Army soldier from Karnataka killed in Pokhran bombing

Bengaluru, Apr 4: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has appealed to employers not to cut salaries of their maids, servants and drivers who are unable to attend work due to the current lockdown situation in the country.

He said compassionate gesture of employers will support the poor and needy.

"I request all the employers not to cut salaries of their maids, servants, drivers etc., who are not able to work due to social distancing. Your compassionate gesture will support the poor and needy to overcome this hard time. FightBackKarnataka CoronavirusPandemic," the Chief Minister said in a tweet.

Bengaluru, Apr 23: The Karnataka government on Wednesday promulgated 'The Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Ordinance 2020' that provides the state with a power to seal borders, restrict essential services and punish those attacking public servants and damaging public property.

The Ordinance comes after violence in Padarayanapura when the police and BBMP officials were attacked while they tried to take some secondary contacts of a deceased COVID-19 patient into quarantine on April 19.

The Ordinance, which was promulgated after the Centre's guidelines in this regard, said, "The offender shall be liable for a penalty of twice the value of public or private property damaged as determined by the Deputy Commissioner after an inquiry."

It further said that if the penalty is not paid by the offender, then the amount shall be recovered under provisions of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964. The Deputy Commissioner can even attach the property of such offender in due course.

Also, abetment of offence would attract imprisonment of up to two years and a penalty of Rs 10,000 or both.

"No person shall commit or attempt to commit or instigate, incite or otherwise abet the commission of offence to cause loss or damage to any public or private property in any area when restrictions and regulations are in force to contain any epidemic disease," the Ordinance said.

Whoever contravenes such provision shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months, but may extend to three years and with fine which may extend to Rs 50,000, it added.

On Wednesday, the Centre brought an Ordinance to end violence against health workers, making it a cognisable and non-bailable offence with imprisonment up to seven years for those found guilty.

"We have brought an Ordinance under which any attack on health workers will be a cognisable and non-bailable offence. In the case of grievous injuries, the accused can be sentenced from six months to seven years. They can be penalised from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakhs," Union Minister Prakash Javadekar briefed media after Cabinet meeting.

Javadekar said that an amendment will be made to the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and ordinance will be implemented.
This comes amid nationwide lockdown in the wake of COVID-19.

Udupi, Jun 18: Two youths lost their lives in a ghastly road mishap involving a vegetable-laden mini truck near Santhekatte in Udupi today. 

The deceased have been identified as Dinesh (35) and Manjunath (21), both hailed from Balkur village in Kundapur taluk.

The accident took place at around 7 a.m. when the mini truck was carrying vegetables from Kundapur to Udupi. 

According to sources, Dinesh, who was driving the vehicle, lost control and rammed into a pole next to the national highway. 

Both Dinesh and his assistant Manjunath suffered head injuries in the accident. They were rushed to Ajjarkad district hospital where they were declared dead on arrival.