Documents show funding for a host of health programs is at risk under the president’s order targeting liberal strongholds.
from Health Care https://ift.tt/3olhabU
via IFTTT
Body 2:
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Lawmakers press HHS for documents on Trump’s drug-card plan
Senior Democrats are seeking a memo from HHS’ top lawyer warning the plan could be illegal.
from Health Care https://ift.tt/2TdZXTq
via IFTTT
from Health Care https://ift.tt/2TdZXTq
via IFTTT
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Cong complains against K'taka BJP candidate, says he offered money to people
In the complaint, Congress alleged that Munirathna, standing for the RR Nagar bye-polls, and his team of workers influenced voters with money and gifts.
Saleem Ahmed, Congress Working President handing over complaint
The Karnataka Congress on Tuesday lodged a complaint with the Chief Election Commissioner seeking action against BJP candidate Munirathna, who is contesting in the bye-election in the RR Nagar constituency in Bengaluru. The polls are set to be held on November 3. In the complaint, Congress alleged that Munirathna and his team of workers had unduly influenced voters with money and valuable gifts. "The BJP candidate and its workers have been paying Rs 5,000 and more to every voter to ensure that they vote in favour of the BJP", read the complaint. It highlighted payments made to residents in RR Nagar's BK Nagar area, in the Lakshmidevinagar ward of Bengaluru. The complaint also alleged that party workers had taken away the voter ID cards of certain persons suspected of not voting for the BJP. Allegedly, this was done so that these votes are not cast in the upcoming bye-elections. Munirathna joined the BJP in 2019, after leaving the Congress along with other party leaders. They pledged their support to BS Yediyurappa, who went on to become the Chief Minister of the state. Munirathna was twice-elected on the Congress ticket from the RR Nagar constituency - once in 2013, and again in 2018. He then joined the BJP in 2019, after leaving the Congress along with other party leaders. They pledged their support to BS Yediyurappa, who went on to become the Chief Minister of the state. In May 2018, the Assembly polls in this constituency were challenged in the Karnataka High Court by BJP leader Muniraju Gowda, who alleged that there was electoral malpractice. Voting in RR Nagar took place more than two weeks after voting in the rest of the state at that time. This was due to a large-scale seizure of voter ID cards ahead of the polling, from an apartment in the constituency. Munirathna, who was the Congress candidate, was named as an accused in the police investigation. The BJP had, at the time, led the protests against Munirathna with top party leaders, asking the city police to investigate the hoard of voter ID cards found in the apartment. Because the matter was still in court, the RR Nagar bye-election could not be held in December 2019 along with those held in the other parts of the state. Munirathna was cleared by the High Court in February and more recently by the Supreme Court to contest in the bye-election. Following this, he was picked over Muniraju Gowda as the BJP candidate. Congress has fielded H Kusuma, wife of late IAS officer DK Ravi, as its candidate in the polls.
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2Hi4iSX
via IFTTT
Oxygen prices high due to COVID-19, Bengaluru pvt hospitals seek govt intervention
On average, the oxygen which cost Rs 25 per cubic meter, now costs over Rs 40 per cubic meter, private hospital associations say.
A week after private hospitals in Bengaluru approached the Karnataka government complaining about the exorbitant prices of medical oxygen by private suppliers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, they say that the issue is yet to be resolved. Speaking to TNM, Dr Prasanna HM, President-elect Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) said that starting from last month onwards, major oxygen suppliers have almost doubled the price of oxygen cylinders citing hike in logistical costs. Private medical establishments say this has affected their finances badly as oxygen demand is at an all-time high with close to half of all hospitalised COVID-19 patients requiringhigh-flow oxygen including those in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and ventilators. They claim that if the government does not intervene, it would be very difficult to sustain their functioning, given the government has also capped what they can charge from certain categories of patients. On October 14, PHANA had written to the Drugs Controller, Government of Karnataka seeking a price cap so that private suppliers don’t ‘exploit the vulnerable situation’ further. Dr Prasanna claimed that these oxygen suppliers have also threatened to stop supply if the hospitals do not agree to the new price and so far, the government is yet to intervene. “We want the state government to fix the transportation cost at the earliest just as the price of oxygen has been fixed by the union government so that we are not exploited in this hour of crisis,” he told TNM. On average the price which was around Rs 25 per cubic meter has now been made over Rs 40 per cubic meter, the association said. Responding to the issue, Karnataka Health Minister Dr Sudhakar said that the state government will “resolve the issue soon” and claimed there is no shortage of oxygen as of the moment. “The Union Government has capped the price of liquid medical oxygen at Rs 15.22 per cubic meter and that of oxygen inhalation medicinal gas in cylinder at Rs 25.71 per cubic meter,” he said in a statement to TNM. He added, “There is no shortage of oxygen as of now. But manufacturers are complaining that transportation costs are high. Government is looking into the issue and we will resolve this soon.”
