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Karnataka Today newsletter: Cabinet clears proposal to rename Ramanagara as Bengaluru South, and more

The Karnataka government has approved the renaming of Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South district. A notification by the Revenue Department is expected shortly. The Cabinet that met on July 26 approved the proposal. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil said that the decision is based on a demand by people and legislators from the district.

A delegation led by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had submitted a proposal to CM Siddaramaiah to rename the district on July 9. Mr. Shivakumar, who first mooted the proposal in October 2023, is also the in-charge Minister for Ramangara. The renaming has gained political colour with Janata Dal (Secular) opposing the move.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reiterated that the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) had legally allotted 14 residential sites to his wife, Parvathi, in lieu of illegally acquired her land. The authority had accepted its ‘mistake’, and a MUDA committee comprising members of BJP, JD(S) and Congress had allotted alternative sites in 2021 during the tenure of the BJP government.

The allotment of land does not attract provisions of the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act, as claimed by the opposition BJP and JD(S) leaders, he said. He claimed that the opposition had raised the issue inside and outside the State legislature as ‘political revenge’ to sully his image and that of the Congress government.

To counter allegations by the Opposition of irregularities in allotment of sites to CM Siddaramaiah’s wife by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh released a list of beneficiaries that included Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, JD(S) MLAs S. R. Mahesh and G.T. Deve Gowda, MLC C.N. Manje Gowda, and BJP MLC H. Vishwanath.

The MUDA allotted alternative sites in various locations and layouts in Mysuru to JD(S), BJP and Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he said. A couple of days ago, JD(S) MLA S.R. Mahesh denied allegations by the Congress that Mr. Kumaraswamy was a beneficiary of a MUDA site.

Pilikula Biological Park in Mangaluru, one of the major zoos in India, has taken up tagging of select species of wild animals under captivity by implanting microchips. At present, microchipping of King Cobras selected for captive breeding is in progress.