Covid-19: Boat service near Talapady blocked after people cross Kerala border

Mangaluru, Jul 22: City based APD Foundation has mooted the idea of giving state recognition and compensation for ‘Covid Saviors’, namely healthcare workers and civic officials who die in the line of duty in the war against Coronavirus pandemic. This suggestion was formally proposed by Abdullah A. Rehman, Founder & CEO, APD Foundation in a letter addressed to Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minster of India and Shri B. S. Yediyurappa, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka on July 22, 2020.

In the letter Mr. Rehman asserts that COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread devastation in the country and played havoc in the lives of the common man. In this scenario, the healthcare workers, such as doctors, nurses and paramedics along with civic officials have emerged as the saviors of the suffering humanity. They expose themselves to great personal risk while treating Covid patients. Many of them catch infection and a few of them have died. Such persons deserve to be recognized by the government for their supreme sacrifice.

Elaborating the rationale behind the proposal, the letter draws comparisons with practice of soldiers who die on the battlefield being glorified as ‘MARTYRS’. The slain soldiers are decorated posthumously with medals and titles of honour. Their families are provided with generous cash compensation so that the future of their widows, children and parents are safeguarded. They are provided with allotment of land, lucrative business opportunities like petrol pump / gas agency or reservation in government jobs for their spouse and children.

The letter suggests that healthcare workers and civic officials who succumb in the line of duty should also be similarly honoured. “Hence I propose that healthcare workers like doctors, nurses and paramedics who die while treating Covid patients should be recognized as ‘COVID SAVIORS’. Civic officials who are working for the cause should also be included in this scheme. Generous compensation should be paid to their families so that their future welfare is ensured as if they were alive,” Mr. Rehman has written.

The suggestion has been made in the wake of news reports that the Odhisha State Government has announced compensation of Rs. 50 lakhs and state honours for healthcare workers who die on Covid duty. Similarly the French government has announced a major increase in salary to its healthcare workers. In the same manner India too can provide optimum welfare to its health workers and set an example on the world stage.

“Though Covid pandemic is likely to be a temporary phenomenon, there is a need to recognize the service of those who are helping society to overcome this grave crisis. They inspire confidence in the hearts of the common people in the same manner as soldiers in uniform do. Hence I urge you to accept the suggestions made herein and announce the same at the earliest,” Mr. Rehman concludes in his letter.

Copies of the letter have also been sent to Shri Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, Mangalore, Shri D. Vedavyas Kamath, MLA, Mangalore and Smt. Sindhu B. Rupesh, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, DK District for their information and follow up action.

Bengaluru, June 19: Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa''s home-office in the city centre was shut for sanitisation after the husband of a woman employee working there tested COVID-19 positive, an official said on Friday.

"The chief minister''s home-office has been closed for sanitisation after the employee''s husband tested positive for coronavirus," an official of the Chief Minister''s Office told media persons here.

The employee did not report for duty for two days after her husband was infected with the virus.

"The chief minister''s engagements, including an official event involving the state police department were shifted to the Vidhana Soudha (state secretariat)," said the official.

As the employee was on outpost duty, she did not come in contact with the Chief Minister or his cabinet colleagues and other senior officials.

Earlier in the day, the divisional railway manager''s office in the city centre was shut for sanitisation after a visiting employee tested positive for coronavirus.

"The three-floor DRM office has been closed for the day for santisation and all employees have been advised to work from home as one of our staffer who visited the office early this week tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday," senior Divisional Commercial Manager Krishna Reddy told media persons here.

The DRM''s office is located adjacent to the Krantivira Sangoli Rayanna (KSR) main railway station in the city centre.

The state''s mini secretariat Vikas Soudha adjacent to the iconic Vidhana Soudha in the city centre has also been shut for sanitisation after a government employee working in it tested COVID positive.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), entrusted with the task of containing the virus spread, has already sanitised a portion of the massive building in the city centre.

After an employee of the food and civil supplies department tested positive, all offices on the ground floor of the mini-secretariat were sealed and sanitised.

The city registered 17 fresh cases on Thursday, taking the total number of positive cases to 844. With 14 discharged earlier in the day, 384 have been cured of the infection, while 408 are under treatment.

Of the 114 COVID deaths across the southern state since March 10, Bengaluru has accounted for 51 till date.

Bengaluru, Jan 17: Six persons, said to be supporters of Social Democratic Party of India, have been arrested in connection alleged attempt to murder a member of RSS in Bengaluru.

Varun Bhopala (34), a resident of Sarakki in JP Nagar, was attacked while he was on his way to his father's shop near JC Road after attending a pro-CAA event organised by the RSS and other Hindutva organisations on December 22, 2019.

Police commissioner Bhaskar Rao said the arrested are Irfan alias Mohammed Irfan (33), Syed Akbar alias Mechanic Akbar (46), Syed Siddiq Akbar (30), Akbar Basha (27), Sanaulla Sharif (28) and Sadiq UL Ameen (39) - all residents of KG Halli in East and North Bengaluru.

Rao said the arrested wanted to attack and kill the leaders who took part in the pro-CAA event. They initially pelted seven stones to scatter the crowd so that they can attack the leaders, but they failed. Later, they saw Varun walking out of the crowd wearing a saffron shirt. So the arrested followed him and attacked him with lethal weapons. Assuming he is dead, the gang fled on their bikes towards Bidadi.

''The SDPI activists were funded by their leaders to create a disturbance, kill Hindu organisation leaders,'' Rao said. "I have formed a special team to investigate in-depth about the SDPI activities and take necessary action,'' he added.