Kolar Projects Thread

[byrakur]

Farmers See True Colours of Dalit Minister (Tehelka)

IT DOESN’T matter if they belong to the BJP or the Congress; politicians of all hues seem to be landing in trouble in Karnataka. The latest to join the hall of shame is Congress leader and Minister of State for Railways KH Muniyappa, who has been accused of willful non-declaration of assets and grabbing land worth more than Rs 200 crore from Dalit farmers using fraudulent means.

On 19 April 2011, a criminal complaint under Section 33(1) of the Representation of People Act and Rule (4) of the Conduct of Election Rules was filed against Muniyappa, 63, a six-time Congress MP from Kolar district. The complainant, BSP leader Marasandra Muniyappa, has accused his namesake of not declaring four acres in Survey No. 164 of Goramillahalli, Shidlaghatta taluk, Chikkaballapur district, in his nomination papers filed in 2009. Marasandra contends that the land was allotted to Muniyappa in 1972 and an order copy (No. LNDSR2115) was issued in his name in 1973.

Marasandra also alleges that nine acres in the name of Muniyappa’s wife Nagarathnamma (Survey No. 35/p13, 35/p1 and 35/p6 of Goramillahalli) has not been declared, leading to culpability and punishment under Section 125(A) of the Representation of People Act, which includes imprisonment for a term that may extend to six months or with fine or both.

According to his asset declaration in 2009, Muniyappa had moveable assets worth Rs 1.42 crore, immovable assets worth Rs 3.7 crore, and liabilities amounting to Rs 2.1 crore. A copy of the asset declaration available with TEHELKA finds no mention of the land in Chikkaballapur.
Muniyappa, a Madiga Dalit, has also been accused of trying to forcibly usurp land belonging to Dalits worth more than Rs 200 crore on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

“We were tricked by Muniyappa, who took 20 acres of our land for a paltry sum, promising that an educational institution will be built there, which will allow our children to get proper education, and our men to get government jobs. But no such thing happened,” says Lakshamma, 70, who, along with 33 other Dalit families, owns this land.
Around 50 acres was allotted to 33 Dalit families by the government in 1948. Five decades later, builders Dayananda Pai and Satish Pai claimed ownership of the land. The Dalit farmers pursued the case in the district courts and finally in 2005, the land was restored to them.
“In 2005, Muniyappa registered 20 acres in his aide Ramprasad’s name by giving Rs 25 lakh for 10 acres and another Rs 45 lakh for the other 10 acres, when the going rate was Rs 1 crore per acre,” says Manupoojappa, 50, a Dalit farmer. “We thought we will get Central government jobs and our children will have a great future if an educational institution for the upliftment of Madiga Dalits comes up. Our foolishness led us to believe him.”

Manupoojappa accused the minister of trying to forcibly grab the other 30 acres while his relative Hanumaiah claims that the minister intimidated the farmers to part with their land, whose value has skyrocketed due to its proximity to the newly opened Bengaluru International Airport.

“Even though we have submitted the relevant documents supporting our claim, the district administration has failed to pass an order against him,” adds Marasandra. “And it is not a single case: there are several more Dalit lands usurped by the minister through benami names of his family members, including his brother Doddamuniyappa, son Narasimharaju, and daughter Lakshmi.” According to Marasandra, the minister holds more than 84 acres under benami names.
Despite repeated attempts, the minister was unavailable for comment.

When contacted, Kolar Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar Meena said that the case of non-declaration of assets was filed a year ago, and it has come to its final stages after hearing both sides’ arguments. An order will be duly issued, he added without further divulging any details.

SOURCE:
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main52....312Farmers.asp

Or

http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/re...-berth_1660896

[JhonJ]

BEML’s efforts at rainwater harvesting

A visit to H and P division of BEML Nagar in the city easily gives one an idea how an oasis might look.

Because, although nowhere near a geographical, sand-filled desert, the area is right in the middle of a region where water is a precious commodity. But, constructing a checkdam, the staff of BEML have collected rainwater flowing in canals.

The onset of summer means a nightmare for the people of the entire district and nearby areas. The condition is only getting worse in the dryland districts with each passing year. Water tanks, small or big, are mostly dried up and have cracked beds.

