Car driven by woman jumps divider, kills bike-borne PU student

Bengaluru, Apr 11: The coronavirus-driven lockdown will continue for another 15 days, but relaxations will be allowed in a graded manner, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said after a four-hour-long video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

“Agriculture and industrial sectors will be given relaxation. Government offices will be allowed to work with partial strength. But the PM said detailed guidelines will be issued in two days,” Yediyurappa said, briefing reporters. 

“Importantly, the lockdown for the next two weeks will be different than how it was in the past three weeks. The Centre, keeping in mind economic activities, especially agriculture, industry and employment of labourers, the Centre will tell us what needs to be done,” the CM said.
 
According to Yediyurappa, PM Modi told all chief ministers that the next 2-3 weeks will be critical. “The next few weeks will decide whether or not we have succeeded. If the situation worsens, we have to face the crisis,” Yediyurappa said, quoting Modi. 

Apparently, Modi sought details on the COVID-19 situation from 12-13 states where the situation is grave. “He did not take a report from Karnataka,” Yediyurappa said. “This morning, seven new cases were reported in the state, taking our tally to 214. Nationally, we were in the third place; we’re now 11th,” he said, hailing the efforts of officials involved in fighting the pandemic. 

The CM said it was “inevitable” to continue the lockdown for another 15 days. “But for citizens to get essential supplies, there’s no bar on them going by walk alone. Also, we will see to it that agricultural activities are not affected anywhere,” Yediyurappa said.

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 7: Making a scathing attack on the Central government, Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac on Friday said the BJP-led NDA government was "strangulating" the southern state by denying funds.

Presenting the 2020-21 budget of the Pinarayi Vijayan led-LDF government, he alleged the centre has been "helping" corporates rather that the common man.

"The Centre has been strangulating Kerala by denying funds for the state and has been moving on a self-destructive path by corporate-friendly policies and privatisation. The GST implementation has not been beneficial for the state," he said.

"The government proposes 2.5 lakh water connections in the upcoming financial year. We will also construct one lakh houses under Life Mission," the finance minister said.

The budget has allocated Rs 90 crore for Pravasi Welfare Fund and the government proposes power projects with a capacity of 500 MW.

"The government proposes Kochi development plan with a fund of Rs 6,000 crore. The city will get an unified travel card and Metro project will be extended," Issac said.

The state government has increased all welfare pension funds by Rs 100, allotted Rs 40 crore to paddy farmers and Rs 10 crore for startups in the state.

The local self-governments have been allotted Rs five crore for waste management, Rs 20 crore has been set apart for 1,000 food stalls under hunger-free Kerala, where meals will be made available at Rs 25. 

Bengaluru, Apr 28: A local court in Karnataka on Tuesday granted bail to a CRPF commando who was arrested by state police officials for alleged assault on them during COVID-19 lockdown duty, a charge contested strongly by the paramilitary.

The jawan has been taken to the jungle warfare training school of the paramilitary force in Belagavi district, a senior official said.

Constable Sachin Savant of the 207th CoBRA battalion was granted regular bail by a court located in Chikodi taluka of the district, he said.

A team of CRPF and CoBRA officials were present in the court during the proceeding during which the state police did not oppose the bail, the official said.

The commando was arrested by police on April 23 from Examba village (Belagavi district) when he was washing his bike outside his house without wearing a mask, as required under the coronavirus prevention protocol.

An altercation and physical fight took place between the two sides, following which the trooper was taken to the local police station and arrested.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had on Monday taken up the case with the Karnataka director general of police (DGP), calling the incident "unpleasant".

The CRPF letter said commando Savant was "manhandled, ill-treated, paraded to the police station barefooted, kept in chains and handcuffs" by police personnel and sought the intervention of state Director General of Police Praveen Sood.

The paramilitary had said that from the scrutiny of a viral video on social media of the incident "it is apparent that the conduct of the police personnel was not citizen-centric".

A police report had said the CoBRA commando "started the altercation" with the beat constable and another policeman accompanying him, and "assaulted" them.

As per the official Twitter handle of the Karnataka DGP's on Monday evening, "IGP (inspector-general of police) Belagavi has been asked to enquire into the incident involving the CRPF constable and action will be taken against guilty after receipt of the report".

The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) unit of the CRPF specialises in guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare.