Attempt to balance Rural and Urban Development

Attempt to balance Rural and Urban Development

Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa who presented the State Budget 2010-11 on Friday 5th March 2010, attempted to balance the Rural and Urban Growth by providing Rs. 500 Crore to 'Jalasiri Andolana' to built 2 Lakh Water Recharging Units for stabilising agriculture while proposing Rs 600 crore urban infrastructure development programmes.

To improve power supply in rural areas for irrigation pump sets in 126 Taluks, he proposed Rs. 1200 Crore investment grant to Power Supply Companies in 70 Taluks for Nirantara Jyoti Project in the year 2010-11. He said the Project will be materialised in two years.

He proposed to establish 'Antarganga Sookshma Neeravari Nigam' with Rs. 100 Crore investment, Karnataka Mavu Mandali with Rs. 10 Crore, Food Processing Development Corporation with Rs. 10 Crore. He said Agriculture Sciences University will be setup at Shimoga with Rs. 10 Crore, Horticulture Collages will be setup at Mysore, Hiriyur, Shirsi, and Koppal with the assistance of Rs. 5 Crore grant each. He also proposed University of Animal Husbandry at Athani with the grant of Rs. 15 Crores. He said an Institution for Sugar also will be setup at Mandya.

While increasing taxes on tobacco as also slapping a toll of Rs 500 on heavy goods vehicles entering the state to raise revenues, Yeddyurappa, who also holds the finance portfolio, announced reducing VAT on some commodities, including, masala powder vermecilli and schools bags, from 12.5 per cent to five per cent, the state would end the 2010-11 fiscal with a revenue surplus of Rs 51.42 crore.

The Rs 600 crore allocated to the urban development programme "Mukyamanthri Nagarothana Yojane" will be spent on developing seven city corporations, 44 municipal councils, 94 town municipal councils and 68 town panchayats.

On tobacco products value added tax was raised by 2.5 per cent while an upward revision ranging from 1 to 2 per cent was announced on the motor vehicles tax.

The life time tax on two wheelers with selling price of up to Rs 50,000 was raised from eight per cent to ten per cent and vehicles with selling price from Rs 50,000 to Rs one lakh from 10 per cent to 12 per cent.

Additional resources of Rs 249 crore is expected from the changes made in the motor vehicles taxes, he said.

The budget also proposed a toll of Rs 500 on every trip made by vehicles of more than 16 tonne weight in transporting materials, including mineral ores.

Yeddyurappa sought a vote on account for four months till July 31 PTI adds.

As per the Revised Estimates (RE) for 2009-10, Yeddyurappa said, the total revenue receipts are expected to be Rs 55,381 crore against Rs 61,070 crore in the budget estimates.

The RE of total government expenditure was expected to be Rs 60,051 crore against Rs 62,414 crore estimated in the budget.

The final deficit after taking net of public account is likely to be Rs 44.80 crore, while it was estimated to be Rs 43.08 crore in 2009-10 budget.

On the 2010-11 budget estimates, he said total receipts are estimated to be Rs 68,564 crore, consisting of Rs 53,639 crore of revenue receipts and Rs 2,903 crore non-debt capital receipts.

The total expenditure in 2010-11 is estimated to be Rs 70,063 crore consisting of Rs 53,138 crore of revenue expenditure and Rs 16,925 crore of capital expenditure.

The government expects to collect Rs 36,228 crore of tax revenue and Rs 2,820 crore of non-tax revenue. The total central transfers, including taxes and grants, would be Rs 14,591 crore, he said.

The revenue surplus is estimated to be Rs 500.49 crore, while the fiscal deficit is estimated to be Rs 9,708.46 crore, which is 0.15 per cent and 2.96 per cent of the GSDP respectively.

This is in accordance with the stipulations made in the Karnataka Fiscal Responsibility Act 2002 for the current year, he said.

Imput Courtesy: Various sources including PTI. To view the Budget details in Kannada click the image above.

-Nethrakere Udaya Shankara

Cherkady Ramachandra Rao is No More

Cherkady Ramachandra Rao Passes Away

Eminent Gandhian and progressive farmer who blend the Gandhian way with principles of Masanobu Fukuoka in natural farming, Cherkady Ramachandra Rao (91) passed away at his residence in Cherkady village at Udupi after a brief illness on Sunday 21 February 2010.

He survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

Cherkadi Ramachandra Rao was born in Kodagu in 1917. He was two when his father and mother died mysteriously within a day of each other. Then he moved to his older sister's house in Dharmasthala and later to Cherkady where another sister had been living.

Mr. Rao's life was shaped at Cherkady where he grew up grazing brother-in-law's cows and helping in his fields. He was sent to a school at the age of ten for two years.

This formative years in school introduced Gandhi to Rao. His teacher Ramachandra Patil had only one subject, Gandhi. He always spoke of his life thoughts and also kept a charkha in the school.Young Rao learnt to spin, there.