Hundreds of acres in the ‘backyard’ of the H and P and the R and D divisions have been taken up on contract by BEML from BGML. Although now an area with restricted entry, the place was once a cattle shelter for the neighbouring villages, and had cattle, sheep and even black bucks grazing on the land.

The region, however, changes colour from lush green during rain to a stark and dry brown in summer. The local residents get a temporary ground for their daily sports. Even the stormwater drain loses much of its moisture, but remains the only place with a little greenery.

Owners of cattle suffer the most when the conditions are such. The question of how to provide water for animals when humans themselves get little becomes stark.

The administrative division of BEML has provided a solution to the grave problem. Although not a check dam in the true sense, the tank they have constructed has prevented rain water from going waste in the canals. Also, the nearby areas have all turned green and pleasant to the eyes, thanks to the moisture in the soil that is prevented from going dry.

The BEML checkdam is an important entity in the region. Hundreds of cows from nearby villages come to graze in the plains surrounding the checkdam. Very often groups of deer can also be sighted among the tall grass. With the division providing both water to drink and security from poachers, black bucks too are common visitors here. The deep blue-shaded water attracts various species of birds at dawn and dusk, which, in turn, attracts nature-lovers.

Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar Meena, who had visited the checkdam recently, lauded the efforts of BEML staff and officers. He reminisced the conditions in his native state Rajasthan, where water is scarce. He had said cattle always got preference over human beings for drinking water there, and BEML had achieved something similar, providing enough water for not just man but also animals to consume.

Nagesh, deputy general manager of BEML, said V R S Natarajan, managing director of BEML, too is fond of the ‘backyard’ of the H and P division and had instructed that the animals there, especially deer, should not be deprived of drinking water, he added.

[JhonJ]

Is there any progress in wagon factory to established in Kolar, as proposed by K H Muniyappa in his Last Railway Budget.

[JhonJ]

Quarrying unsettles 30 villages in Chikkaballapur


Houses develop cracks; farming comes to grinding halt
Children in these villages tremble at the deafening sound of rock blasts; well-constructed houses have developed cracks; farmlands have fallen fallow and all that has remained of the roads is potholes.




This is not a description of mine-ravaged villages in Bellary, but that of the villages in Chikkaballapur taluk, where stone quarrying has been going on unabated.

Reckless quarrying has wiped off age-old rock deposits in around 30 villages of Chikkaballapur, a backward taluk. A large chunk of the population in these villages are farmers, who have lost the source of their livelihood. The once fertile land has turned barren and the dust emanating from quarrying has been killing their cattle.

Quarrying has not left any option for the residents of Kanivenarayanapura, Bhadrenahalli, Nashakuntehalli, Sonnapura and other villages. They are neither getting coolie work to sustain themselves.

Worst hit

“Children are the most affected. They quiver with fear whenever rocks are blasted for quarrying. Elders run their eyes over the walls of houses after each blast to look for cracks in the walls. We fear for our lives,”said Kadireppa, a resident of Nashakuntehalli. Roads have been badly damaged due to frequent movement of hundreds of stone-laden trucks each day. The trucks, Kadireppa alleged, are often over-loaded. “Each time a truck passes, a cloud of dust engulfs the surroundings,” he said.

Anjinappa, a resident of Sadhumutt village faces a unique problem. “My house, located on the border of Chikkaballapur and Doddaballapur taluks, has developed cracks due to the blasts. Quarry operators shun the responsibility claiming that they had been quarrying in Chikkaballapur taluk,” he rued.

Suresh, another resident, said their repeated pleas to the elected representatives and authorities concerned to ban quarrying have fallen on deaf ears. He said neither any officer nor an elected representative had visited them even once to listen to their problems.

source:http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...aballapur.html

[byrakur]

Originally Posted by JhonJ

Is there any progress in wagon factory to established in Kolar, as proposed by K H Muniyappa in his Last Railway Budget.

JOHN,

Railway Wagon factory was moved from Kolar to Shimoga district, few months ago this news was announced by state railway ministers in press conference...
(please refer old news papers like Vijaykarnataka/Kannadaprabha/Prajavani/Loacal news papers... etc for more info)

We hope new coach or other alternative factory will be announced to Kolar in coming (14th March 2012) Rail budget.

