D Roopa, K'taka officer who exposed Sasikala Jail perks, declines award
BENGALURU: Karnataka's woman Indian Police Service (IPS) officer D Roopa Moudgil, the whistleblower who exposed prison favours to jailed sidelined AIADMK leader VK Sasikala, declined to accept an award recognising her work for the "heavy" cash reward it came with.
"I did not accept the Namma Bengaluru Award by the Namma Bengaluru Foundation on Sunday as it came with a heavy cash reward of Rs 2 lakh," Moudgil, who is the IGP (Home Guards and Civil Defence) said.
Founded in 2009, the Foundation has been working on various citizen issues in the city, giving out annual awards for citizens and government officials for their work. The ninth edition of the awards were given out on Sunday.
In a letter to the private foundation, which is founded and supported by the BJP'S Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Moudgil said as a government servant, she was expected to maintain neutrality and distance from "quasipolitical" bodies.
Chandrasekhar, who was earlier an Independent, recently got re-elected as a BJP candidate.
"With the Foundation fighting against the government on various civic issues in courts, it is the government servants who represent the state in the court. Hence, I felt it was inappropriate for me to receive the award as a government servant," she said.
Moudgil, through a report last year, exposed the favours and special treatment given to Sasikala in Bengaluru Central Jail, where she is currently serving a four-year sentence since February last year after the Supreme Court upheld her conviction in a corruption case by a trial court here in September 2015. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition Congress-led UDF on Monday staged a walkout in the Kerala Assembly, alleging "atrocities" and "high handedness" by police and the breakdown of law and order in the state.
Pointing out a series of recent incidents of police 'harassment' in the name of traffic regulations and strict enforcement of helmet rule in various places, the opposition members said the CPI(M) led LDF government had 'lost control' over the police force.
As many as five lockup murder cases had been reported in the state after the Left government came into power in 2016 and the atroci- ties against women and children were increasing, they alleged.
Even the accused in murder cases like that of Youth Congress activist Shuhaib in Kannur were getting "VIP treatment" in the state jails, they alleged.
However, Law Minister A K Balan, who replied on behalf of the Chief Minister, said the government had taken stringent actions against the erring police personnel as soon as the complaints were received.
"The efficiency of Kerala police has been recognised by various agencies. But there were isolated incidents in which some police personnel acted against the spirit of the government," he said. CHANDIGARH: Haryana procured 59.24 lakh tonnes of paddy during 2017-18 season against 53.47 lakh tonnes in the previous kharif season, a senior official said on Monday.
Additional Chief Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, Ram Niwas said that of the total procurement, 39,69,237 tonnes would be delivered to Food Corporation of India (FCI).
Till date, 34,61,646 tonnes have been delivered to FCI against 30,99,016 tonnes during the same period last year.
He said that proper coordination was maintained with the rice millers to ensure timely supply of rice.
Steps are being taken for physical verification by Deputy Commissioners and necessary action as per the contract is being initiated against the millers not adhering terms and conditions, he said. He said a case has been registered against For Fresh Rice mill at Tarawari mandi of Karnal under various sections for not following terms and conditions. The government has started registering cases against all defaulting rice millers who have not returned the rice of the departments in the year 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2016-17, he said.