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Karnataka Today newsletter: Leaders of 26 parties arrive in Bengaluru for Opposition meet, and more

Bengaluru is hogging the political limelight yet again with the two-day Opposition Unity Meet, which will see the participation of leaders of 26 political parties from across India on July 17 and 18. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, leading opposition parties are coming together to forge an electoral alliance and put up a joint fight against the BJP government.

In a tweet this morning, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah welcomed the delegates who have converged in the battle against ‘authoritarianism, communalism and corruption’. The meeting in Bengaluru follows the first such conclave in Patna last month.

The Congress, which is hosting the meeting in the city under the tagline ‘United We Stand’, would be represented by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, former presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

In the five years from 2018 to 2022, a total of 1,971 persons lost their lives in bus accidents across Karnataka, involving both private and government-run buses. In the same period, 7,675 bus accidents were reported in the State in which 14,847 persons were injured, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy informed the Legislative Council in response to a question on bus accidents in the State.

The government has taken note of the increase in bus-related accidents, the main reasons for which, Mr. Reddy said, were speeding and ferrying more passengers than the stipulated capacity.

The formation of a full-fledged Nadaprabhu Kempegowda (NPK) Layout remains embattled on legal and technical grounds. Even as work on the acquired land is on at a snail’s pace, the acquisition of 892 acres of land has hit a roadblock. So far, construction of about 100 houses are underway in the layout. 

According to documents accessed by The Hindu, the Finance Department has denied approval for providing alternative sites to owners of land or plot on 315.02 acres of revenue areas notified for acquisition. Meanwhile, 565.17 acres are under litigation as land owners, mainly farmers, had approached the High Court of Karnataka in 2014 with various demands.