Deve Gowda urges govt to make vaccine free for economically disadvantaged

COVID-19

The former prime minister made this statement following an all-party meet chaired by PM Modi.

PTI

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on Friday suggested that the cost of the COVID-19 vaccine be kept affordable and that the government should even consider offering it free of cost for the economically vulnerable sections. The JD(S) supremo made this suggestion at an all-party meeting with leaders of various political outfits and top union ministers, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country, his office said in a statement. Stating that the period between now and the administering of vaccines should be treated with great care to ensure that the number of COVID-19 cases do not spiral out of control and further pressurise the healthcare system, he said hopes of a vaccine cannot be the basis to throw caution to the wind. The transport and storage of vaccines would pose a major challenge, he said, adding that it would be best for the government to announce a high-level team to coordinate the vaccination efforts. "This team should directly report to the PMO, and also engage in creating a network of medical and paramedical volunteers at the panchayat level, our basic governance unit," he added. Gowda is a member of the Rajya Sabha representing Karnataka. Noting that long-term storage of vaccines is possible only through cold storage facilities, Gowda said the Prime Minister should pass on this challenge to the IITs. "They should tell us how to convert any room into a cold storage facility with an inexpensive assembly unit," he said. Floor leaders from all parties in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were invited to attend the virtual meeting. This was the second all-party meeting called by the government to discuss the COVID-19 situation since the outbreak of the coronavirus. According to the former PM's office, Gowda also sought to know whether the Centre would bear the cost of the vaccination programme or state governments would have to share the cost.

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ED seizes Vijay Mallya’s property worth Rs 14 cr in France

Crime

Vijay Mallya cannot be extradited to India until a separate secret legal process in the UK is resolved.

PTI

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on Friday suggested that the cost of the COVID-19 vaccine be kept affordable and that the government should even consider offering it free of cost for the economically vulnerable sections. The JD(S) supremo made this suggestion at an all-party meeting with leaders of various political outfits and top union ministers, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country, his office said in a statement. Stating that the period between now and the administering of vaccines should be treated with great care to ensure that the number of COVID-19 cases do not spiral out of control and further pressurise the healthcare system, he said hopes of a vaccine cannot be the basis to throw caution to the wind. The transport and storage of vaccines would pose a major challenge, he said, adding that it would be best for the government to announce a high-level team to coordinate the vaccination efforts. "This team should directly report to the PMO, and also engage in creating a network of medical and paramedical volunteers at the panchayat level, our basic governance unit," he added. Gowda is a member of the Rajya Sabha representing Karnataka. Noting that long-term storage of vaccines is possible only through cold storage facilities, Gowda said the Prime Minister should pass on this challenge to the IITs. "They should tell us how to convert any room into a cold storage facility with an inexpensive assembly unit," he said. Floor leaders from all parties in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were invited to attend the virtual meeting. This was the second all-party meeting called by the government to discuss the COVID-19 situation since the outbreak of the coronavirus. According to the former PM's office, Gowda also sought to know whether the Centre would bear the cost of the vaccination programme or state governments would have to share the cost.

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Bengaluru’s Railway Protection Force rescues missing child from train

Crime

The child, who was found sleeping in a coach at the Yeshwanthpur station, was rescued 30 minutes after she was reported missing.

Shishir Rao

Representational image/PTI

After receiving information that a child was left behind in a train by her parents, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Bengaluru on Thursday swiftly went into action and rescued the child within half an hour. South Western Railway officials on Thursday said that one Sangappa was travelling in the Bidar-Yeshwanthpur Express along with his wife and five children. When the family alighted from the train at Rajanukunte (in the outskirts of Bengaluru) around 7 am, they realized that their daughter, who was sleeping on the train, had been left behind. The parents immediately alerted the on-duty Station Master at Rajanukunte about the missing child. Following this, the Station Master sent a message to the security control without delay, who in turn intimated all the RPF posts about the missing child. The RPF stationed at the Yeshwanthpur Railway Station formed a search party; as the train arrived at Yeshwanthpur at 7:30am, the party searched the entire train and finally found the child sleeping in one of the coaches. The child was reportedly brought to the RPF post at the Yeshwanthpur Railway Station and handed over to her parents, after following verification procedures and counselling of the parents. The RPF’s swift action brought the ordeal to an end in 30 minutes. Debashmita C Banerjee, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner of the South Western Railways told TNM, “Time is key in search and rescue, as the longer it takes, there is a scope for many more events to occur making it difficult to reach the child. Luckily in this case the child was asleep and the rescue was over within 30 minutes. If not, the child could have wandered away." "SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) of child rescue is a child-friendly environment where there is always a lady officer who talks to the child... If the parents receive the child, we see identification that they are the guardian and also take an acknowledgement before handing over the child," she added.

