Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

Karnataka Today newsletter: Covid-19 ‘scam’ and the revelations in Michael D’Cunha report, and more

The alleged multi-crore irregularities in COVID-19 procurements and management by the previous BJP government in Karnataka is the latest ‘scam’ to rattle the State. The interim report of the commission headed by retired High Court judge John Michael D’Cunha has recommended the prosecution of the then Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and his Minister for Health and Family Welfare B. Sriramulu, as reported in a series of exclusive stories by The Hindu.

The report has found several procedural and administrative lapses in the purchase orders worth over ₹918.34 crore issued by the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) towards procurement of medical equipment, PPE kits, masks, ICU units, CT scanners, baby incubators, and other consumables during the financial years 2019-2020 to 2022-2023. This series is a collection of The Hindu’s exclusive reportage on the extent of lapses, the findings of the commission and its recommendations.

Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre has made a proposal to levy a green cess on water bills for cities that receive water from rivers originating in the Western Ghats .Many rivers, including the Tunga, Bhadra, Cauvery, Kabini, Hemavati, Krishna, Malaprabha, and Ghataprabha, which supply water to various cities and towns across Karnataka.

“A conservation fund...could be used to support forest development, promote tree cultivation, and purchase agricultural land near forests from willing farmers, contributing to the protection of the Western Ghats,” he said. This fund could also be utilised for installing railway barricades to protect forests and control human-wildlife conflicts.

Farmers leaders have decided to stage a protest against the government of Karnataka demanding payment of arrears by factories and enforcing uniform payment to farmers across the State. Farmers will organise protests in Belagavi during the winter session of the Assembly and the State-level cooperative week celebrations in Bagalkot on November 17.

The fair and remunerative price (FRP) of sugarcane fixed by the Union Government this year is ₹340 per tonne. But this is not enough and needs to be hiked by at least 20%, farmers have said. Around 60 of the 75 factories in Karnataka have started crushing operations in October. Some may start before December 1. They are mandated to pay the FRP within two weeks of cane supply.

JD(S) leader and Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy denied ever calling Karnataka’s Minister for Housing B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan short. Mr. Kumaraswamy disputed Mr Zameer’s claim that they were addressing each other