Protest against temple rape turns violent; saffron groups stage counter protest; Simha blames SDPI

Bengaluru, Jul 16: Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday said he would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi for more relaxations, as he made it clear that Covid-19 lockdown measures were not required in the state anymore.

"The lockdown is not required for Karnataka, we will request for more relaxations," Yediyurappa said in response to a question about video conferencing with the Prime Minister.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "I will request him (PM) to make way for- people to lead a normal life and for the improvement in the economic situation."

Several services such as metro, theatres, gyms, swimming pools, bars among others continue to remain restricted under unlock 1.0 that is currently in place.

Modi is scheduled to hold a video conference with chief ministers of various states on Tuesday and Wednesday. Yediyurappa is scheduled to take part in the video conferencing on Wednesday.

The chief minister, who took part in the special pooja organised at Shankar Math here to pray for the control of Covid-19, said, the government was making all efforts to control the spread.

"We are taking strong measures and all of us should fight this together," he said, as he highlighted that the government has released the financial assistance amount that was announced for farmers, and was ensuring that it reaches them.

Mangaluru, Apr 22: A staff working at the office of Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner was sent to quarantine as a precautionary measure here in the city on Wednesday.

The staff reportedly is a distant relative of a woman (native of Bantwal) who recently died due to killer Corona Virus in Wenlock Hospital, prompting the DC office to send the staff for 14-day quarantine.

According to the reports the staff had met the Doctor who was treating the woman and had inquired about her health condition on April 18.

However the staff did not meet the woman when she was in hospital as she was being treated in the ICU.

Shivamogga, Jun 30: The organic farmers' market in Shivamogga in Karnataka has seen a rise in the demand for organic fruits and vegetables in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residents of nearby areas frequently visit the market to get fresh produce.

According to Sridhar, a farmer who sells his produce in the market, the demand for organic fruits and vegetables was very low before the coronavirus outbreak.

"I have been involved in organic farming for the last two decades but there was no real market. Since these days everyone is trying to boost their immunity, we are getting a lot of positive response from the locals," he told news agency.

Sridhar and other farmers come from villages near the city. They are authentic organic farmers under the Vikas Trust and Savayava Krishi Parivar, a federation of organic farmer's families based in Karnataka, and they promote pesticide and fertiliser free agriculture.

Gurumel Singh, who often comes to the local market said, "My family has started eating more organic fruits and vegetable now because of the pandemic. We have been told it is important to take care of our health and organic fruits and vegetables are good immunity boosters. The fruits I buy from the organic market are also much sweeter than the ones I get elsewhere."