1000 people arrive in Bengaluru on train from Delhi, to undergo quarantine

Coronavirus

Elaborate arrangements were made to receive the passengers.

PTI

PTI

Around 1,000 passengers arrived in Bengaluru from Delhi on Thursday on board the first train to Karnataka since limited rail services resumed in the country, officials said. Soon after arrival at the Bengaluru City Railway Station, the passengers were screened for COVID-19 on the station premises itself, the officials said. The train that left Delhi on Tuesday at 9.30 pm was scheduled to arrive at 6.40 am on Thursday but was delayed by 40 minutes. According to a senior railway official, the Bengaluru civic agency along with the Karnataka Health Department had set up 10 health check-up counters to screen the passengers. The passengers were disembarked coach-wise as Railway Protection Force personnel kept a strict vigil on them. "It's heartening that everyone is maintaining discipline and seated inside. No chaos," the South Western Railway public relations officer said. Once they came out of the platform, they were directed to board the buses ready to take them to the hotels and other institutions, which have been converted into quarantine centres, the officials said. Around 15 buses belonging to the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), a subsidiary of the state government, were deployed at the railway station to take these passengers to the quarantine centres. Elaborate arrangements were made to receive the passengers. As many as 4,200 rooms were booked in 42 hotels around the Majestic Railway Station. "We have reserved 90 hotels in and around the railway station. These are for institutional quarantine. The passengers willing to stay in these hotels will have to bear the cost. Separate arrangements have been made for those who don't wish to stay in hotels," the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district G L Shivamurthy said in a video message. He made it clear that everyone coming to Bengaluru will have to compulsorily remain quarantined for 14 days and undergo COVID-19 tests. General public was not allowed to enter the railway station area. There were complaints galore from the passengers about services inside the train, no prior information about quarantining them and the lack of proper catalogue of hotels. A passenger complained that she was not informed about quarantining them. "I came here to see my daughter who is unwell. After reaching here, I am told I will have to spend time in quarantine. The Railways should have informed that we will be quarantined," the passenger said. The woman alleged there were no proper arrangements in the train and said there was no water to drink and wash and the entire bogie was untidy. Another passenger had a grouse that the Railways and the state administration did not provide a proper catalogue of hotels, which have been turned into quarantine rooms. "When we are paying for the service, we should be provided with catalogue of hotels to select," the passenger stated.  

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2Z1Y1Bj
via IFTTT

Three children from Bengaluru’s Padarayanapura test positive for coronavirus

Coronavirus

The children were primary contacts of two patients who had tested positive during the randomised testing carried out at the ward.

TNM Staff

Three children from Bengaluru’s Padarayanapura ward tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Thursday. According to the Karnataka Health Department, two of the boys are aged 10 years and 8 years and are contacts of patient 554, who is a resident of Padarayanapura. Another boy aged 10 years, who is a primary contact of patient 555, another Padarayanapura resident, also tested positive for the virus.  As on Thursday afternoon, Padarayanapura has a total of 54 cases of COVID-19. This ward has reported the highest number of cases in Bengaluru and is the worst-affected area in the city.  Speaking to TNM, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Health Officer for West Zone, Dr Manoranjan said that the three children are from two different families, who lived in the same building as patients 554 and 555.  Patient 554 is a 20-year-old man, and patient 555 is a 28-year-old man, both of whom tested positive for the virus during randomised tests that were conducted in Padarayanapura on April 30.  Soon after these two patients tested positive, five densely-populated streets in Padarayanapura were identified for randomised testing. In addition, the BBMP had quarantined primary and secondary contacts of patients 554 and 555 on May 1.  “One 10-year-old boy and another 8-year-old boy are brothers and live in a house located above patient 554’s. Patient 555 lives in the same street and is a neighbour of patient 554. One 10-year-old boy, who lives in the same building as patient 555 tested positive too,” Dr Manoranjan said.  Two other adults, aged 40 and 45 years, who are primary contacts of patient 554, also tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Thursday. These two patients lived in the same building as P-554, Dr Manorajna said. Padarayanapura has a total of 54 cases of COVID-19 as of Thursday afternoon.  Padarayanapura is one of the 20 containment zones in Bengaluru with the highest number of positive cases in Bengaluru. Padarayanapura was one among the two wards in Bengaluru that were sealed off. The other ward that was sealed -- Bapuji Nagar, however, is not a containment zone any longer according to the BBMP website. Bengaluru has so far reported 189 cases of COVID-19 with 100 active cases.   

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3bxDCXE
via IFTTT

NIA puts Rs 3 lakh bounty on Abdul Mataan, a terrorist with Bengaluru ISIS module

Crime

Abdul Mataan, a resident of Shivamogga is wanted in a case registered in 2019.

IANS

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the Al-Hind Islamic State (IS) Bengaluru module case on Wednesday announced a cash reward of Rs three lakh for wanted absconder Abdul Mateen Taahaa. An NIA spokesperson in Delhi said, "We have declared a cash reward of Rs three lakh for providing any information leading to arrest of Taahaa." The spokesperson said that Taahaa, 26, a resident of Shivamogga in Karnataka is wanted in Al-Hind ISIS Bengaluru module case that the agency registered this year. The NIA had taken over the probe from the Karnataka Police. According to the NIA officials, the case relates to ISIS-linked terror group formed by arrested accused Mehboob Pasha, along with accused Khaja Moideen aka Jalal and his associates involved in the murder of a Hindu leader in Tamil Nadu. The official said that Pasha conducted several meetings in 2019 at his residence in Bengaluru to hatch the conspiracy, by radicalising and recruiting other co-accused to carry out terror activities and join ISIS in Afghanistan or Syria. Read: NIA interrogates 10 accused in IS terror module case The NIA has arrested 12 accused namely Pasha, Imran aka Imran Khan, Mohammed Haneef Khan, Mohammed Mansoor Ali Khan, Saleem Khan aka Kolar Saleem, Hussain Sharieff, Ejaz Pasha aka Azaz Pasha, Zabiulla, Syed Azmathulla, Syed Fasiur Rehman, Mohammed Zaid and Sadiq Basha. The official said that Taahaa is a friend of arrested accused Saleem and Zaid, through whom he contacted arrested accused Pasha of Al-Hind Trust and was also associated with his online foreign handler.  

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2T3yPa5
via IFTTT

‘Allow Muslims to offer prayers in mosques on Eid’: Karnataka MLC CM Ibrahim asks CM

Coronavirus

CM Ibrahim wrote to BS Yediyurappa on Thursday and has received a lot of flak for it.

TNM Staff

At time when the importance of physical distancing has been stressed by experts world over, former Union Minister and Member of Karnataka Legislative Council, CM Ibrahim has written to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, asking him to allow members of the Muslim community to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr at Idgah Maidans and masjids.  Ever since the lockdown began in March, all religious places were shut to avoid the crowds that normally gather at places of worship. With the need for physical distancing, these religious shrines were shut and not opened even when certain relaxations were announced. The Eid-ul-Fitr festival will be celebrated on May 24 and 25, during which members of the Muslim community offer special prayers. “On behalf of the entire community, I would suggest that the government may take a decision by having due consultation with the medical experts to grant permission for Muslims on the day of Eid to offer prayers in the Idgah Maidan or Masjids from morning till 1 pm with all precautionary measures and safety norms,” CM Ibrahim’s letter to the CM states.  The letter further requested that the Chief Minister consult with medical experts regarding his request before taking a call. “In this regard, request you kindly to look into the matter and after consulting the medical experts, take a suitable decision enabling the Muslims over the State to offer Eid prayers,” he added.  CM Ibrahim’s letter has raised eyebrows and drew criticism on social media. Many accused him of indulging in petty politics and trying to endanger the lives of Muslims in the state.  The former Union Minister’s request comes even as Saudi Arabia has decided to impose a nation-wide curfew on Eid. The kingdom has also restricted entry into Mecca, the holy shrine for members of the Muslim community.  Over the last couple of months, the police have booked several people who violated lockdown norms and participated in ritual prayers at temples and mosques in Karnataka. In Bagalkote, on March 27, the police dispersed a crowd gathered in Mudhol’s mosque and booked five people for violating lockdown norms. On April 17, the Haveri police resorted to lathi charge and dispersed 30 people who had gathered to offer prayers at a mosque in Savanuru village. On April 16, hundreds of people had gathered at Siddalingeshwara temple in Kalaburagi to celebrate the chariot festival. The district police had resorted to lathi charge to disperse the crowd,   

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2WupPwJ
via IFTTT

Cut govt expenditure to mitigate COVID-19 impact: Ex-bureaucrat tells Karnataka

Coronavirus

Former Chief Secretary of Karnataka, A Ravindra said the government may now also consider increasing sales tax on petrol and diesel to raise resources.

