Karnataka Min Sriramulu clarifies ‘only god can save us’ comment, says govt doing best

Coronavirus

Sriramulu's statements were criticised particularly by the Opposition in the state.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Health Minister Sriramulu

Karnataka Health Minister Sriramulu sought to clarify his statement about needing divine intervention to overcome the coronavirus pandemic in the state. This after facing criticism for his remarks.   In a series of tweets, Sriramulu said that he was responding to claims that the state government's negligence was a factor in the rise in COVID-19 cases in Karnataka.  "I stated that these accusations are 'far from the truth'. People need to be aware and cautious to avoid the spread of the virus. This plays a vital role in controlling the pandemic. If we fail at this crucial step the situation can get complicated. And if things go worse, then only god can save us," Sriramulu said.  Respected KPCC President @DKShivakumar, This is a clarification regarding my words that have been misinterpreted and misunderstood. While responding to claims of the opposition that the government's negligence, irresponsibility and the lack of coordination among ministers 1/4 — B Sriramulu (@sriramulubjp) July 16, 2020 Health Minister Sriramulu also said that the government was doing its best in a difficult situation, "Our govt led by our CM Yediyurappa is working round the clock. This is a difficult situation for the whole world and we all are doing our best for the people of our state to win the battle against this pandemic," he added. His clarification after his remarks in Chitradurga on Wednesday. Sriramulu had said said, "Only god has to save us from the virus. However, people should be made aware of the infection so that they wear masks and maintain physical distancing." He also further questioned, "Who can control coronavirus? In the present situation, only god has to save us. The people should become aware of its (the virus's) consequences. If we have made mistakes, we are ready to face punishment for them." Sriramulu's statements were criticised particularly by the Opposition in the state. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President DK Shivakumar had questioned the state government about its ability to handle the pandemic.  "Karnataka's Health Minister saying ‘Only god can save Karnataka’ reflects poorly on BS Yediyurappa government's ability to handle the COVID-19 crisis. Why do we need such a government if they cannot tackle the pandemic? This government's incompetency has left citizens to god's mercy," Shivakumar had said.  Karnataka's Health Minister saying "Only God can save Karnataka" reflects poorly on @BSYBJP govt's ability to handle the CoVID crisis. Why do we need such a govt if they cannot tackle the pandemic? This govt's incompetency has left citizens to god's mercyhttps://t.co/Do1No6qOQo — DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) July 16, 2020 Karnataka reported a record 3,176 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday including 1,975 cases in Bengaluru. The state now has 27,853 active cases while 18,466 have been discharged. 928 people have died after being infected with the virus.

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Test frontline workers of Bengaluru civic body for COVID-19, Karnataka HC tells state

Coronavirus

The High Court was hearing a petition which stated that the BBMP had failed to provide medical aid to COVID-19 patients.

TNM Staff

Representation photo

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday began hearing a case filed by multiple parties which stated that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had failed to provide medical aid to COVID-19 patients. After hearing arguments, Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka told the civic body to conduct randomised tests for frontline workers and also provide protection to them.  The petition was initially filed by Maruthi H, a resident of Bengaluru, against the extension of work hours under the Factories Act in May this year. The extension of work hours was notified amid the lockdown due to COVID-19. The High Court then began accepting various applications related to COVID-19 under this writ petition and Thursday’s hearing was of one such application.  The Chief Justice, who was hearing the petition, said that the lack of adequate information had led to a chaotic situation in Bengaluru. The advocate representing the petitioners, GR Mohan, submitted that four BBMP officials had died while trying to find beds in various hospitals.  Adv G R Mohan four BBMP officials succumbed as they did not get bed in hospitals. Adv Clifton Rozario said "23 pourakarmikas have tested positive in one ward, deepanjali nagar. There are 198 wards in city. — Mustafa Plumber (@plumbermushi) July 16, 2020 Two assistant revenue officers of the BBMP, Nataraj (55) from Yelahanka and Thimmaiah (54) from Chamarajpet died due to COVID-19 on Tuesday. Mahalakshmipuram Executive Engineer R Vishwanath and the Assistant Revenue Officer of Chamarajpet, Shailesh, died on Wednesday.  GR Mohan submitted that these officials were not able to get beds. The counsel representing the BBMP, Dhyan Chinnappa, said that the state government had issued a direction to private hospitals to consider sufficient proof that a patient has COVID-19 before admitting them. An SMS sent by the lab to a person is sufficient, he said. This, however, is contrary to the BBMP’s warning issued to private hospitals to only accept patients directed by the government. Earlier this week, outpatient departments of Vikram Hospital and Sagar Apollo were shut down for 48 hours by the Karnataka Health Department with the Commissioner of the Health Department stating that the hospitals were accepting COVID-19 patients on their own, when they were only allowed to accept patients directed to them by the government.  “The ground situation is different, be it for common man or anyone; unless strings are pulled you cannot get a bed in a hospital,” advocate Venkatesh Dalwai, representing the petitioner said. “Some person of any rank should be appointed and stationed at hospitals so that no patient is turned away,” the court observed. Advocate Clifton Rosario, representing the petitioner, submitted that 23 pourakarmikas had tested positive for the coronavirus so far and that Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits were not given to these civic workers in containment zones.  The High Court directed the BBMP to take immediate action to assist pourakarmikas. The BBMP requested 24 hours time to respond to the allegations regarding pourakarmikas.  In addition to this, the petitioner’s counsel stated that around 1,000 police personnel have tested positive in Bengaluru and four police personnel, who were patrolling the streets in containment zones, died due to COVID-19. 

