
Kumaraswamy meets Gadkari, seeks Centre's support for Karnataka road projects
Nitin Gadkari
, on Tuesday to discuss infrastructure proposals for Karnataka, including a proposed underground road network and the Peripheral Ring Road in Bengaluru.
During the meeting at Gadkari's residence in New Delhi, Kumaraswamy raised concerns over increasing traffic congestion in Bengaluru and sought the Centre's assistance for implementing new road systems aimed at connecting key zones in the city.
Kumaraswamy said the rapid population growth in Bengaluru has led to rising congestion and stressed the need for a new road network and ring road system. He added that these projects could help decongest the city centre and enable more sustainable urban planning.
Gadkari was reportedly receptive to the proposals.
Push for Shiradi Ghat completion, highway upgrades
Kumaraswamy also urged the Minister to expedite work on the
Shiradi Ghat Road Project
, a key route linking Bengaluru to Mangaluru. He flagged the slow pace of construction, saying it has impacted connectivity and caused disruptions for travellers and freight movement.
He further sought Centre's intervention in other ongoing or proposed highway projects across the state. These include:
Upgrading the NH-75 Kunigal sectionDeclaring the Channarayapatna–Makutta road (State Highway 8) as a National HighwayConverting the Jewargi–Shorapur route into a 4-lane roadAddressing landslide-prone stretches at Shirur Ghat (NH-66), Shiradi Ghat (NH-75), and Bargi GhatConstructing a flyover at Jogihalli in Tumakuru districtBuilding a railway overbridge at Gijjalagere Gate (NH-275) in Mandya districtConstructing a ring road (southern bypass) around Mandya cityPreparing a DPR for a bypass to Pandavapura town from km 595.260 on NH-275 via NH-150A
Kumaraswamy also thanked Gadkari for the completion of the
Bengaluru–Mysuru Expressway
and the Bengaluru–Chennai National Highway.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Two-slab 'Next Gen GST' to pay way for single tax rate by 2047: Centre
Describing the proposed GST tax reforms as Next Gen GST', senior government officials on Saturday said that the two-slab tax regime will eventually pave the way for a single sales/services tax rate, hopefully by 2047. They said the proposed new GST regime, which slashes tax rates and assigns just two slabs of 5 per cent and 18 per cent, will boost the economy and also serve to mitigate tariff threats. The proposed two-slab regime, if approved by the GST Council, will replace the current four slabs in the goods and services tax (GST) regime, doing away with the 12 per cent and 28 per cent slabs. Calling it the "next Gen GST', one government official said "it is a game changer reform. In the pantheon of economic reforms seen in India, it's right up there." The officials spoke on condition of anonymity. They said the new structure would mean that almost all of the common use items will move to the lower tax bracket, leading to price cuts, which in turn would boost consumption. "Lower taxes means it will put more money in people's pockets. It will obviously lead to more consumption," the official said. The Centre's proposal for a 5 and 18 per cent tax rate on merit and standard goods and a 40 per cent tax for sin goods, has been a large canvas exercise to ensure stability in tax rates, the officials said, explaining the rationale behind the exercise. The changes that have come about after nearly six months of deliberations and dozens of meetings, have been conceived in a way so as to ensure that demand for tax tweaks do not come and also input tax credit (ITC) do not get accumulated in the system. Once the Centre's proposal is accepted by the Group of Ministers (GoM) and is approved by the GST Council, it will end the flux of tax rates and ensure stability, the officials said. What we have suggested is a Next Gen GST' keeping the needs of the middle class, poor, farmers, and MSMEs in mind. Also, it has been ensured that tax on daily use items are low, the official told PTI. "Once the system is put in place and India becomes a developed nation, we can think about a single rate GST," said the official, adding that a single rate structure is suitable for developed countries where income and spending capacities are uniform. The ultimate aim is to move to a single slab structure, the official said, adding that the time, however, is not right at present. The official said that during the process of overhaul, every due process is being followed. The Centre has taken the steering role but is protecting constitutional obligations by sharing it with the Group of Ministers (GoM) on rate rationalisation. "We have looked at every item, item by item and in some cases we have gone back and forth 3-4 times. Whether it is pesticide for use by farmers or pencils for students or some raw material or intermediaries for MSMEs, every item has been discussed threadbare and categorised in the merit or standard slab, the official added. As many as 99 per cent of the items in the 12 per cent category such as butter, fruit juices and dry fruits would move to 5 per cent tax rate. Similarly, electronic items like ACs, TVs, fridges, and washing machines as well as other goods like cement will be among the 90 per cent of the items that would move from 28 per cent to lower 18 per cent slab. The move comes after US President Donald Trump slapped a 25 per cent tariff on all goods India exports to the US, and planned doubling of the levy to 50 per cent from August 27 to punish New Delhi for its oil purchases from Russia. The tariffs are likely to impact USD 40-billion of non-exempt Indian exports such as that of gems and jewellery, textiles and footwear. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address to the nation on Friday emphasised that India should become self-reliant and consume what is made in India. The tax slabs that the Union Finance Ministry has proposed will go to a group of ministers from different states and after their concurrence will be placed before the all-powerful GST Council, which is headed by Union Finance Minister and comprises representatives of all states and UTs. The Council is expected to meet next month to deliberate on the tax reform proposal. About 20 per cent of items, including packaged food and beverages, apparel and hotel accommodation currently are taxed at 12 per cent GST and accounts for 5-10 per cent of consumption and 5-6 per cent GST revenue. Moving them to a lower 5 per cent slab may lead to loss of revenue but the Central government is hopeful that a boost in consumption would be able to make up for the deficit in the next few months. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
Centre Proposes GST Reforms, Congress Demands Discussion Paper
The Congress has called for an official discussion paper on GST 2.0 soon, a demand that comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised that "next-generation" reforms will be introduced by Diwali, assuring a massive reduction in taxes on common-use items. The Centre has now unveiled a three-pillar blueprint for the reforms that has been sent to the Group of Ministers for further discussions. Show Full


New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Lakhs gather at Nemra for Shibu Soren's Sanskar Bhoj; leaders across India pay tribute to Dishom Guru
RANCHI: Tributes poured in for 'Dishom Guru' Shibu Soren on his Sanskar Bhoj at his native place in Nemra on Saturday. From senior political figures and government officials to social representatives and local villagers, a vast gathering assembled to honour the memory of the revered leader, popularly known as 'Dishom Guru.' Dignitaries from all over the country participated in the Sanskar Bhoj. Apart from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Baba Ramdev, Pappu Yadav and several others visited Nemra. Governor Santosh Gangwar also offered floral tributes at Soren's portrait and joined the Sanskar Bhoj. He later met Chief Minister Hemant Soren and family members to express his condolences. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recalled that Shibu Soren's simplicity and personality had always impressed him. 'I had several meetings with Dishom Guru, Shibu Soren. His spontaneity, simplicity and personality always impressed me. Guruji was known not only as the guardian of tribals but also of other communities. I offer my humble tribute to him,' said Rajnath Singh after paying homage. Given the massive turnout, extensive arrangements were made for more than one lakh people visiting Nemra. Huge cutouts of late Shibu Soren were installed on both sides of the road. Around 4,000 street lights and over 200 generators were arranged to deal with any power failure. Five big pandals were raised at different places for the Sanskar Bhoj, each carrying Soren's picture where people paid their respects. More than 300 e-rickshaws operated between designated parking zones and the event venue. Resting areas and dedicated footpaths were set up for visitors' convenience.