PTI

Image Credit: The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS)

Karnataka should explore possibilities to cut government expenditure significantly, with state finances in shambles following the COVID-19 induced lockdown, said a former bureaucrat. Former Chief Secretary A Ravindra said the government may now also consider increasing sales tax on petrol and diesel to raise resources. Asked if the government would be forced to cut salaries of its employees in view of the resource crunch it is facing, Ravindra said if there is a 10% slash for three months, it would be significant because a considerable part of the state's revenue only goes for salary. But the government would have to persuade the employees to take a pay cut in view of the crisis, communicate properly and the action should not be seen as imposing straightway. Raising resources is not very easy at this stage because it should not pinch people too much, especially essential services, he told PTI. The government, Ravindra said, has so many departments, including some with very little work, adding, that the related ones can be combined to cut staff and costs. "Cutting expenditure also means raising resources,” he said, but he acknowledged that the state government has very little scope to raise revenues. Earlier, commercial taxes could have been leveraged in different forms, but with the GST regime in place, that leeway has gone, he said. The Karnataka government recently announced a 11% excise duty hike on liquor on top of the 6% announced in the 2020-21 budget. Ravindra felt that the government can still hike tax on purchase of luxury cars. According to him, stamp duty on property registration may not be hiked as there is a view that if the charge very high, it would lead to tax evasion, and it is better to keep it reasonable or low. On the government's proposal to regularise unauthorised constructions by imposing penalty and auction residential sites held by the Bangalore Development Authority, Ravindra said doing so at one go may not be very practical. He wondered if there would be enough buyers for such high-priced sites in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Regularisation (of unauthorised constructions) is a difficult process and implementation of those rules (to carry out such a task) is not an easy thing, he said. He noted that while regularising land encroached by poorer people, one can't levy a high charge. In the matter of regularising big buildings, there could be legal issues and people may go to court, delaying the entire exercise. As of now, I don't see much scope for getting a lot of revenues (from regularisation of unauthorised properties and auction of BDA sites), he said.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3dIudhd
via IFTTT

Thermal screening, sanitisation: Bengaluru airport takes safety measures for passengers

Transport

“We have implemented a series of actions to protect and minimise exposure from transmission of the virus when the Airport reopens,” MD & CEO of BIAL, Hari Marar said.

TNM Staff

PTI

With stringent operating procedures in place, the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Wednesday said it was prepared to welcome passengers, whenever travel opens up again to the public again. Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), operator of the airport in Devanahalli, said it has introduced a slew of measures, including physical distancing markers, thermal screening, sanitisation and disinfection tunnels, as well as a contactless Food and Beverage (F&B) experience to ensure travellers pass through the airport as safely as possible. “With the highest priority on safety of passengers, employees and other stakeholders, we have implemented a series of actions to protect them and minimise exposure from the transmission of the virus when the Airport reopens,” MD & CEO of BIAL, Hari Marar said. BIAL said it is taking additional precautions to create extra space, right from entry to boarding. The seating across the terminal, including at F&B (food and beverage) outlets has been rearranged and marked in a manner that promotes physical distance. At security checkpoints, additional separation is marked and this area will be managed by BIAL staff. For all of this to work, sticker signage has been installed across the airport to help passengers maintain an adequate distance, including on the floor and seating, plus additional notices via digital displays and standees. Physical distancing will also be enforced across the parking areas, BIAL said in a statement. The airport would continue to work with the Airport Health Officer and State Health Department to conduct thermal screening of all arriving and departing passengers. Passengers are encouraged to use the online mode to check-in, and bring an electronic or printed boarding pass with them to avoid contact with high-touch surfaces and queues at check-in counters. The 'Aarogya Setu' app is now mandatory for passengers to download, before they enter the terminal. Passengers will have access to hand sanitisers, placed at nearly 500 locations across the terminal. Face masks are now mandatory at all public places, including at the airport. Passengers would be able to purchase both sanitiser and masks at the airport. As part of the enhanced cleaning drive, the entire 155,000 sq.m terminal, airside and landside infrastructure have undergone multiple rounds of deep cleaning and sanitisation, it was stated. The same seamless airport experience, now with enhanced safety features! #BLRairport is waiting to welcome you back with an array of measures, all designed to ensure maximum passenger safety. #WeAreHereForYou #Bengaluru #MyBLR #Safety #wewillflyagain #Airports #BLRCaresforyou pic.twitter.com/Nu6rkUQ9mz — BLR Airport (@BLRAirport) May 11, 2020   (With inputs with PTI)  

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2Wtf0uD
via IFTTT

Top Trump critic will testify before a chairwoman who is a close ally

Rep. Anna Eshoo, who invited Rick Bright to discuss his ouster from HHS, represents a district that has received hundreds of millions of dollars from Bright’s former office.

from Health Care https://ift.tt/3bvIM6q
via IFTTT