Anant Kumar Hegde fiasco a closed chapter, says Yeddyurappa

Bengaluru, May 9: The Karnataka government may not extend the daily working hours from 8 to 12, with Labour Minister A Shivaram Hebbar saying on Saturday that the move would neither benefit the industries nor workers.

Hebbar said that the proposal has not been discussed and it may come for final deliberations next week. He also noted that some States have already extended the working hours. More than extending working hours, there should be employment to be given. If there are no jobs what can be done by extending working hours? If it is done (working hours extended to 12 hours), it would neither benefit workers nor industries. Let's see what happens, he said.

Asked if the government was in favour of the extension, he said, "I don't think it will be ready for the (12 hour) proposal." Meanwhile, the Minister also said that their top priority now was to see that all MSMEs start operating again, salaries are paid to employees and there are no job losses for any reason. If industries don't reopen, how can workers get their employment? We should think in parallel, Hebbar said adding, the government was keeping the interests of both MSMEs and workers in mind.

He urged the Centre to offer a relief package to the MSME sector, saying it is facing very difficult times due to the adverse impact of the COVID-19-induced lockdown, and also noting its role in generating large-scale employment and feeding large industries.

The BJP-led government has done whatever within its limitations to help the MSMEs, he said. Earlier this week, the Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa announced that the monthly fixed charges of electricity bills of MSMEs would be waived for two months. MSMEs have suffered huge production losses due to the lockdown. It takes some time for them to revive, Yediyurappa had said. The Chief Minister had also said payment of fixed charges in the electricity bills of the large industries will be deferred without penalty and interest for a period of two months.

Udupi, May 30: Following the announcement of re-opening of places of worship from June 8, Ibrahim Musliyar Bekal, the Qadhi of Udupi has called upon the Centre and State governments to issue uniform guidelines for Muslims to be followed while going to mosques for congregational prayers.

In a media statement, he said that even though the government is relaxing the lockdown in a phased manner things will not be like before as people have to follow the precautionary measures to control the spread of the coronavirus. 

He said that the union and state governments after holding discussions with the authorities of Central Waqf Council and the State Waqf Boards and Islamic scholars, should form a uniform guidelines for all mosques.

He also suggested a few guidelines such as offering congregational prayers soon after adaan, closing the mosque soon after prayers, maintaining physical distance and avoiding the use of toilet in mosques. 

He also suggested the sick, elderly people and children to prefer to offer prayers in homes instead of mosques until situation becomes normal. 

Belagavi, Mar 10: Around 6,000 chickens were buried alive by some poultry farm owners here as the rate of flesh in the market dropped even below the cost price due to Coronavirus scare.

The poultry farm who buried the chickens on Monday evening belonged to Lolasuru village in Gokak Taluk of the district.

One of the owners, Nazir Makandar, said that there was no demand for chicken because of threat of Coronavirus.