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Karnataka govt orders tehsildars to issue caste, income certificates to EWS Brahmins

Governance and policy

The notification comes after complaints that tehsildars in the state were refusing to issue caste certificates to members of the Brahmin community.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka government has directed tehsildars in the state to issue caste and income certificates to economically weaker sections of the Brahmin community. The directive comes after complaints that tehsildars in the state were refusing to issue caste certificates to members of the Brahmin community. "It has come to the notice of the government that tehsildars are refusing to issue the caste and income certificates as per the earlier order. All tehsildars should immediately take action in this regard and issue caste certificates to Brahmins," read the notification issued by an official of the Karnataka Revenue Department.   The certificates help citizens benefit from government schemes and scholarships particularly from the Karnataka State Brahmin Development Board set up in March 2019.  The notification also comes a month after the Karnataka State Brahmin Development Board appealed to the Karnataka government to allow certificates to be issued to Brahmins, a traditionally dominant caste.  Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had announced last month that the state government would issue caste and income certificates to Brahmins even though they are a minority accounting for 3% of the state's population. He said that it would allow the KSBDB to implement welfare schemes.  The board was set up when the HD Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JD(S) coalition government was in power, A new board office in Bengaluru's Nrupathanga Road's Mythic Society building was inaugurated last month along with the board's website - https://ift.tt/3fA7x41 The Board had urged the Karnataka government to issue income certificates for members of the Brahmin community whose gross annual family income is under Rs 8 lakh per year. The board has also urged the state government to implement the 10% quota for people from the economically weaker sections which is currently applicable for central government jobs and admissions to central government institutions. This quota is irrespective of caste and income and caste certificates would help candidates benefit from the quota.  The Karnataka Backward Classes Commission had in 2015 conducted a caste census but its findings were never revealed despite power in the state changing hands twice since then.   

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Publicise Environment Impact Assessment Draft in regional languages: HC tells Centre

Court

The Karnataka High Court warned the Centre that it will stay the notification if the Environment Impact Assessment Draft 2020 was not made available in regional languages in a week.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday warned the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) that the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Draft 2020 would be stayed if steps were not taken to publicise it widely. The high court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by United Conservation Movement, which sought a stay against the draft EIA.  Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court Abhay Sreenivas Oka came down heavily upon the Union government for not taking positive steps towards giving wide publicity to the draft EIA 2020 notification in all regional languages. The proposed EIA 2020 is advocated to fast track environmental clearance, which will allow industrial and infrastructural projects to begin construction activities at the cost of forest areas.  The counsel representing the MoEFCC submitted to the court that the department had complied with the court’s order and had received four lakh objections to the draft EIA 2020 so far.  “The notification itself was not in consonance with public interest and if steps are not taken to give wide publicity to the present notification, the court would stay the notification itself,” Justice Oka observed. The Central Government advocate requested the high court for more time to obtain instructions from the MoEFCC. The matter has been listed for hearing on July 23.  One of the most controversial aspects of this new notification is to do away with the mandatory process of public consultation for a wide range of projects.  The EIA draft also states that more than 25 red and orange industries will be moved from Category A (which needs expert appraisal) to Category B1 or B2, which requires lesser EIA processes. These industries, including chemical processing and acid manufacturing, will be brought under Category B2, which doesn't need public consultation, TNM had earlier reported.  The draft EIA 2020 also allows certain industries to commence operations and then obtain environmental clearance. 

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Watch: ‘French Biriyani’ trailer out, Danish Sait stars as a Bengaluru auto driver

Sandalwood

Directed by Pannaga Bharana, the film also stars Sal Yusuf as Simon, who is visiting the country for the first time.

