1. B. Dayananda is new Bengaluru Police Commissioner
Karnataka government posted B. Dayananda as the Bengaluru police commissioner on May 30, replacing C.H. Pratap Reddy. Mr. Dayananda was previously heading the State intelligence bureau.
A 1994 batch officer with a bachelor’s degree in public administration, Mr. Dayananda is known as a tech-savvy officer. He started the first police blog in 2005, and was instrumental in setting up an exclusive forensic lab in Karnataka to investigate cybercrime.
Meanwhile, M.A. Saleem — who was brought in by the previous government as Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) to tackle the burgeoning traffic in the city — has been posted as DGP (CID), Special Units and Economic Offences, Bengaluru.
2. Free bus travel for women after Cabinet meeting on June 1: Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy
With portfolio allocations done, all government departments got down to work today with review meetings. First among them was Minister for Transport Ramalinga Reddy’s meeting with officials of the four State-run road transport corporations (RTCs) — BMTC, KSRTC, NWKRTC and KKRTC.
It has been decided in the meeting that the free travel for women in ordinary buses — one of Congress’ poll guarantees — would be implemented after the Cabinet meeting on June 1. When asked about any conditions to the scheme, Mr. Reddy said, “All will be decided in the Cabinet meeting.”
The Opposition, on the other hand, has continued its attack on the Congress, urging CM Siddaramaiah to break his silence on implementation of all poll guarantees. JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy has demanded that the government issue a media advertisement from June 1 as part of confidence-building measures.
3. Reversal of textbook revision: Bommai says society will respond
Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has taken serious exception to indications about reversing the textbook revision exercise taken up under his regime. On May 29, over 40 writers had demanded that CM Siddaramaiah withdraw the “anti-constitutional and communal” school textbooks which were revised by the Rohith Chakrateertha-led committee.
“We had introduced certain new lessons based on Indian culture, literature and principles. However, the new government is trying to target this, and is set to form a new committee to reverse this. The society will respond to this,” Mr. Bommai said.
4. Trainer plane makes emergency landing in farmer’s plot near Belagavi
A small plane, used for training, had to make an emergency landing on an agriculture land near Belagavi district on May 30. The VT-RBF plane is used by Red Bird flight training academy, located in the Belagavi airport premises in Sambra.
The plane was forced to make an emergency landing due to a technical problem at a farmer’s field between Honnihal and Mavinakatti villages. The trainer and trainee suffered minor injuries, and were treated as out-patients.
