5 kg LPG cylinders will be available in Mangalore petrol bunks soon

Bengaluru, Apr 18: Amid fears that people from the unorganised sector are running out of cash to meet their daily expenses, the Karnataka government said there was no data available for such labourers, who can be provided financial assistance under the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme.

"The government does not have data of people in the unorganised sector such as drivers, farmers, domestic help and others. If we have to deposit directly into their account, we need data..," State Labour minister A Shivaram Hebbar told reporters.

The minister said a situation borne out of the COVID-19, where the entire nation has been lockdown was never anticipated.

To him, the pandemic has given an opportunity to gather information about the unorganised sector.

"This COVID-19 has taught the department and the workers a lesson that we should be prepared for a situation like this. We have learnt that all the information about labourers should be available with the labour department," Hebbar conceded.

The minister opined that the department should have had the list during the good times but nobody bothered to have it.

"During the good times nobody bothered about it -- neither they (beneficiaries) asked for it, nor we thought of it.," Hebbar said.

Now that the pandemic has struck, the government is focusing only on not letting anyone starve to death.

A three-level preparation has been made -- at the village level, Taluk level and the city level, the minister said.

Village anganwadis have been stuffed with food items to be cooked for the needy, whereas in Taluk level, government hostels have been turned into shelters for the labourers, he said, noting that lakhs of philanthropists in cities have come forward to feed the people from unorganised sector.

"The basic objective of our government is that no one should starve to death. The issue of organised or unorganised sector comes next," he explained.

On the fear of large-scale retrenchment, the minister said notices have been served on all the industries that no one should be expelled from the job.

However, Hebbar underlined that the industrialists today are as much in distress as the workers and his department was taking into account everyone's concern.

A decision will be taken in this connection by the government in the next two days, to provide assistance to small enterprises to keep them afloat.

Bengaluru, Jan 23: Karnataka government on Thursday notified the much-hyped anti-superstition law that aims to prevent and eradicate "inhuman evil practices".

According to Social Welfare principal Secretary G Kumar Naik, the state social welfare department has issued a gazette notification and The Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Act, 2017, that intends to protect the common people against "evil" and "sinister" practices, shall come into force with effect from January 4 2020, the government notification issued earlier this month read.

The act seeks to combat and eradicate such inhuman practices propagated and performed in the name of "black magic" by conmen with the sinister motive of exploiting the common people, thereby destroying the social fabric of the society.

Manama: Kannada Sangha Bahrain President Mr. Pradeep Shetty and Vice President of Bahrain's prestigious KHK HEROES Foundation Mohammed Mansoor on Monday, May 11, met The Second Secretary (Consular & CW) of the Embassy of India, Bahrain Mr. P. K. Chowdhury in the Indian Embassy. 

The situation, problems and relief of Indians and Kannadigas residing in Bahrain during the COVID 19 Pandemic was discussed in detail. The distribution of food (dry ration) kits, as well as those seeking repatriation, was also discussed in the meeting.

When asked about the repatriation of distressed Kannadigas, the Second Secretary said that though the number of Kannadigas who wish to return home is not much compared to the rest of the states, still Embassy is compiling all the information and will do the needful soon. 

Mr. Shetty and Mr. Mansoor told the Second Secretary that those who are in problem can contact them and they are ready to do their best.