TNM Staff

Screengrab

The trailer of French Biriyani, starring Bengaluru-based comedian Danish Sait, was released on Thursday. The movie will be available for Amazon Prime Video subscribers exclusively across the world and premiere on July 24. The action comedy also stars Sal Yusuf, among others. Danish plays the role of Asgar, an autorickshaw driver in Bengaluru, alongside Sal Yusuf as Simon, who is visiting the country for the first time. Their fates cross when unexpected circumstances cause Simon and Asgar to team up in order to search for Simon’s lost ‘Samaan’. The trailer starts with a dramatic shot of a man sporting grey hair and moustache talking about what seems to be the key ingredient of the plot and introduces Danish in the khaki attire of an autodriver. Sal Yusuf is seen coming out of the airport and stepping into Bengaluru. Amongst other things, the trailer shows Asgar asking for 1.5 times the fare on his autorickshaw ride in quintessential Bengaluru style. Punctuated by comic scenes, the trailer also shows a lot of action and men fighting in typical Indian movie style, involving chases through streets.   Asgar is seen being threatened by a policeman at gunpoint; incidentally, the gun is still in the holster. In one shot, Asgar is seen asking a crowd how to recover a phone that has been eaten by a cow. The movie is directed by Pannaga Bharana and produced by Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar and Gurudath A Talwar under the banner of PRK productions. Amazon Prime members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide can watch the much-awaited Kannada movie from July 24 onwards. In a press statement on the movie’s release, director Pannaga Bharana said, “Danish Sait and Sal Yusuf bring so much to the table in terms of their sheer comic prowess and quirkiness. I truly believe that there could not have been a better choice than them to play the two lead roles. With the movie releasing on Amazon Prime Video across 200 countries and territories, we are glad that the film will reach a global audience enabling them to revel in Kannada cinema.” Amazon said the movie is the sixth of the seven Indian films across five local languages to release directly on Amazon Prime Video. “We’re excited to bring French Biriyani on Amazon Prime Video that features one of the most versatile comics and actors – Danish Sait. In addition to being a thoroughly captivating film, we’re certain that the local flavour will appeal to the viewers’ taste and play a crucial role in taking the film to great heights. We’re confident that this comedy of errors will earn a special place in the hearts of cinema enthusiasts alike,” Vijay Subramaniam, Director and Head, Content, Amazon Prime Video India, said in the statement.

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Govt to purchase essentials for Bengaluru COVID Care Centre after row over rentals

Coronavirus

The government said that all essential items for the centre at the Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) will be bought, instead of being rented, as previously decided by officials.

TNM Staff

File image

In the wake of increased scrutiny on government spending in renting beds and other facilities for the COVID Care Centre at the Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), authorities have announced that all essentials will be bought instead. The government said that all essential items such as cots, fans, buckets, mugs and dustbins will be bought, instead of being rented, as previously decided by officials. It may be recalled that Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Monday had taken officials to task after visiting the CCC on the issue. “As soon as the matter of taking all items on rental basis came to my knowledge, I instructed the concerned officials to rectify the mistake failing which strict action will be taken. As per my instruction, the authorities have taken immediate steps to buy the necessary items and this has prevented the wasteful expenditure on unnecessary renting of items. I have instructed BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) Commissioner to release an amount of Rs.7.32 crore immediately to the suppliers,” the CM said in a statement. A note by the CM’s office said that the BBMP officials had decided to take essential items required for the 10,000 bedded COVID Care Center at BIEC on rental basis at a rate of Rs 800 per day, per bed. This would have cost an amount of Rs 24 crore each month.  Since the rental rates were high, it is possible to buy these items within the rented amount and later use them for government-run hostels. So accordingly, BBMP officials were instructed to take necessary action, the note said. “BBMP officials negotiated with suppliers and accordingly agreed to purchase six of the required items for each bed such as cot, mattress, fan, bucket, mug and dustbin at a rate of Rs 7,500 per set. So Rs.4.87 crores will be spent on purchase of these items for 6,500 beds,” the note added. The government is also expected to purchase vinyl flooring at a rate of Rs 31 per square ft, and accordingly Rs 2.45 crores will be spent on vinyl flooring for an area of 7.9 lakh square ft.  The press note said that it had been decided to take 19 non-reusable items on a rental basis at the rate of Rs.6,500 per set, per month. So accordingly, Rs.4.23 crores will be spent per month. With this move, the government expects to save several crore from the state’s exchequer. 

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No movement to and from Bengaluru city unless an emergency till July 22

Coronavirus

The lockdown order issued on July 13 had clearly stipulated restriction in inter-district travel unless in cases of emergency.

TNM Staff

With the ongoing seven-day lockdown in Bengaluru city, several concerns have been raised by residents over movement of people between districts. As per Karnataka Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar’s order dated July 13, inter-district movement to and from Bengaluru Urban is prohibited till 5 am on July 22. The Bengaluru Police have installed checkpoints near toll gates at Anekal, Devanahalli and KR Puram to stop the movement of passengers via road. Movement of people via Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation Buses are prohibited during the lockdown period unless in cases of emergency. Only those passengers, who had booked flight tickets before the lockdown was announced, will be able to travel to the airport by furnishing their plane ticket as the movement passes. Students attending exams can use hall ticket as movement pass.  However, the police are handing out passes only to those in emergencies and absolutely need to travel to and from Bengaluru Urban district. The passes will be available at jurisdictional police stations, where one has to furnish information regarding the requirement for a movement pass.  “Passes will be issued only in cases of emergency. If a family member is ill or if there is a medical emergency, or if there is a death of a family member, passes will be issued. The lockdown is only for a week. People can stay at home and not travel in this period. Unless it is absolutely urgent, what is the need to even apply for a pass? Essential services and goods carriers are allowed to cross toll gates. We have been sending people back,” said DCP Admin Hemant Nimbalkar.  The lockdown was imposed in Bengaluru city at 8 pm on July 14 and will end at 5 am on July 22 due to the rising number of cases in the city over the last week. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, however, said that the lockdown is not likely to be extended after July 22.

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