Thus in his spare time Rao started spinning the charkha at home. In late teens, he came to Brahmavar to learn weaving and earned his first income at the age 22. Soon he became an accomplished weaver and was also asked to look after the Khadi Board, Moodbidri.

Pursuing the Cherkady way, a blend of Gandhian and Fukuokan principles of Masanobu Fukuoka, the architect of natural farming, Ramachandra Rao was instrumental in finding answers to many of the modern agricultural problems.

He was the recipient of many awards including “Krishi Pandit” given by the State Government in 2002-03.

Having studied onlyup to standard III, though Cherkady did not read much about Gandhi, but understood deeply Mahatma's vision about life. Everyday until his death he worked and lived in simple imbibing Gandhian thoughts.

In his two-and-a-half acre land given by his brother-in-law,the man has experimented with every possible crop from coconut trees, cashew nut, mango trees, ginger, papaya and vegetables.

The call given by Gandhiji to people to produce rice for themselves in 1948-49 when grain production dropped inspired Rao to resign from Khadi Board, Moodbidri and come to Cherkady with a mission to practise Gandhian ideology. Achrya Vinoba Bhave too had a great influence on Rao.

His farming experiment made him discover that the plant grown out of natural nutrients yielded more than the usual variety. He began growing paddy without tilling the land or using other common farming practices without any irrigation. The method named "Sarvodaya paddy cultivation" became popular in the area as the "Cherkady crop". The method is still considered suitable for hilly and dry areas. He also guided Namma Bhoomi, a charitable institution in Kundapur in experimenting with this method.

However, he was also of the opinion that natural farming doesn't mean turning our backs on the scientific and modern world. He understood that natural farming can find its true purpose only when it is backed scientifically.

ALTERNATIVE joins with the family members, his friends and followers in this time of sorrow and prays the God to rest his soul in peace. Let his experiments of simple life and natural farming methods show the way to our farmers in shaping their life and future farming methods.

-Nethrakere Udaya Shankara

(Imput courtesy: Daijiworld.com, The Hindu, Mangaloremithra, Vijay Karnataka ).

Karnataka Cabinet Nod to Ban Cow Slaughter

Karnataka Cabinet Nod to Ban Cow Slaughter

After its firm stand against Bt -brinjal, Karnataka Government led by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa took another bold step to Ban Cow Slaughter in Karnataka.

The State Cabinet on Wednesday 10th February 2010 has approved a new law to ban the slaughter of cows and calves and ensure cattle conservation.

The Bill, which is set to replace the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964, is expected to be tabled in the next session of the legislature.

The Cabinet had constituted a subcommittee under the chairmanship of Home Minister V.S. Acharya to study the drawbacks in the existing law and suggest measures to be incorporated in the proposed Act.

The new legislation will be in accordance with the Central Act and in conformity with Article 48 of the Constitution.

Briefing presspersons on the decisions taken at the Cabinet meeting at Bangalore, Dr. Acharya and Law Minister S. Suresh Kumar said that the new legislation would have guidelines for the transportation of cattle, apart from stern punishment for offenders.

First-time offenders will be liable to a year in prison and a fine between Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 50,000. Those held for a second offence or more will have to face imprisonment of up to seven years and pay a fine between Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 1 lakh.

Dr. Acharya said that the judgments of courts in various cases pertaining to cow slaughter and transportation of milch animals had suggested that the law should be in consonance with the provisions of the Constitution. “The larger aim of the new Act is to bring in an effective mechanism and enforcement to curb cow slaughter.”

The State Cabinet has approved a new law to ban the slaughter of cows and calves and ensure cattle conservation. The Bill, which is set to replace the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964, is expected to be tabled in the next session of the legislature.

The Cabinet had constituted a subcommittee under the chairmanship of Home Minister V.S. Acharya to study the drawbacks in the existing law and suggest measures to be incorporated in the proposed Act. The new legislation will be in accordance with the Central Act and in conformity with Article 48 of the Constitution.

Briefing presspersons on the decisions taken at the Cabinet meeting at Bangalore on Wednesday, Dr. Acharya and Law Minister S. Suresh Kumar said that the new legislation would have guidelines for the transportation of cattle, apart from stern punishment for offenders. First-time offenders will be liable to a year in prison and a fine between Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 50,000.

Those held for a second offence or more will have to face imprisonment of up to seven years and pay a fine between Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 1 lakh.

Dr. Acharya said that the judgments of courts in various cases pertaining to cow slaughter and transportation of milch animals had suggested that the law should be in consonance with the provisions of the Constitution.

“The larger aim of the new Act is to bring in an effective mechanism and enforcement to curb cow slaughter.”

Infact, 7 Member Constitution Bench of Supreme Court of India has upheld the Ban on Cow Slaughter in the year 2005 itself by its Verdict delivered on October 26, 2005. interested can go through this historical Judgement by clicking the image here.

Several Organisations had continuously demanded the ban on Cow Slaughter in Karnataka. Shree Raghaveshwara Bharathi Swamiji of Shree Ramachandrapura Math, Hosanagar in Karnataka had launched nationwide Gou Grama Yathra recently which got the widespread support from all quarters of society, irrespective of caste, creed and political parties.