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/34eUL8c
via IFTTT
Two arrested for making bomb threat to Karnataka judge hearing drugs case
An NDPS special judge hearing the drug racket case received a threat letter and a parcel with a detonator on Monday.
Two people have been taken into custody in connection with a bomb threat to a special judge hearing the drug case involving celebrities in Karnataka, police officials said on Tuesday. "Two persons have been detained for questioning. They will be brought to Bengaluru," a top police officer told PTI on condition of anonymity. An NDPS special judge hearing the drug racket case received a threat letter and a parcel with a detonator on Monday in Bengaluru, demanding grant of bail to two film actresses and those booked in the August 11 violence in Bengaluru's DJ Halli and KG Halli. The envelope with a letter was sent to the city civil court in Bengaluru. The sender of the letter is yet to be identified. The person who wrote the letter had warned that a blast would be triggered if the demands were not met. Later, investigation revealed that there was no bomb inside but some wires which created an impression of a detonator. According to preliminary inquiry, the letter was sent from Chelur in Tumakuru district, a police source said adding two people were taken into custody for questioning. One case highlighted in the letter pertains to alleged drug use among celebrities including Kannada film actors Ragini Dwivedi, Sanjjanaa Galrani, party organiser Viren Khanna, realtor Rahul Tonse, among others. The other case is related to the mob attacks that took place in DJ Halli and KG Halli in eastern Bengaluru on the night of August 11. The mob was angered by a Facebook post deemed offensive to Muslims and the police's decision to not register a case immediately after a complaint was lodged.
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3jnFm9X
via IFTTT
Karnataka BJP leader says high command looking to replace CM Yediyurappa
Yatnal also suggested that the next Chief Minister of the state will be a leader from north Karnataka.
Basanagouda Patil Yatnal
Karnataka BJP leader Basanagouda Yatnal stirred controversy on Tuesday when he suggested that the BJP high command is looking to replace Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.in the near future. He also suggested that the next Chief Minister of the state will be a leader from north Karnataka. "We got a grant of Rs 125 crore and there was a tiff between us and Chief Minister. He does everything for Shivamogga. He will be done in some time. His time has also come (implying its time for Yediyurappa to step down). If we had those Rs 125 crore, we could have concretised all roads in Bijapur. But we don’t have it. I will get it some how. Umesh Katti has given statement asking if he is Shivamogga Chief Minister or Karnataka Chief Minister. Even those above him are done with him.' Yatnal said. "He has become CM due to the votes of north Karnataka people. Do people vote for us in Mandya, Chamarajanagara or Kolar? North Karnataka voted our MLAs in. A majority of MLAs are from north Karnataka," he added. Yatnal had earlier asked Yediyurappa to sort out the regional imbalance in the Karnataka cabinet. He is also known for making controversial statements and was in the news earlier this year for calling centenarian freedom fighter and activiist from Karnataka - HS Doreswamy a 'Pakistani agent'. In June, a luncheon hosted by BJP leader Umesh Katti and involving Yatnal and other senior leaders from north Karnataka had led to talk of dissidence within the BJP. Yediyurappa had brushed off the reports of the meeting stating that he was too busy with work. Though Yatnal is known for making controversial remarks, sources told TNM that Yediyurappa is under greater pressure after Power TV, a private Kannada television channel, ran a series of programmes in September airing the audio of a sting operation allegedly done on a member of the Chief Minister's family. In its programmes, Power TV alleged corruption, a claim that was later highlighted by the Karnataka unit of the Congress. There is murmur within the party that he should be replaced by a younger Lingayat leader. Read: Bengaluru police search private channel after complaint related to ‘sting’ on BSY family
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3kgZRpJ
via IFTTT
Assets of Dreamz Infra auctioned but scam victims yet to get their money back
The victims said that the Bengaluru Urban Consumer Forum had attached properties linked to the company, and argued that it had no jurisdiction to do so.