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Bengaluru police arrest four BDA officials for illegally allotting sites

Crime

The arrests came after police conducted raids on a parallel office that was being run by Shive Gowda, the prime accused, and three other BDA staff.

TNM Staff

A senior Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) official and three co-staffers, along with others, were arrested by the Bengaluru police on Friday in an alleged corruption case. The arrests came after the police received a tip from within the BDA hierarchy. The prime accused has been identified as Shive Gowda, who was posted as Deputy Secretary-III. The other staff who were arrested are Sarath Kumar, Sampath Kumar and Pavithramma.  Shive Gowda, along with the co-accused, were arrested for running a parallel office in the name of the BDA, and illegally allotting sites to people without following due process. This parallel office was being run by the accused from a prominent building in Bengaluru’s Central Business District area. BDA Commissioner Mahadev R (IAS) confirmed to TNM that Shive Gowda and the others were arrested by the Seshadripuram police. The arrests were preceded by raids on the office by the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force. The accused have been booked under sections 409 (Criminal breach of trust by public servant) and 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. However, the BDA Commissioner refused to share the extent of the money the accused are suspected to have made through the scam.    The scam was allegedly unearthed by a whistle-blower, who is said to have given all the details about the scam to the BDA Commissioner in a pen drive. Earlier this week, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested two Bengaluru-based staff of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board for allegedly accepting bribes for clearing an industrial effluent plant. The arrest was made on November 30, after the duo was caught red-handed with Rs 25,000 that the complainant had given them. The ACB said that they were approached by the complainant after Rs 50,000 was demanded for official routine work by the accused. A month ago, a KAS officer Dr Sudha was raided by the ACB for making alleged illegal gains during her posting in the BDA. During the raids, the ACB had seized a huge quantity of cash and gold from her. Also read: ACB conducts raids in connection with corruption case of KAS officer Dr Sudha

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Conduct BBMP elections expeditiously, share plan in 6 weeks: Karnataka HC

Courts

The bench led by Chief Justice Abhay Oka clarified that the polls will be held for the existing 198 wards and not the proposed 243 wards.

TNM Staff

Representational image

The Karnataka High Court on Friday ruled that the State Election Commission has to conduct the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections expeditiously. The bench led by Chief Justice AS Oka said that the state election authority has to publish the election schedule within six weeks. The bench clarified that the polls will be held for the existing 198 wards and not the proposed 243 wards. Earlier during this case, the SEC had opposed the delimitation exercise stating that the preparations for the polls for 198 wards had already begun.   Bench: We direct state election commission to hold elections to BBMP as expeditiously as possible by publishing election program within six weeks.#BBMP #Elections — Bar & Bench (@barandbench) December 4, 2020 HC: We direct state election commission to hold elections to BBMP as expeditiously as possible by publishing election program within six weeks. — Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) December 4, 2020 It may be recalled that a joint select committee of Karnataka legislators, which was tasked with finalising the modalities regarding the restructuring of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), had added 45 more city wards in October. This development came after the state legislature had passed the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Third Amendment) Bill, 2020 for the purpose of increasing the number of wards. The amendment had said that the number of wards could be increased, with an upper limit of 250. In accordance to do this, the bench on Friday observed that the amendment is valid but it won’t apply for the elections as the polls were to be held before the amendment was enacted.  It may be recalled that the five-year tenure of the present BBMP Council had expired in September and the elections for the same had been deferred for the delimitation process. Earlier on Monday, it was announced that Gram Panchayat elections in Karnataka will be held in two phases — December 22 and 27. Even that announcement came after the High Court gave the SEC three weeks time to announce the dates for gram panchayat polls. Earlier Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar had spoken in favour of postponement of the polls at least till February-end, fearing the polls would act as "door-delivery of the virus" as door-to-door campaigning is crucial during these local body elections.

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Five feel-good Kannada movies and where you can watch them

