Extension of CRZ to boost development of coastal region: Karnataka CM Bommai

The Indian Express | 1 hour ago | 26-07-2022 | 05:40 pm

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told media persons in New Delhi Monday that his government has obtained permission for the extension of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). He added that the extension of the CRZ in Karnataka would boost development in the coastal region of the state.“The CRZ exemption limit has been extended in Goa and Kerala states which has helped growth of the hotel and tourism industry in a big way in those states in their coastal region. Serious efforts were made for a similar extension in Karnataka too. Now permission has been obtained from the regional office in Chennai. With this the 330 km long coast in Karnataka would see spurt in economic activity, fishing, tourism and hotel business,” the chief minister’s office said in a press release.The chief minister said discussions have been held with the Union transport minister on the construction of five ring roads in the state. “The Centre has agreed for concessions and GST exemption. The ring road works would be taken up in Raichur, Koppal, Gulbarga, Belagavi and Gadag towns. The Centre has also agreed to clear construction of 24 railway bridges across the state,” Bommai said.Talking about his government’s efforts in increasing employment opportunities in Karnataka, Bommai said: “The Union ministry for textiles and commerce has agreed to give in principle approval for setting up textile parks in Bijapur and Gulbarga. This would open up huge employment opportunities in the region.”During his New Delhi visit, the Karnataka chief minister has also sought clearance for pending proposals for development of ports and marinas (dock for small boats). This included 27 proposals under the Sagarmala project with a total expenditure of Rs 1,800 crore.“The Kali Waterway project would be cleared immediately upon submitting the DPR. The Union minister has assured clearance for Angaraghatta to Manipal waterway for which the DPR is being prepared. Feasibility funds would be provided for development of marinas in Baindur, Malpe and Mangaluru, which would give a big push for tourism and economic activities. Tenders would be invited for the project within the next 8-10 days. The project would be discussed at the Global Investors Meet to be held in November,” Bommai said.The chief minister further said he is scheduled to meet Union minister Bhupender Singh Yadav Tuesday evening to highlight Karnataka’s objections against the implementation of the Kasturirangan report on eco-sensitive areas.Bommai said BJP national president JP Nadda would inaugurate a convention titled ‘Janotsava’ in Doddaballapur to mark the first anniversary of his government on July 28.

Read more

Share:

Similar News

74 illegal gun cases in 7 years in Goa, but cops yet to trace sources

Times of India | 7 hours ago | 26-07-2022 | 11:04 am

Times of India

7 hours ago | 26-07-2022 | 11:04 am

PANAJI: Goa police have registered 74 cases of illegal possession of guns in the past seven years, however, the department is yet to trace the suppliers and sources of the illegal arms. This year, Goa police have registered three such cases. Asked whether police have tracked the suppliers and sources in each of the illegal gun possession cases, chief minister Pramod Sawant, who is also the home minister, said, “Maximum efforts are being made to find the sources.” To reduce the entry of illegal guns into the state, patrolling at bus stands, railway stations and other vulnerable areas is on day and night, the chief minister said. He said no illegal guns have been seized at the border checkposts. “Round the clock nakabandi is maintained at the border checkpost with sufficient staff to check vehicles entering the state. As and when information of drug peddling is received, police promptly raid the person/place and cases are registered against the culprits under appropriate sections of the law,” Sawant said. In June 2020, a gang war broke out in Santa Cruz at night leading to a murder. Two months later, a jeweller was killed around noon in Margao. The common thread in both these incidents was the usage of guns. A senior police officer said that most locally made guns are manufactured in North India. The officer said that guns are not very expensive in North India and can be bought at anything above Rs 5,000. These guns can be brought into the state by way of railway, bus, etc, the officer said.

