Facebook post comparing Kalladka Bhat to an aged terrorist sparks row; cops warn of action

Bengaluru, Apr 8: A 65-year-old man from Kalaburagi district became the fifth COVID-19 fatality in Karnataka, where six new positive cases were confirmed, pushing the tally in the state to 181, the health department said on Wednesday.

The man with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), died at a designated hospital in Kalaburagi on Tuesday, a day after being shifted from a private hospital where he was initially treated for two days.

"On April 4, he had got admitted to a private hospital, on April 6 he was shifted to ESI hospital, where he passed away," Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar told reporters here.

The private hospital had been locked and its entire medical team quarantined, he said, adding a notice had been served on it for act of "criminal negligence" (by not referring the patient to designated hospital) and will be followed with a police case.

"He was suffering from SARI, on collecting his sample, tests have revealed that he was positive....investigation is on to find how he got infected," the Minister said.

Noting that the hospital in this case did not refer the patient to the designated hospital and kept treating him for two days, he appealed to all private healthcare facilities to inform authorities if anyone showed any indications for COVID-19.

"As of 5 PM on April 8, cumulatively 181 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, it includes 5 deaths and 28 discharges," the health department said in a bulletin.

Out of the positive cases, 71 are those who had come back from foreign countries, while remaining 110 are contacts and those who had gone to Delhi, the Minister said.

Kumar also said an expert committee comprising Narayana Health founder-chairman Dr Devi Prasad Shetty and Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences director Dr C N Manjunath among others, constitutedto devise an exit strategy for the lockdown, has submitted its reports with various recommendations to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

The chief minister and officials were examining it which was likely to come up before the cabinet meeting on Thursday after which the details will be shared, he added.

The health department said the six fresh cases reported on Wednesday included the elderly man from Kalaburagi who died.

Among the positive cases are a woman from Uttara Kannada with history of SARI and contact of a Dubai returnee, a 72- year-old woman from Kalaburagi, who is mother of a patient that tested positive for the disease; a man from Mandya with contact to two patients.

Others include a man from Chikkaballapura with travel history to Delhi and a woman from Bengaluru also with a travel history to the national capital.

Contact tracing is in progress for all the cases, the bulletin added.

The department said out of 148 active cases in the state, 146 COVID-19 positive patients (including 1 pregnant woman) are in isolation at designated hospitals are stable and two in ICU (one each on oxygen and ventilators).

It said out of total 181 cases in the state, six are transit passengers of Kerala.

Bengaluru accounted for the highest in the state with 63 cases, followed by Mysuru (35), Dakshina Kannada (12) Bidar (ten), Uttara Kannada and Kalaburagi (9 each), Chikkaballapur (8) Belagavi (7), Ballari (6), Bagalkote (5), Mandya (4) Davangere, Bengaluru Rural and Udupi (three each), and Kodagu, Tumakuru, Gadag and Dharwad one each.

Those discharged include 16 from Bengaluru, four from Dakshina Kannada, two each from Uttara Kannada, Kalaburagi and Davangere, and one from Bengaluru Rural; while among those dead are two from Kalaburgari and one each are reported from Bengaluru, Bagalkote and Tumakuru.

Bengalur, May 15: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan on Friday said that stern action will be taken against the persons responsible for organising the village temple fair in Ramanagara district.

"Stern action will be taken against the person responsible for organising the festival. This should not have happened," the Deputy CM said.

Flouting all social distancing norms, people had gathered in large numbers for a temple fair in Kolagondanahalli village of Ramanagara. People were even not wearing masks.

They had taken permission for gathering from Panchayat Development Officer NC Kalmatt.

Kalmatt has been suspended by Ramanagara Deputy Commissioner following a report by the Tehsildar.

Meanwhile, 45 more COVID-19 cases have been reported from Karnataka, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 1,032 on Friday, according to the state Health Department.

Bengaluru, July 17: The government of Karnataka has decided to issue caste and income certificates to Brahmins in the state to reduce the socio-economic inequality faced by the community.

“A notification has been issued to tehsildars in all 30 districts to issue caste and income certificates to Brahmins so that they can also benefit from the government schemes and scholarships,” a Revenue Department official told said.

The notification comes a month after the Karnataka State Brahmin Development Board on June 10 appealed to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to issue the certificates to the traditionally dominant community, which accounts for 3 per cent of the 7 crore state population.

“Though Brahmins are in ‘minority’ in terms of their population across the state, they need caste and income certificates to benefit from the welfare schemes meant for the economic weaker sections such as SC, ST and OBC groups,” the official said.

The board was set up in March 2019 as a state-run company with Rs 5 crore authorised capital and Rs 5 crore equity and is registered with the Registrar of Companies.

The notification was issued to the local bodies and taluk offices after several members of the community complained to state Revenue Minister R. Ashoka that they were unable to benefit from the welfare schemes in the absence of the certificates.

The certificates will also help students from the community to avail scholarships for higher studies from the state-funded board if their gross annual family income is less than Rs 8 lakh per year.

The board has also urged the state government to implement the 10 per cent quota for its community members under the economically weaker sections, as applicable for Central government jobs and admissions to central institutions.

Noting that every community has people who are forward and backward economically for various reasons, including historical, the official said the board would be empowered to serve the Brahmins.

“The board will provide interest-free loans to the financially weaker sections of the community,” said its Chairman H.S. Sachidananda Murthy.