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Bengaluru, Feb 19: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Karnataka High Court, seeking a stay on Anand Singh functioning as Minister of Forests, Environment and Ecology contending that there are criminal cases filed against him by the Ministry.

"A stay be granted prohibiting Anand Singh from functioning as the Cabinet Minister for the Ministry of Forests, Environment and Ecology. Any other order that the Honourable Court may deem fit in the interest of justice and equity," the PIL prays.

The petition, filed by advocate Vijay Kumar, said that the Chief Minister has allocated the portfolio of the Ministry of Forests, Environment and Ecology to Singh without considering the fact that there are several criminal faces filed against him by the Ministry.

It said that the allocation of the Ministry of Forests, Environment and Ecology portfolio to Singh is in the conflict of interest.

"The holding of the post of Cabinet minister for the Ministry of Forests, Environment and Ecology is against public interest and completely in conflict of interest as he has business for which the subject Ministry is the overseeing authority and further he will also have access to the case files which again is in conflict of interest," the PIL said.

PIL adds that "it is pertinent and absolutely necessary" to deny the incumbent from accessing files related to his cases and from taking any decisions which may provide him with pecuniary benefits through his businesses.

Bengaluru, Apr 1: Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Wednesday said that 200 people, out of 342 from the state who had attended the religious gathering at Markaz building in Delhi's Nizamuddin area, have been quarantined.

"200 people including four from Bengaluru and five from Belgaum, who participated in Tablighi Jamaat (in Delhi's Nizamuddin), have been quarantined. Total 342 people from Karnataka had attended the event," Sriramulu told reporters here.

The gatherings organised by the Tablighi Jamaat at the Markaz building in Nizamuddin came into the spotlight after multiple coronavirus cases were confirmed amongst those who attended the event held in March.
Twenty-four cases were reported from the national capital alone, apart from Telangana, the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands amongst others.

The minister had earlier said that Bengaluru Urban and Mysuru have been identified among the prime 25 COVID-19 hotspots in the country.
Chikkaballapur, since the last fourteen days, has been emerging as another hotspot, according to Sriramulu.

The total number of coronavirus cases in India has risen to 1,637 after 240 new cases were reported in the country, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on Wednesday.

The total number of active cases rose to 1466 in the country, while 132 people have been cured and discharged after receiving treatment, as of 9 am.

Mangaluru, May 29: The southwest monsoon is expected to reach the Karnataka coast on June 1 or 2, earlier than forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Normally, Karnataka witnesses the onset of monsoon either five or six days after it had entered Kerala. However, this time, Karnataka will also witness the arrival of monsoon either on June 1 or June 2, according to meteorologists at the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Cell (KSNDMC).

The gradual formation of two low-pressure areas over the Arabian Sea located close to the western peninsular coast and gaining momentum has helped Karnataka mark the start of the four-month-long rainy season expected to revive the back-to-back drought-stricken state.

Confirming the changes in the atmospheric pattern, Dr GS Srinivasa Reddy, Director KSNDMC said, “Karnataka will also witness the onset of monsoon on the same time that of Kerala.”

The early onset of monsoon over Karnataka coast is attributed to prevailing to weather pattern over the Arabian Sea. 

“The two low-pressure areas over the Arabian Sea are steadily gaining momentum. They may reach the peak by the weekend and may concentrate further into depression causing widespread rainfall in the peninsular region and thereby advancing the onset of monsoon over the region,” Dr Reddy explained.

The KSNDMC, based on the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, stated that due to 'prevailing favourable conditions over the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean regions', the monsoon will be normal and above normal over coastal and south-interior Karnataka according to the present scenario.

The IMD, which had initially issued a forecast of five-day delay in the onset, had issued a fresh forecast on Wednesday cautioning the states along the West coast about the formation of two intense low-pressure areas in South-East and East-Central Arabian Sea region.

Following the forecast, a yellow alert has also been issued in Kerala and coastal areas suggesting significant rainfall starting from this weekend. “Fishermen have also been advised not to venture into deep-sea due to high turbulent conditions,” an IMD official revealed.