SANDALWOOD

'Happy New Year' to 'Chamak', these films will leave you feeling warm

Sanjana Deshpande

YouTube Screengrabs

Amid the pandemic and consequent gloom, the year has been difficult, to say the least. Despite the lockdown restrictions easing up, there’s reservation among people about the “new normal”. Several people have turned to Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms for entertainment to take their minds off their concerns. If you're new to Kannada cinema and are looking for films to watch, here’s a list of chicken-soup-for-the-soul-warm films you can catch up with this weekend to unwind.  Happy New Year (Zee5) A screengrab from Happy New Year   The Pannaga Bharana directorial is an anthological film revolving around stories of people from different walks of life interwoven -- they are all looking for meaning in their lives. Everything changes for them on the New Year’s. The film features an ensemble cast consisting of Saikumar, Rajshri Ponnappa, and others in lead roles. The characters find themselves navigating their way in different phases of love and it feels relatable. Who knows, you may find yourself crooning to 'Preethiya Hesare Neenu' with Raghu Dixit by the end? Chamak (Disney+Hotstar)  A still from Chamak, starring Ganesh and Rashmika Mandanna   The 2017 romantic-comedy is a cliched film through and through, however, apprehensions can be done away with for one watch. Starring Golden Star Ganesh and Rashmika Mandanna, this film explores a non-linear trajectory of a couple who pretend to be simpletons but are party animals to the core. What ensues is a series of imbroglios that lead them to their happily ever after. Behold, this doesn’t happen without heartbreaks. Despite being a155-minute-long saga, this Suni film enchanted the critics and audiences alike when it released. You also get a glimpse of baby Charitrya, Ganesh’s daughter. Ayogya (Voot) A still from Ayogya, starring Vishal and Rashi Khanna Another rom-com that made it to this list is the 2018 film Ayogya. Set in Mandya, the film sets out to explore the story of a laggard Siddhegowda alias Siddha essayed by Sathish Ninasam. He does not possess the “must-have prospects” to begin a career or find a life partner, the only desires of his. Everything changes for him when Rachita Ram, Karnataka’s Gombe [heartthrob], waltzes into his life. And the film thereafter takes a serious turn. S Mahesh Kumar, although, ensures that the film doesn’t become didactic and entertains the audiences.     Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shale Kasargodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai (MX Player) Anant Nag in Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shale Kasargodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai   Although the film is a socio-political one, the punches in the Rishab Shetty directorial are not subdued. The Anant Nag and Ramesh Bhat starrer bagged a National Award for being the Best Children’s Film and was a blockbuster. The plot focuses on the struggles of students of a dilapidated government Kannada school in Kasaragod (a border district in Kerala with majoritarian Kannada-speaking residents). The kids, to get a famous activist (Ramesh Bhat) to fight for their cause travel to Mysuru, and approach Anant Nag instead (because the two men share the same name). The film then showcases how Nag and the kids find comfort in each other’s company while managing to halt the closure of school. Read: Dreaming in your mother tongue: Why Rishab Shetty’s new film strikes a chord with us Chemistry of Kariyappa (Zee5) A still from Chemistry of Kariyappa   2019 was the year for director Kumaar as his film Chemistry of Kariyappa, set out to tickle the audiences’ funny bone, and achieved the desired effect. The film starts out as a comical journey of Uttara (Chandan Achar), a man in his mid-thirties going through trials and tribulations to find a bride for himself. And when he does, it all falls apart upon receiving a divorce notice from his wife Chitra (Sanjana Anand). The reason she cites is Uttara's impotency. Uttara's father then steps in to help him solve the "simple equations of life". Thenceforth the focus of the film shifts from romantic love to the father-son bond.

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‘KGF: Chapter 2’ teaser to be released on January 8, Yash’s birthday

SANDALWOOD

The much-awaited film also stars Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon in important roles.

Digital Native

Digital Native

The shooting of Sandalwood director Prashanth Neel’s upcoming magnum opus KGF: Chapter 2, starring Yash, is almost completed. With the film confirmed to hit the screens next year, fans have something exciting to look forward to soon. It has been confirmed that the teaser of KGF: Chapter 2 will be released on January 8, 2020 on the occasion of Yash’s birthday. While replying to a fan’s tweet about the teaser, the film’s executive producer Karthik Gowda confirmed the release date. He wrote in Kannada that the teaser will be released on January 8 and that it will be on "a different level". When a fan remarked that it's been three years since the release of the KGF teaser, and asked when the new teaser can be expected, Karthik replied: “It will be out on his birthday. It will be on a different level (sic)."   Details soon. We do come back again after James. @SanthoshAnand15 https://t.co/566RYGUsRs — Karthik Gowda (@Karthik1423) December 2, 2020   The KGF makers in August unveiled the first glimpse of Sanjay Dutt’s character in the second part of the franchise. The first look of Sanjay Dutt as Adheera was released on the occasion of his birthday. The makers revealed that the look of Adheera was heavily inspired by the Vikings. In an interview with Cinema Express, Prashant Neel has opened up about how Sanjay Dutt helped design the character of Adheera. “We wanted to show the actor menacingly, and we decided to go with a Viking look. Sanjay sir has put a lot of effort and thought into it personally. His input has been huge,” said Prashanth. The character of Adheera was never revealed in KGF: Chapter 1. The character's identity remained unknown until the end of the film. Read: Prashanth Neel: Sanjay Dutt had a huge hand in designing his character Adheera Talking about Sanjay Dutt’s character and having him on board, Yash was quoted in a Hindustan Times report as saying, “When we made KGF: Chapter 1, we had our own inhibitions and restricted ourselves in some way. But with this kind of success on our side, we are going all out to make the second part. We now know people are keenly looking forward to the second part and we can deliver it without any reservations. We’ve reserved the best for chapter 2.” KGF: Chapter 2 also stars Raveena Tandon in a key role. She will be seen as former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. (Content provided by Digital Native)

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