[byrakur]

MSN:

The Rail Budget could announce two new coach factories in Kolar in Karnataka and Kutch in Gujarat. Incidentally, both the Ministers of States for Railways K H Muniyappa and Bharatsinh Solank come from these two states.

Source:
http://news.in.msn.com/budget2012/ar...mentid=5921348http://news.in.msn.com/budget2012/ar...mentid=5921348

[JhonJ]

Track laying in CB Pur may render thousands homeless

Work on Kolar-Chikkaballapur rail link picks up pace
The residents of Chikkaballapur are under danger of losing thier homes as Kolar-Chikkaballapur railway line work has picked up pace.



These houses, including the government school is situated adjacent to the railway line. Though the residents were promised of alternative facilities, nothing has been done in this regard.

But some of the residents have already recieved notice to vacate the house.

On the other hand,work of laying railway line is on in full swing for the Chikkaballapur-Kolar railway line.

Workers are toiling day and night to lay the track. Piles of crushed stones are found all along the route of the new railway line. Officials are visiting the work sites to ensure hassle-free work on the railway line.

While some are happy with the work progress, others - like residents of Chamarajpet and Ambedkar Colony are a worried lot. The Railway department has issued notices to the house owners to vacate the houses within the stipulated date.

“There are 300 houses in the area and thousands of us who are residing here for a long time stand to lose our shelters. How can we vacate the houses all of a sudden? Where will we go?,” ask the residents.

No alternative

While the railway authorities want the occupants to vacate its land, the residents want alternative arrangements to be made before being asked to go.

Union Minister for Railways, K H Muniyappa, had in the past intervened and had directed Deputy Commissioner N Manjula and MLA K P Bachegowda to provide alternative sites and homes for the displaced. The residents, who had heaved a sigh of relief after the minister’s assurance, are now worried after being issued the notices.

The residents, most of whom are labourers, say that Muniyappa had told them that the eviction process would begin only after alternative housing is provided to them. But the sudden eviction notices have come as a bolt from the blue for them.

source:http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...b-pur-may.html

[JhonJ]

Now, borewells to be metered

The State government is planning to impose a flat rate on groundwater extracted for commercial purposes in four districts, including Bangalore

This comes after the State of the Environment Report (SoER) has expressed serious concern over depleting water resources. The SoER has suggested metering of domestic and agricultural borewells to monitor the use of groundwater.

It has also gone a step ahead in recommending a monitoring mechanism for the groundwater use in the entire State.

The State government now contemplates imposing a flat rate on groundwater extracted for commercial purposes in the districts of Bangalore Urban, Bangalore Rural, Kolar and Chikkaballapur.

The draft report, being prepared by Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute (Empri) for the State government, relies on data for arriving at its observations and recommendations.

Indiscriminate use of groundwater has resulted in 124 taluks reaching above 70 per cent exploitation and 22 taluks have already attained critical level of exploitation, the report states.

Karnataka is endowed with 15 cubic km of groundwater, of which 11 cubic km has already been utilised, the report states, seeking immediate policy intervention by the government.

The scarcity of water resources is a direct outcome of growing competition among various sectors - including agriculture, industry and domestic- over the limited quantity of exploitable water resources in the state, the chapter on “water resources and management” of the report adds.

Then, there is the “nexus” between free power and overdraft of groundwater. The State has 8.6 lakh irrigation wells of which 8.07 lakh wells have electric pumps to draft groundwater.

The State’s failure to achieve the planned potential of 35 lakh hectares is one of the reasons for the overexploitation of groundwater.

At present, the total area irrigated by the groundwater sources is estimated at 45 per cent of the net irrigated area.

On the irrigation front, the report points out that wasteful use of irrigation water apart from growing unsuitable crop in the wrong agro-climatic zones has resulted in land degradation in the form of water logging, alkalisation and acidification.

As a result, in many irrigation projects, degradation of land has caused uncertainty of yields. The report suggests expansion of watershed management and revival of traditional tanks. It has also recommended promotion of water saving techniques such as drip and sprinkler irrigation and promotion of crops which need less water.

