of land at Navalur between Hubli and Dharwad to shift the railway goods shed, which will be converted into a railway station.
This was made clear by S.R. Morey, Minister for Municipal Administration; Jabbar Khan Honnalli, Minister for Sports and Youth Services, and Basavaraj Horatti, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj. They were responding to questions by presspersons after attending a meeting of elected representatives convened by Pralhad Joshi, Dharwad North MP.
Mr. Morey was clarifying the doubts raised on his remarks made at the meeting earlier. He had said that the land in question is under the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board and it cannot be given free. Mr. Morey made it clear that there has to be a proposal to that effect before any decision can be taken. So far, the State Government has not received any proposal from South Western Railway. "Let the proposal come and the Government will take a suitable decision. There is no question of going back on the promise made by Mr. Krishna," Mr. Morey said Earlier in the meeting, Mr. Morey said perhaps Mr. Krishna had not realised that the land in question is with the KIADB when he made the promise.
Jagadish Shettar, President of the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, said he was present when Mr. Krishna made the promise at a function to lay the foundation stone of the SWR's zonal office by the then Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee and the promise should be honoured.
H.K. Patil, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, said some arrangement could be worked out with the Railways with regard to the land. The Railways could transfer some part of its land, which the administration might need in lieu of transfer of 100 acres. The transferred land may not be equal to what is sought by the Railways, he added. A.D. Mainrai, Divisional Railway Manager, said the Railways may not be having vacant land that may be of any help to the district administration. Mr. Pralhad Joshi said shifting of the Goods Shed is crucial for the development of the Hubli railway station. It is also coming in the way of introduction of new trains. Every time a proposal is made, the limitation of space at the station is cited as one of the reasons. The Government should honour the commitment of Mr. Krishna and transfer the land free of cost, he added. Railway officials said the Railway Board has rejected proposals for buying land in view of the promise made by Mr. Krishna.
The Ministers asked the officials to send a proposal to the State Government and invited them to attend a meeting to be convened in Bangalore shortly by Mr. Morey in this connection.
On the work on Bijapur-Bagalkot-Gadag railway line, the officials were asked to send details to enable the Government to release Rs. 35 crores during this financial year itself. The remaining funds could be given the next year to enable the work to be completed by March 2007.
The officials said the work on the Bijapur-Bagalkot section has ended and the line will be opened for traffic soon.
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