bangalore news times

Bengaluru: The Janata Dal (Secular) on Wednesday, July 1, launched a scathing attack on the Karnataka government over the revised verification process for beneficiaries under the Gruha Jyothi free electricity scheme, alleging that the Congress government is attempting to reduce the number of beneficiaries by imposing new conditions. In a post on X, the JDS alleged that the Congress had promised free electricity without conditions before coming to power but was now introducing additional requirements after “emptying the state treasury.” The party questioned the need for documents such as PAN cards and caste-related details during the door-to-door verification being conducted by ESCOM officials. “Why is a PAN card required to receive free electricity? What is the connection between an electricity connection and a caste certificate? Aren’t Aadhaar or Voter ID sufficient to establish that a person is a resident of Karnataka?” the party asked. ...

Mangaluru : Three members of a family, including a woman and two young girls, were killed after the roof and walls of an old tiled house collapsed in Mangaluru’s Kankanady area early Wednesday following incessant rainfall across Dakshina Kannada district. The tragic incident occurred in the early hours when the victims were asleep inside the house. According to preliminary information, continuous overnight rain had weakened the structure, causing the roof and walls to suddenly cave in and trap the occupants beneath the debris. Local residents, along with personnel from the Fire and Emergency Services Department, immediately rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. After clearing the rubble, they managed to rescue a man and two young girls who were trapped under the collapsed structure. The injured were pulled out alive and shifted for medical treatment. However, a woman and two other girls succumbed to their injuries at the scene before they could be res...

Bengaluru : In a bid to plug irregularities in its flagship guarantee schemes and ensure that benefits reach only eligible households, the Karnataka government has launched a statewide verification drive for beneficiaries of the Gruha Jyothi scheme. The door-to-door verification exercise will begin on July 1 and will be carried out by personnel of all Electricity Supply Companies (ESCOMs). The Gruha Jyothi scheme, one of the Congress government’s flagship welfare programmes, provides eligible domestic consumers with up to 200 units of free electricity every month. As part of the re-verification process, ESCOM officials and meter readers will visit beneficiaries’ residences to verify their identity and eligibility. Officials will collect updated information, verify documents and complete the beneficiary verification process through a mobile application and a declaration form. The exercise is aimed at identifying ineligible beneficiaries and ensuring that the subsid...

Bengaluru : The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) rescued six fishermen from a distressed fishing vessel in a challenging search and rescue operation off the Mangaluru coast on Monday, June 29, after the boat suffered severe flooding and hull damage due to rough sea conditions. According to the Defence Public Relations Office, the operation was carried out by Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sachet, which responded immediately after receiving a distress call from the Indian Fishing Boat (IFB) Manju Matha , located about 33 nautical miles off the Suratkal coast. The distress message was intercepted over Very High Frequency (VHF) radio at around 4 pm on June 29. The crew of the fishing boat reported that seawater had entered the vessel following hull damage caused by rough weather, placing all six fishermen on board in immediate danger. Responding swiftly, ICGS Sachet was diverted from its assigned task and reached the distressed vessel within 90 minutes. Despite challenging weathe...

Belagavi : Tension prevailed in Bharamyanatti village under the Yamakanmardi Assembly constituency in Belagavi district after a large group of people allegedly vandalised the house of a youth who had reportedly eloped with a married woman. The attackers are also accused of looting valuables, stealing livestock and attempting to assault the youth’s family members. According to the information available, Nagavva had married Basappa Nayak last year. Basappa and Yallappa were close friends and were employed at the same private company in Belagavi. During this period, Yallappa and Nagavva are said to have become acquainted, eventually leading to a relationship. Police said Nagavva allegedly left with Yallappa two days ago, triggering outrage among her family members and relatives from her husband’s side. Enraged over the incident, nearly 200 people allegedly armed with sticks, crowbars, axes and other weapons stormed Yallappa’s residence in Bharamyanatti vi...

Bengaluru : Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday, June 29, announced that the state government will issue permanent residence certificates to facilitate citizens participating in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Chief Minister said eligible residents who require a permanent residence certificate for the voter roll revision process can obtain it through both online and offline modes. He added that the certificates will be made available digitally via the Seva Sindhu portal as well as through designated government offices. Appealing to citizens to actively participate in the revision exercise, Shivakumar urged all eligible voters to complete their enrolment and ensure their names are correctly included in the electoral rolls. “Whoever wants a permanent residence certificate will get it both online and offline. The government will make the process simple and accessible for everyone,” the Chief ...