The report recommends water conservation measures in domestic and industrial sectors through higher water tariffs. It has suggested afforestation measures, identification and evolution of technologies for artificial groundwater that are best suited to specific agro-climatic conditions.

The report has also suggested review of electricity subsidy extended for pumping of groundwater.
Empri has now called for comments on its draft report. The final report will be submitted to the government in the coming weeks.

source:http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...s-metered.html

[JhonJ]

Originally Posted by byrakur

MSN:

The Rail Budget could announce two new coach factories in Kolar in Karnataka and Kutch in Gujarat. Incidentally, both the Ministers of States for Railways K H Muniyappa and Bharatsinh Solank come from these two states.

Source:
http://news.in.msn.com/budget2012/ar...mentid=5921348http://news.in.msn.com/budget2012/ar...mentid=5921348

Coach Factory in Kolar is proposed as said in 2011-12 Rail Budget

[engineer.akash]

Originally Posted by JhonJ

Coach Factory in Kolar is proposed as said in 2011-12 Rail Budget

Nice

[JhonJ]

Coach Factory to come up b/w Mulbagal and srinivaspur of Kolar district has informed by K H Muniyappa to one of the News channel

[byrakur]

BANGALORE, MARCH 14:
After several years, Karnataka has got a major railway project – a rail coach factory – which will come up in Kolar, near Bangalore.

It will also get a ‘safety village' as well as a 72 MW windmill plant.

The Union Railways Minister, Mr Dinesh Trivedi, while presenting the Railway Budget 2012-13 said “Kolar in Karnataka and Kutch in Gujarat have been selected to set up new manufacturing units for coaches. The two projects are being taken up with the active participation of the State Government.”

The project is said to be the biggest investment in Kolar district after the Kolar Gold Fields, was set up during the erstwhile British rule, and the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) which has put up a modern dairy there a few years ago. Incidentally, the Union Minister for State for Railways, Mr K.H. Muniyappa, represents the Kolar constituency.

Kolar District Map

The State Government has promised land for the project as its share and is in the process of identifying the location.

The Railways is also planning to rope in the Karnataka Government for other cost sharing projects as well.

“These projects will be given special attention and processed on priority for obtaining requisite clearances,” said Mr Trivedi in his budget speech.

Kolar railway station

“Railways in the State on cost sharing basis plans to take up laying of new railway lines. The proposal to which has been sent to the Planning Commission for appraisal and ‘in-principle' approval,” he added.
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info
Hindu
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IBN Live

[byrakur]

One more Bonanza ...

Company identifies 40 acres on Bangalore-Chennai highway



New Delhi, March 14:
UK-based premium bike-maker TRIUMPH Motorcycles has zeroed in on the southern State of Karnataka for its local assembly plant, which may start well within a year. It had previously held talks with States such as Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra for the same.

Its third such facility globally after the UK and Thailand, the Indian plant will help Triumph price its models more competitively in the world's second-largest two wheeler market. This strategy follows another niche player, Harley-Davidson's, which started similar operations at a facility in Haryana last year.

Triumph signed a memorandum of understanding with the Karnataka Government about a month back, an official close to the development toldBusiness Line. One of the pre-requisites for the location had been proximity to a port for both importing completely knocked-down (CKD) kits and later exporting bikes, if required.

“About 40 acres of land has been identified by the company at Narasapur (Kolar district) on the Bangalore-Chennai highway. This is about 50 km from Honda's upcoming motorcycle plant,” the official said.

The brand, which launched itself in India at the Auto Expo in January, is looking to assemble the Bonneville, Street Triple, Speed Triple and Daytona 675 models locally. Later, it may consider full manufacturing as well.


“We are gearing up to commence our Indian operations at the earliest. Of the seven motorcycles that will be entering the market, we will be assembling four of our bike models in India. We will be looking at setting up the CKD assembly facility in a propitious location,” the company said in a reply to emailed queries.

Starting from July, up to four dealerships will be appointed in 2012, with a target of around 12 outlets within the next three years. Triumph's local headquarters will likely be in Delhi, sources said.