It has been four years since the Karnataka government decided to attach properties of Sachin Naik, the mastermind of the Dreamz Infra ponzi scam, where he allegedly cheated thousands of investors of their hard-earned money. And yet, the victims of this scam are yet to get their money back. According to investigation officials, Sachin Naik, his wife Mandeep Kaur and former wife Disha Choudhary had promised dream homes to investors, who had paid crores of rupees of downpayment. These investors never got their dream home or the money back. 257 victims of the scam moved the Karnataka High Court in July this year after they learned that the state government had auctioned off several of his properties but had not disbursed the money equitably among all affected victims and instead, made money transfers to a single petitioner. Hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on October 5, the High Court issued notices to the Assistant Commissioner, Bengaluru South Sub-Division, to explain why the discrepancies in attaching and auctioning properties had risen. The government is expected to submit its response before November 5. Read: Rs 1,500 cr Dreamz Infra scam: Karnataka to auction 17 of Sachin Naik's properties What happened to the assets? While the victims waited for the courts to decide on a course of action, the assets of Dreamz Infra India Ltd was attached and transferred to the Bengaluru Urban Consumer Forum in 2018. According to the Karnataka Protection of Interest of Depositors in Financial Establishments Act (KPIDFE Act), under section 19, no other court but the special court has the authority to hear matters related to cases filed under the Act. The victims, in their petition to the Karnataka High Court, said that the properties being held by the forum violated this section of the Act. In 2018, the Bengaluru Urban Consumer Forum also attached properties belonging to Dreamz Siddhi Vinayak Project. These assets have been in the forum’s possession ever since and the victims now want the properties to be transferred to the Special Court for Economic Offences, which they say, will enable all 3,600 victims to get their money back. In the same year, the victims of the Dreams Samhita Project obtained a stay order from the sessions court in Bengaluru against the Consumer Forum after it attached properties belonging to that project too. The LXII Additional City Civil Court in 2019, attached and auctioned properties belonging to Dreamz Saakar Project. The properties were sold to MSM Constructions and Developers at a cost of Rs 4.15 crore. Of the proceeds, Rs 28.66 lakh was given to a single plaintiff, who had moved the court. The rest of the money is in the court’s possession. “These are all illegal money transfers. No other court but the special court has the authority to auction properties. While we were waiting for the special court to take action, all these things have been happening without our knowledge,” said Jawahar Singh, who filed the PIL with the High Court. Not enough assets to repay all investors The Criminal Investigation Department, which is probing the case, was able to identify properties worth Rs 100 crore belonging to the various companies that were registered under the Dreamz Infra spectrum. However, the CID said that the total amount payable to 3,600 investors that were identified, amounts to Rs 385 crore. “There is not enough money to repay everyone,” the CID source said. However, the investors, in their petition to the High Court, alleged that the CID did not perform its due diligence and track where the investors’ money went. In this regard, the High Court on October 5 also issued notices to the CID, asking it to explain why they did not track down the money. The victims’ demands The victims of the scam have asked the High Court to protect the assets attached by the Consumer Forum, invite all victims to submit their claim with proof, appoint a forensic auditor to track down the money given by the investors and identify the assets they believe Sachin Naik siphoned off, direct the CID to seize personal assets of Sachin Naik, his wife Mandeep Kaur and former wife Disha Choudhary, all of who are directors of Dreamz Infra, and finally, to recover money given to the single investor and disburse it, so that all victims get their compensation. “We have been running from pillar to post to get our money back. The Consumer Forum has no jurisdiction here and they have possession of the assets. We suspect that the Consumer Forum is involved in looting the money that rightfully belongs to investors,” Jawahar Singh alleged, while adding that the CID had failed to probe the case properly, due to which they couldn’t find all the assets owned by Dreamz Infra. “We are hoping the court will do the right thing and appoint an auditor to track down the money,” he said. Read: The Rs 1500 crore scam: How Yogesh became Sumanth, then Sachin to allegedly dupe people in Bengaluru
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3oaSCCn
via IFTTT
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)