Article 371: panel to submit draft report on July 11

Cabinet subcommittee formed to prepare guidelines for implementation of development works in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region in the wake of special status granted to the region under Article 371 (J) of the Constitution by the Union government will submit its draft report to the State Cabinet on July 11.

Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H.K. Patil, who is also chairman of the panel, told presspersons Friday that the Union government had asked Karnataka to send a detailed proposal as the President had to issue an Ordinance to this effect.

The Hyderabad-Karnataka region comprising Bidar, Gulbarga, Yadgir, Bellary, Koppal and Raichur districts have been given special status under Article 371(J) of the Constitution.
RULES AND GUIDELINES

Terms and references of the panel include formulation of rules and guidelines for the Hyderabad-Karnataka Development Board and reservation in jobs and quota in admission for technical education.

Once the President gives his assent, the report would come back to Governor, who is head of the State for further course of action.

Before preparing the draft report, Mr. Patil said the panel would meet MPs, MLAs and MLCs in Bangalore on June 27 and 28.

A meeting with activists, heads of trade and commerce bodies and others would be held in Gulbarga and Hospet on July 2 and 3, respectively, he said.

The draft report of the panel would be submitted to the State Cabinet through Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on July 11. “We are optimistic of completing all the work before July-end.”

Recommendations of the D.M. Nanjundappa Committee on regional imbalances would be the basis for the Cabinet subcommittee in preparing the draft proposal, Mr. Patil said.

Replying to a question on whether the Hyderabad Karnataka region would get special grants from the Centre, Mr. Patil said it would be made known after many more exercises.

“All our efforts are in the direction of seeking more funds from the Centre to eliminate regional inequality,” he said.


source:http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/article-371-panel-to-submit-draft-report-on-july-11/article4841444.ece

Four Badrinath pilgrims safe, waiting to be airlifte

Shyamsunder Jahagirdar and his wife Radhabai Jahagirdar from Gulbarga City who were on pilgrimage to Kedar have become incommunicado for the past two days. Photo: Arun Kulkarni


They left for the pilgrimage from Hyderabad on June 2

The four pilgrims who left from Hyderabad for Badrinath, Uttarakhand are safe, their family members confirmed.

Bidar residents Shyamsunder Jahagirdar and his wife Radhabai left from Hyderabad on June 2. They were accompanied by Ananth and Geeta Bakshi, who hail from Gulbarga and are settled in Bangalore.

“We lost contact last Saturday,” said Hrishikesh Jahagirdar, Mr. Shyamsunder’s son.

The last word from the stranded pilgrims was an SMS from a new number, which said the pilgrims had reached Badrinath. Their mobile numbers, and the number from which the SMS was sent, were switched off.

However, they had now sent another SMS. Mr. Hrishikesh confirmed that the four pilgrims were safe and were moving towards Joshi Math. They were waiting to be airlifted, he added.

He said Naveen Raj Singh, senior IAS officer from Karnataka who is in the service of the Uttarakhand government, was helpful to the family.

Rescued

Gulbarga Special Correspondent writes:

Meanwhile, Seshacharya and Padmavathi, who were also on a pilgrimage, told their relatives over phone on Friday morning that they had been rescued by the Army, and would soon return to the city.

A group of 14 pilgrims from the city, who had gone to Kedarnath and are currently in Haridwar, said over phone that they had to walk over 4 km in the thick forest and heavy rain to reach to safety. One of the pilgrims, Vilas Jain, said: “it was fortunate that we did not stay in the lodge at Gaurikund, and preferred to climb a hill to be safe.

The lodge collapsed in front of our eyes in the raging floods, taking all the occupants with it. Mr. Jain said that thousands had lost their lives in the floods.

‘Disaster’

Yadgir Correspondent writes:

A 10-member group of lawyers from Shahpur town in Yadgir district, who had gone to Kedarnath on a pilgrimage on June 16, have safely returned to Rishikesh.

The group left for Uttarakhand on June 13 and were caught in the floods at Gaurikund on June 16.

Speaking to The Hindu over phone from Rishikesh on Friday, lawyers Honnareddy and Ibrahimsab described the situation as a “disaster of the highest order.”

“Many lodges and hotels full with pilgrims in Seetapur collapsed in front of us.”

They plan to visit Ajmer before returning home.

Meanwhile, Somashekar Hiremath, a retired teacher, also from Shahpur, has donated his one month’s pension (Rs. 10,742) to the Prime Minister’s National Disaster Relief Fund, to help those affected in Uttarakhand.

Mr. Hiremath said he felt it was his duty to come to the aid of those in distress.

The retired teacher has made similar donations in the past.

source:http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/four-badrinath-pilgrims-safe-waiting-to-be-airlifted/article4837857.ece

Bidar-Bangalore overnight train may soon be a reality

There might be some light at the end of the tunnel for Bidar residents who have been demanding an overnight train from Bidar to Bangalore for over five decades now.

Officials of the South Central Railway (SCR) have agreed to consider this demand.

A delegation led by Basavaraj Patil Sedam, MP, met the Railway officials recently in this connection.

“We urged the authorities to consider three options: extend the Bangalore-Kacheguda train to Bidar, change the timings of the Nanded-Bangalore Express to make it an overnight train, or introduce a new train,” said B.G. Shetkar, president of the Bidar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who was part of a delegation. “Devi Prasad Pande, general manager of SCR, agreed to consider our request and discuss the issue at the highest levels in the Ministry,” he added.
BENEFITS

The delegation impressed upon the officials that an express train would boost tourism and trade in this poverty-stricken district.

“We told them it would also improve governance as more Ministers and IAS officials above the level of secretary would visit Bidar often to conduct inspections and progress review meetings,” Mr. Shetkar said.
LONG JOURNEY

The only train that connects this backward district to the State capital takes nearly 18 hours for the journey.

“Civil society groups have been demanding an express train since the reorganisation of States in 1956. But, the pleas have not evoked any response,” said Khaji Arshed Ali, former MLC.

“Railways has always expressed its inability to have Bidar as the starting point for a train to Bangalore, as we don’t have a cleaning and maintenance centre for trains here,” Deputy Commissioner P.C. Jaffer said. “So, we have offered to provide them some land near the new suburban railway station in Khanapur on the outskirts of Bidar for setting up such a centre. Railway officials have agreed to consider this option too,” he added.

source:http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/bidarbangalore-overnight-train-may-soon-be-a-reality/article4811275.ece