Crack down on communal groups, CM directs police

Chikkamagaluru, Jul 22: Nine staff of the Anti Naxal Force (ANF) in Koppa in the district were tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday.

Health officials said that these people don’t have any contacts outside as they were in the forest buffer zone. Now efforts were being made to find out how they contacted the Coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the Kalsa police station has been sealed down after four of its personnel tested positive.

Udupi, Feb 26: Thirty senior folk artistes, one from each district across the state, and two folk experts will be presented the ''Karnataka Janapada Academy'' Awards for 2019-20.

Announcing the names of the award winners here on Wednesday, Academy Chairperson Manjamma Jogathi said that while the artistes will get a purse of Rs 25,000 and a citation, the folk experts will be awarded Rs 50,000 and a citation.

The awardees are M Gowramma (Folk singing – Bengaluru Urban), Lakshamma (Bengaluru Rural – Bhajan), Ankanahalli Shivanna (Ramnagaram –Pooja Kunitha), Angadi Venkatesheppa (Kolar-Tatvapada), Rangaiah (Thumkuru-Folk Singing), P G Parameshwarappa (Davangere-Veeragase), Tippanna (Chitradurga – Goravara Kunita), Munireddy (Chikkaballapura-Folk Song), G C Manjappa (Shivamogga – Dollu Kunitha), Mada Shetty (Mysore – Kamsale Kunita), Swami Gowda (Beesuva Padagalu – Mandya), Gowramma (Chamarajnagar –Sobane Pada), J K Ramu (Kodagu-Kodavara Kunitha), Kapini Gowda (Hassan – Kolata), Dr H C Eshwarnayaka (Chikkamagalur-Nati Vaidhya), Sadhu Panara (Udupi-Bhootha Kola), Rukmaiah Gowda (Dakshina Kannada – Siddavesha), Sankamma (Belagavi –Sampradaya Pada), Rukmini Mallappa Haranala (Bagalkote-Wedding folk Song), Mallaiah Rachaiah Thotagunte (Dharawad-Folk Song), Hanumanthappa Dharwad (Haveri –Bhajane Kolata), Nagaraj Jakkammanavar (Gadag – Gigi Pada), Nimbevva Kenchappa Gubbi (Vijayapura-Sobane Pada), Hussainabi Budensaab Siddi (Uttarkannada-Siddi Damami Dance), Gangadara Swami Aggi Mata (Kalburgi – Puruvanthike), Tulasi Rama Bhimarao Suthara (Bidar-Folk Song), Shanthavva Ganda Lachamappa Lamani (Koppal – Lamani Dance), Soogappa Nagappa (Raichur – Tatvapada), Veshagara Mothi Ramanna (Ballari-Hagalu Vesha), Shivamoorthy Thanikedara (Yadagir – Gigi Pada).

Managluru, May 13: Expressing regret over the inconvenience faced by the first batch of passengers from UAE that landed at Mangaluru International Airport last night, Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, deputy chief minister of Karnataka, today assured that all short comings will be addressed.

Addressing Kannadiga delegates from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and other countries through a video conference, Dr Narayan also assured that necessary steps will be taken by the Karnataka government to provide free quarantine facility for those who cannot afford private quarantine in hotels or guest houses. The video conference was organised by coastaldigest.com.

"The incontinence faced by passengers from Dubai at Mangaluru Airport have already been brought to my notice. All these shortcomings will be addressed. We will take appropriate steps to prevent the recurrence of such inconveniences," he said.

He said that the Karnataka government has already amended its standard operating procedure for international passengers to allow pregnant women to entre home quarantine if they test negative for covid-19. 

The problems faced by passengers at Mangaluru Airport last night include lack of staff to handle luggagues, lack of food and water, delay in arranging vehicle to transport passengers to quarantine centres and lack of free quarantine facility for those who cannot afford private quarantine facility. The next batch of repatriates will not face these problems, he said. 

Dr Narayan also promised to exert pressur on the union governmment to operate more flights to repatriate stranded Indians, especially Kannadigas from Saudi Arabia.

Prominent NRI commnity leaders Zakariya Jokatte, Naveen Bandary, Joy Fernandes, Shathosh Shetty Riyadh, Althaf Saqco, Shiekh Expertise and others participated in the video confernce.