“While the plant would take around a year to come up, the bike models would be launched earlier to build excitement around the brand. Though initially imported as fully-built units, the pricing will be kept on the lower side keeping in mind the reduced costs after local assembly starts,” a source said.

Premium bike-makers present in India include Ducati and BMW Motorrad, apart from high-end models from Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda and Korean player Hyosung. Starting from around Rs 5 lakh and going up to around Rs 45 lakh, most of these models are imported into the country

Source
The Hindu

[byrakur]

Kolar, Mar 14 2012,DHNS:

Project announced a second time; 1,000 acres identified in Srinivaspur taluk(Mulbagal Road); 5,000 jobs likely

Union Minister of Railways Dinesh Trivedi announced the setting up of a railway coach factory in the district while presenting the Railway budget on Wednesday.

But the project has gone a step forward with much of the 1,000 acres of land required for the project already being identified.



The railway coach factory had been announced in last year’s budget which was presented by then railway minister Mamata Banerjee.

With land having been identified, people in the district expect the project to be put on the fast track. Though the railway coach factory proposal was made in last year’s budget itself, the district administration has not received any communique from the government in this regard.

However, land was identified in Srinivaspur taluk following oral instructions from Union Minister of State for Railways, K H Muniyappa, who represents Kolar constituency in the Lok Sabha. Of the 1,000 acres identified, 60 per cent is government land, while the rest is private property.

“After visiting various places in the district, we zeroed in on land in Srinivaspur taluk. We have informed the chief secretary and the principal secretary to the Revenue department in this regard. The district administration is ready to hand over land whenever required,” Deputy Commissioner Manojkumar Meena told Deccan Herald.

The rail coach factory is expected to generate 5,000 jobs. With Muniyappa stating that locals will get priority in jobs and with land having been identified for the factory, there is hope among people in the district that the work on the project will be expedited. The factory will be set up as a joint venture with the State government.

Brief history

The history of railway coach factories in the country dates back to 1885 when the East Indian Railway set up its carriage and wagon division. However, it was wound up in 1900.

In 1952, the country’s second rail coach factory was set up at Perambur in Chennai. The third one came up at Kapurthala in Punjab in 1986.

The fourth factory is coming up in Rae Bareli of Uttar Pradesh.

Poor rail connectivity

While the move to establish a coach factory in the district has been welcomed by the people, the railway facilities in the district are rather poor. There is no direct rail link from Kolar, the district centre, to the State capital, Bangalore. There is only one train connecting Kolar to the Bangalore Cantonment station. A railbus connects Bangarpet and Kolar. Other than these, there is no railway facility in the district. There is a demand for an express train between Kolar and Bangalore

Source:
Deccan Herald

[byrakur]

-: SUMMARY :-


* A coach-manufacturing unit in Kolar


Route extended
* Bangalore-Bangarpet Passenger to Marikuppam

* Bangarapet-Krishnarajapuram Passenger to Marikuppam


Projects sent to planning commission for appraisal
* Chikkaballapur-Puttaparthy

* Srinivasapur-Madanapalli

Gauge conversions to be completed in 2011-12

* Kolar-Chintamani

* Chikkaballapur-Shidlaghatta


Gauge conversions in 2012-13

* Chintamani-Shidlaghatta


> Only one Taluk not having railway tracks in Kolar district is MULBAGAL .
> Hope in next Budget MULBAGAL taluk related lines will be considered ??
> Whitefield- Kolar
> Kolar- Mulbagal- Nagali- Chitoor

Source:
TOI

[engineer.akash]

Nice

[srivatsayb]

coach factory is amazing news for kolar along with the Honda and Triumph plant :-) ..If all the railway projects are done earnestly, Muniyappa will be looking at a record 7th term!!..I dont care who wins, but Kolar located close to bangalore must develop as an industrial hub..agriculture is diff bcos of lack of water resources...

My native district is going places

[JhonJ]

Budget derails CB Pur railway projects

People upset with both Union ministers-Muniyappa and Veerappa Moily

The people of the district, who had high hopes from the Wednesday’s Railway Budget were once again disappointed.

People, already devastated by the scantly rainfall and successive droughts, had hoped that the budget would fill their dream of better train facility between the district and Bangalore, which in turn would alleviate their living conditions.