After Centre’s snub, MPT looks to get pvt player on board for mobile harbour crane

Times of India | 14 hours ago | 26-07-2022 | 04:13 am

Times of India

14 hours ago | 26-07-2022 | 04:13 am

Panaji: The Centre has rejected Mormugao Port Authority’s (MPA) proposal for funding under the Sagarmala scheme to purchase a mobile harbour crane and has instead recommended that the port must go through the public-private partnership (PPP) route. MPA will now attempt to get a private player on board through a revenue sharing model for a period of 10 years, but this process could take at least six months, said MPA chairman Venkata Ramana Akkaraju. Akkaraju provided this information to a Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry delegation that went to discuss the infrastructure gaps at the port. “The chairman said that a tender will be floated at the end of July where a new crane will be mobilised for a period of 10 years on a revenue sharing model, but that the whole process might take up to six months to complete,” said a GCCI office bearer privy to the meeting. “He also informed that a proposal for funding a crane was put forth under the Sagarmala scheme, but it was not approved stating that the port should try sourcing the crane via the PPP model.” The GCCI delegation comprised Chandrakant Gawas, Dhirendra Thakker and Sanket Kaskar. The purpose of the meeting was to urge MPA to develop port infrastructure. Gawas informed the MPA chairman about the lack of regulatory authorities at the port to issue important clearances in the movement of cargo. “According to the export-import procedures, there should be six government partnered agencies which include drug controller, animal quarantine, plant quarantine and truck controller that should be present at the port to issue clearances, but currently, there are none who are authorised to sign the clearances,” said Gawas. Akkaraju said that due to the insignificant cargo movement, it is not feasible for regulatory authorities to be present at the port. Akkaraju said that increasing the cargo volume should be the first priority. GCCI pointed out that even though Goa has a significant number of pharmaceutical industries that source raw material and manufacture medicines and medical test kits, the companies are forced to ship the cargo through JNPT or Chennai port. Gawas informed Akkaraju that the GMR Group is willing to support MPA in any way required so that both the water and air modes of transport can be used for the logistics sector. A GCCI delegation, along with Akkaraju and deputy chairman MPA Guruprasad Rai, met with minister for state for tourism and ports Shripad Naik and also requested him to resolve the long-pending issues.

After accident kills four, Twitter campaign seeks multi-specialty hospital in Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada

The Indian Express | 1 day ago | 25-07-2022 | 05:40 pm

The Indian Express

1 day ago | 25-07-2022 | 05:40 pm

The recent accident in Karnataka’s Udupi district, in which four people were killed after the ambulance they were travelling in rammed into a toll plaza at Shiroor, has sparked an online campaign on Twitter. The accident occurred when the ambulance was rushing a patient from Honnavar in coastal Uttara Kannada district to a hospital in Udupi’s Kundapur. Tweeting under #NoHospitalNoVote, netizens are now demanding a super-specialty hospital in Uttara Kannada district which has for long struggled with poor health infrastructure.Located about 450 km from Bengaluru, Uttara Kannada district has 11 taluks with an estimated population of 15.46 lakh. With the exception of the government-run Karwar Institute of Medical Sciences – which does not have enough specialty departments – at the district headquarters in Karwar, Uttara Kannada has long been plagued by inadequate health infrastructure, forcing people in the region to travel to other districts or even the neighbouring state for medical treatment.According to a district health official, the super-specialty hospital nearest to Karwar is Goa Medical College, about 100 km away, but people in the region travel either to Mangaluru or Manipal, which is about 180km. Underlining the need for a multi-specialty hospital in the area, Twitter user Lohith Naik pointed out that more than 10-15 accidents take place in the region each month but the people are “helpless”, tweeting under the hashtag #NoHospitalNoVote.Sachin Kumta, another Twitter user, said, “There is an immense need for an emergency hospital in #UttaraKannada district, because the hospitals are too far from here, where the patient has to play between Life and Death.”“Shame on You MP, People of Uttara kannada have elected u 6 times, but never cared for people. people are requesting Emergency Multispecialty Hospital & u said its not My work,” fumed Suraj G Naik.Dr Shivananda B Kudtarkar, district health officer (Uttara Kannada) told The Indian Express that there is a private multi-specialty hospital in the district. “But what we need is a super-specialty hospital or a branch of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). As the region and its population is scattered, the strategic location could be Ankola, which can be accessible to many of the taluks in the district.Another health official pointed out that every time elections are around the corner, promises of a super-specialty hospital are renewed. “Though institutions like the Karnatak Lingayat Education Society and the Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Institute have been established in this region, nobody is interested in starting a hospital here because the people here cannot afford to go to private hospitals. However, there needs to be comprehensive development in the district for the health sector to grow. The government promises a super-specialty hospital when elections approach, but it dies down later.”Soon after the campaign for a hospital gained traction on social media, JD(S) leader and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy extended his support to the agitators and demanded that the chief minister look into it. “Only a few places in the state have well-equipped hospitals. People who need emergency care will have to rush to places like Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Mysuru or Belagavi. This amounts to discrimination in health care. During Covid-19, the government announced that all hospitals will be upgraded, but nothing has taken place. How many more have to die on roads?” Kumaraswamy questioned.State Minister for Health K Sudhakar said that as per the public demand, Uttara Kannada district needs a multi-specialty hospital and trauma care centre. “I will discuss it with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and take a decision,” he said.BJP leader Ananth Kumar Hegde, who currently represents Uttara Kannada in the Lok Sabha, is a six-time winner from the seat. Of the six Assembly constituencies in the district, the BJP represents five and the Congress one.

