Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

Karnataka Today newsletter: Siddaramaiah asks B.S. Yediyurappa to retire from public life, and more

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called upon senior BJP leader B.S. Yediyurappa, who has been named in a chargesheet in a Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case, to retire from public life. On August 7, he told reporters in Mysuru that the BJP leader is involved in around 20 alleged scams and cases.

Pointing out that the former CM had evaded imprisonment in the POCSO Act case, involving a 17-year-old girl, because a court had stayed his arrest, Mr. Siddaramaiah sought to know what moral right does Mr. Yediyurappa have to speak against him. As the BJP-JD(S) alliance and the Congress trade allegations and counter-allegations, watch this week’s Decode Karnataka to know all about the MUDA scam.

Following a report in The Hindu about the Forest Department allegedly granting permission to cut down 1,118 trees in a coffee plantation in Kodagu district, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has ordered a chief conservator of forests (CCF) to investigate and submit a report within four days.

On August 6, The Hindu published an article titled ‘Forest Department Approves Cutting of 1,118 Trees in Kodagu Plantation; Environmentalists Cry Foul’. The article details allegations that the Forest Department authorised the removal of 864 trees of various species and 254 rosewood trees in Nokya, near Siddapura village in Ponnampet taluk in south Kodagu.

Even as Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) is trying to expedite implementation of Solar Roof Top Photo Voltaic systems in domestic households, consumers are complaining about the practical problems they face both before and after implementation. 

Many consumers who have installed the system say that they do not receive their bills regularly and on time. There is also delay in remittance of money from Bescom when the excess power generated from the SRTPV systems are added to the grid, they say. Consumers say they have given up on installing SRTPV after Bescom officials allegedly demanded bribes. 

The Government Museum on Kasturba Road, which has been shut for over a year for restoration work, is likely to remain closed for one more year. This is owing to the museum running low on storage space and funds, which has slowed down restoration work. The museum is being renovated and curated for the first time after close to 150 years.