Even the two Union ministers from the Kolar-Chikkaballapur region, K H Muniyappa and Veerappa Moily, both had promised to fulfill the demands. However, the Budget, presented by the Minister Dinesh Trivedi, didn’t have anything significant for the Chikkaballapur district. The minister harped again about establishing Rail Coach Factory in Kolar.

Last year, before the railway budget, the Union Minister of State for Railways, K H Muniyappa, had hinted at surprise for the district. However, there was nothing in store for the district. The minister, during his visit to the district in October last, had promised additional trains between Chikkaballapur and Bangalore, modernisation of the Chikkaballapur railway station and upgrading it as a major junction in the State and providing additional facilities to the passengers. However, once again, Muniyappa failed to deliver. Many residents regretted that in spite of the two union ministers, the districts got a raw deal.

“Muniyappa, sadly, has only focused on his constituency Kolar, and didn’t bother about neighbouring constituency Chikkaballapur. Moily too, failed to deliver. The ministers have let down the people,” Industrialist Seetaramaiah told Deccan Herald.

The district, which is already reeling under the shadow of ineffective governance, leadership and apathy will be further degraded, he added.

Reactions

The rail link project between Chikkaballapur and Puttaparti has been in the pipeline for many years now. A proposal will be submitted to Planning Commission for the implementation. By the time the Commission gives nod for the project, a year is passed.

Once again the project will be discussed in the next year’s budget, said DYFI leader M P Munivenkatappa.

The hike in railway fare will have an adverse effect on the poor and people from middleclass, as majority of them travel by train. The hike in fares in not fair, said farmers’ leader B N Munikrishna. He criticised Muniyappa for not delivering on his promises.

The backward Chikkaballapur district needed a good railway project to put it on the path of development. The budget has failed people’s hope, said Farmers’ leader Yaluvanahalli Sonne Gowda.
A ray of hope

The railway budget, however, did kindle a ray of hope among the people. One of the long cherished dream of the residents of the district, a rail link between Chikkaballapur and Puttaparthi in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, has been given priority.

Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi said the project would be implemented jointly with the State government. A proposal has been submitted to the Planning Commission for working out of the cost of the project, he added.

source:http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...r-railway.html

[JhonJ]

Chikkatirupati to get pre-university college

The Government High School in Chikkatirupati has been securing cent per cent result for the past consecutive nine years.



Commending the school for its achievement during its annual day celebrations on Wednesday, legislator Krishnaiah Setty said the school has proved that the government schools, with the help of donations and parents’ co-operation, can also have edge over the private schools.

The students have been encouraged to study well through various attractive programmes, including distribution of tea and biscuits in the evening.

This year 11,000 students from 28 high schools will be writing SSLC examination this year and clothes and other incentives are being given to encourage the students to perform better in the examinations, he said.

PU college

However, the students have no facilities to continue their college education, the residents said. If the students want to pursue higher education they will have to travel 15 km every day or migrate to cities, they told the legislator.

Responding to their grievances, the legislator said the Government has sanctioned a Pre-University college in Chikkatirupati and the college will begin functioning from the next academic year.

Zilla Panchayat president Manjula Venkatesh, PLD Bank President Yattakodi Krishnareddy, Taluk Panchayat member Puttaswamy, Lakkur Gram Panchayat former president Lakshmi Ramesh, leader Sridhar, Plastic Nirmoolana Samiti president Muniswamy, School Development Monitoring Committee chairperson Venkateshmurthy, Head Master Zameer Ahmed, Murali and Venkatesh were present on the occasion. The inaugural event was followed by cultural programmes by the students.

source:http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...y-college.html

[JhonJ]

Kolar’s boon, Minister’s fortune cookie

KOLAR: Commencing a railway coach factory will help solve unemployment problems in Kolar district to a large extent. However, the onus to allot 1,000 acres for the same lies on the state government. Union Minister K H Muniyappa shares a cordial relationship with CM and other ministers in this regard.
The factory will also help raise the price of land in surrounding areas and sustain businesses in the region. Muniyappa’s initiative in getting the factory sanctioned for the region will boost his political career.

source:http://expressbuzz.com/states/karnat...ie/372687.html