Goa government looks at PPP for Margao bus stand development: Transport minister Mauvin Godinho

Times of India | 1 day ago | 25-07-2022 | 01:38 pm

Times of India

1 day ago | 25-07-2022 | 01:38 pm

MARGAO: Transport minister Mauvin Godinho said that the state government was "exploring the possibility" of taking up the construction of Margao's bus stand through public private partnership (PPP). In a recent written reply to a question by Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, Godinho said that the total area of land in government's possession, which can be utilised for the bus stand project, was approximately 70,000 sqm. "The temporary KTC bus stand at Margao was constructed in 1989. The total built up area of the bus stand in possession of KTCL is 700 sqm," Godinho said. During a discussion, Kamat urged the government not to go for PPP mode. For maximum returns from the project, the government itself should build it, he said. What's significant is that the foundation stone for the "ultra-modern transport hub" was laid in June 2011 by Kamat, who was then the chief minister, when Congress was in government. Spread over 16 acres of land, the project was to include, besides a modern bus stand, a retail mall, a hotel block, corporate block for commercial space and parking facility, among other facilities. The conceptual drawings along with block estimates (Phase I & II) were prepared by consultants of the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC). Around three years ago, the GSIDC had moved the file to the TCP department for its approval, following which tenders for the Rs 350 crore project were to be invited. While then chief minister Manohar Parrikar had given his approval, the proposal hit a roadblock after his demise. The project has remained grounded ever since.

Goa: Revolutionary Goans party waiting for legislature department’s response, may rework POGO bill

Times of India | 1 day ago | 25-07-2022 | 10:22 am

Times of India

1 day ago | 25-07-2022 | 10:22 am

PANAJI: Revolutionary Goans (RG) MLA Viresh Borkar said he is waiting for a response from the legislature department to the private member’s bill he had moved on the Persons Of Goan Origin (POGO), to decide on the future course of action. During a heated discussion on the last day of the monsoon session of the Goa assembly on Friday, chief minister Pramod Sawant had informed the house that the bill moved by the St Andre MLA was unconstitutional. When asked to spell out the reasons for it, law minister Nilesh Cabral had said that Borkar could check the noting put up by the law department file of which was placed on the table of the house by him. "If the concerns are genuine then we will definitely look at them, talk to constitutional experts and see how to rework it," said Borkar. “ I have not got any reply. The law department and the chief minister have made comments but as per procedure the speaker has to tell the house if a private member's bill has been accepted or rejected," said Borkar while speaking to TOI. "I need an explanation," Borkar said. Borkar said that as per norms of the Goa legislative assembly, the speaker needs to officially inform him if the bill has been accepted or rejected. RG chief Manoj Parab, speaking to the media after the session, said if POGO bill is unconstitutional then how did the government last year get the Bhumiputra bill, he asked. “From the discussion in the assembly, the people have come to know who is with the native people”, Parab said accusing the ruling party of ignoring the sentiments of the local people. “The government is only making statements of working in the interest of Goa and Goans. It is only lip service”, he said. Parab also slammed Independent MLA from Curtorim Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco for criticising Borkar during discussion on Friday.

More News

Latest News