1. Bengaluru Has World’s Worst Traffic Congestion, Says Study
Bengaluru is the most traffic-congested city in the world, says the latest traffic index published by TomTom, the Dutch location technology specialist that competes with Google Maps.
Peak time commuters in Bengaluru spend an extra 10 days and three hours stuck in traffic each year, compared to the time they would have taken if they were commuting during uncongested conditions. That’s an extra 71 percent of travel time.
“In the 243 hours that commuters in Bengaluru remain stuck in peak time traffic, they could have watched over 215 episodes of ‘Game Of Thrones’, solved 49 jigsaw puzzles and planted over 244 trees,” the TomTom report said.
TomTom looked at 416 cities in 57 countries for the 2019 ranking. Bengaluru was not among the cities looked at in 2018, when Mumbai topped the list. In 2019, Bengaluru was followed by Manila in Philippines, Bogota in Colombia, Mumbai and Pune. New Delhi was at the eighth position.
(Source: The Times of India)
2. City Top Cop Claims 3 Lakh Bangladeshis in K’taka
Bhaskar Rao, Bengaluru city police commissioner, on Wednesday claimed there are around 3 lakh Bangladeshis across the state and around 3,000 of them left the city following the recent crackdown.
It’s the first time a high-ranking official has put a number to Bangladeshis in Karnataka following the debate over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
At a conclave on construction workers safety, health and welfare organised by the labour department and IIMB here, he said the estimate was arrived at based on information sourced from Bangladeshis deported recently.
There’s been no study done to ascertain the Bangladeshi population in the state, Rao said, adding that most illegal Bangladeshis in Bengaluru are victims of human trafficking.
(Source: The Times of India)
3. Karnataka Cabinet Expansion Before 5 February Assembly Session
Karnataka cabinet expansion can happen anytime before the start of the Assembly session on 5 February or by the end of this month, said a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state leader on Tuesday.
"Nobody knows exactly what is going on in the mind of BS Yediyurappa. One thing is certain, he has decided to accommodate all those for whom he has assured a berth in the cabinet," told Karnataka BJP spokesperson G Madhusudhana to IANS.
"He will have to do it before the Assembly session starts on February 5. Before that it will definitely happen. Some are saying that by this month-end it may be over. We will see what happens," he said.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
4. Contractor Who Tried to Save Manual Scavenger Dies in Bengaluru
After the death of a young man employed in manual scavenging work in Bengaluru on 25 January, his contractor who entered the sewage chamber for rescuing him also succumbed on Tuesday.
Marianna, a labour contractor, was suffering from hypoxia and surviving on a ventilator at Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru. He died on Tuesday evening, around 4 pm, officials at Bowring Hospital confirmed. His family lives in Sarjapur and were informed about his death by Nagaraj, inspector at Commercial Street Police Station.
Marianna had approached Siddappa and hired him to clear debris at a building managed by SSBS Jain Sangh Trust on Infantry road. Siddappa was promised Rs 600 as wages for the job. But once he reached the place, he was instead asked to clean a sewage chamber, against the law banning manual scavenging work in India.
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5. IMA Scam: Govt Gives CBI nod to Indict 2 IPS Officers Accused of Corruption
The Karnataka government has granted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) permission to indict two IPS officers in connection with the I, Monetary Advisory (IMA) scam.
The CBI had accused two IPS officers – Hemanth Nimbalkar, the former IGP of Economic Offences, and former Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Ajay Hilory – of colluding with IMA owner Mansoor Ali Khan.
In a letter dated 7 January, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa granted permission to the CBI. “On due examination of facts and circumstances of the case and the proposal of the investigating agency, with regard to said allegations, prima facie, a case has been made out against the two officers and they should be investigated for said offences,” the letter states.
(Source: The News Minute)
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