He had also setup a Cow Dung and Cow Urine Factory, first of its kind in the entire Nation at Malur in Kolar, Karnataka, with the help leading industrialists. Apart from manufacturing various useful products from Cow Dung and Cow Urine, this factory produces Electricity also along with Bio Gas.

Thanks to Karnataka Government for its bold step in protecting farmers and their backbone i.e. Cows and Bullocks.

-Nethrakere Udaya Shankara

Governor returns the Sakrama ordinance

Government attempt to bring it ahead of

BBMP elections fails

Governor returns the Sakrama ordinance

Bangalore, Jan 14: Karnataka Governor H.R. Bharadwaj has rejected the State Governments plea to promulgate the Sakrama ordinance and returned it back to the Government on today, January 14 Thursday 2010. With this the Governments attempt to implement the Revised Sakrama Scheme before the BBMP elections has suffered a setback.

Nethrakere Udaya Shankara

This writer wrote an article opposing the implementation of the Sakarma scheme in the Blogs 'SPARDHA' and 'PARYAYA' and wrote a letter to Honorable Governor on 13th January 2010 requesting not to give his assent to the Ordinance and appealed to send it back to the Government. The links to the above said article was also quoted in the letter. (Pls open the links and read letter and articles)

Several Prominent citizens including Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde also opposed the scheme of Akrama Sakrama. Even Political Parties like Congress and Janatadal opposed attempt of Government to promulgate ordinance on Akrama Sakrama.

Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa refused to react on the Governors action while Congress and Janatadal leaders welcomed the Governors action.

To ensure that the proposed Sakrama scheme is implemented before the model code of conduct for BBMP polls comes into effect, the State government on 13th January 2010 urged Governor H R Bhardwaj to promulgate an ordinance in this regard.

Bangalore in-charge Minister R Ashok met the Governor at Raj Bhavan and submitted the draft of Sakrama ordinance. He also appraised the Governor on the scheme.

Speaking to the media, he said: “The talk with the Governor was fruitful. He said that the ordinance on Sakrama, applicable to the entire State, is being taken into consideration and accordingly a decision will be taken.”

When asked that why the Bill was not presented in front of the recently concluded winter session of the Assembly, the Minister blamed the Opposition for disrupting the house proceedings and not allowing the Government to discuss the matter.

“Following the disruption of the House by the Opposition, it was impossible to discuss the matter in the Assembly. They did not even let the Speaker’s election process to go ahead smoothly,” he said.

In his meeting with the Governor, the Minister tried to convince the former about the need of passing this ordinance for the benefit of the lower strata of people who are living in perennial fear of losing their properties. “There are nearly seven lakh properties in the City alone that need to be regularised. It is for them that this ordinance is needed,” said Ashok.

In response to questions on whether he was confident of the ordinance being passed by the Governor before the model code of conduct for the BBMP elections come into effect, Ashok said: “We have made a request to the Governor. It is upto him to take a call on the matter.”

Sources in the Government state that while the ordinance was ready much before, there were only small technical changes made to it before being given to the Governor. “Even if it is passed by the Governor on the day of the model code of conduct, it will take only a few minutes for us to publish the ordinance,” said the source.

Learn Permaculture ..!

Learn Permaculture ..!

When the entire world is busy with thinking on the issues before Copenhagen Summit, I received this interesting mail from Mr. Vasudeva, Secretary, IASK i.e. Institute for Indigenous Agricultural Systems and Knowledge (I-ASK), Bangalore.

Mr. Vasudev informed about the course on Permaculture Jan 2010.What is Permaculture?

Vasudeve notes that this is the special course to those who want to make the earth more sustainable. This course enlightens you how you can adopt Permanent Agriculture.

This is two weeks hands on residential Permaculture Design certification course in Mysore (January 4 to 11) and in Punarvasu (Adamaru, near Udupi) (January 12 to 19, 2009). Permaculture (Permanent Agriculture) is about designing sustainable ecological human habitats and food production systems.

If you want to be a certified Permaculture designer the course is two weeks long from Jan 4 to Jan 19, 2010. If you cannot come for the full two weeks, you can still join for one week sessions (without certification) either in Mysore from Jan 4-11 or near Udupi at an organic farm from Jan 12 to 19, 2010, Vasudev says.

Permaculture is an international social movement and design guide for creating sustainable eco lifestyles. One can join an exciting group of people and study how permaculture puts systems together, how to better manage the land you have and educate yourself on things you can do to be a better steward of this planet we call home.

Interested attendees should register themselves before December 26. For details pls click the image above and see the Flyer. You can pass the word around to your eco minded friends too.

For more details contact: Beeja, Mysore

Tel: +91 9900269756 (Ameli)

Email: ameli@beeja.net, iaskindia@gmail.com

Web : http://iaskindia.googlepages.com

-Nethrakere Udaya Shankara