GoAir accused of denying ticket for speaking Kannada

News Network
September 29, 2017

Bengaluru, Sept 29: The Kannada Development Authority has issued a notice to GoAir, accusing it of denying a ticket to a passenger, who has charged the airline with harassing him for speaking in Kannada at the Kempegowda International Airport.

Balaji Narayana Murthy was among 14 passengers who arrived at the check-in counter of GoAir for their 5.45 am flight to Mumbai on Wednesday. “We were five minutes late to the airport as overnight rain had resulted in slow-moving traffic. In fact, it took us more than 30 minutes from the Trumpet Flyover to the KIA. We explained the delay to a staff and sought help to board the next flight,” Murthy said.

As the staff was not forthcoming even after half an hour, the 14 passengers decided to speak to the manager, who assured them alternative tickets. “When we were at the manager’s counter, I was speaking in Kannada to another passenger. A staffer with GoAir shouted that I can’t speak in Kannada at the airport,” Murthy said.

Murthy said the staffer named Sandeep later issued tickets to 13 passengers but left him out.

“When I asked for my ticket, Sandeep told me I won’t get the ticket as I was speaking in my language. Despite repeated pleas, he refused to help. It was a refundable ticket. Finally, I asked him for a refund which he declined stating that I came beyond the stipulated time. I asked him for a written explanation but it was not given. I felt humiliated but couldn’t do anything,” he added.

‘Swift action must’

Murthy spent Rs 9,000 to buy another ticket for Mumbai. “I sent a mail to GoAir customer care at 7 pm explaining my plight in detail. Till now, I have not received even a reply,” he said.

KDA chief S G Siddaramaiah has written to GoAir seeking action against the staff and an explanation before October 10. 

“I urge you to remove your staff and provide an explanation for the incident. On October 10, I will visit Kempegowda International Airport to review implementation of Kannada. I request you to submit a report explaining the action taken against the staffer concerned,” the letter says.

Noting that no person or organisation has the authority to ask a passenger to stop speaking in their local language, the letter states that it is objectionable to know that a staffer of a responsible organisation has behaved in such a way.

“It is the primary responsibility of all organisations working in Karnataka to respect the language and culture of the land. We need to see whether organisations like GoAir that forget the responsibility can be allowed to function in Karnataka. We need to communicate that Karnataka does not need organisations that do not respect its language,” S G Siddaramaiah has said.

Comments

prakash
 - 
Sunday, 1 Oct 2017

Sandeep looks like a third class person  he should be sacked from the duty immediately before he hurt anybody else, a proper leagal action should be taken against him for the insult he did.

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Agencies
June 20,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 20: A 56-year-old head constable, who had tested positive for the coronavirus infection a couple of days ago and was undergoing treatment, died on Saturday, police said.

The deceased, attached to the Kalasipalya police station, was being treated at Victoria Hospital here, they said.

This the second death of a policeman in the state due to COVID-19. The first one was an assistant sub-inspector attached to the V V Puram traffic police station.

Officials said the deceased constable was among nine others who had tested positive for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, an ASI with the Wilson Garden traffic police station here has also reportedly tested positive. According to sources, the ASI is undergoing treatment at a designated hospital and the station has been sanitised. His contacts are being quarantined. 

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coastaldigest.com web desk
July 25,2020

Bengaluru, July 25: A 105-year-old person from Bengaluru’s Basaveshwar Nagar, who was under treatment for covid-19 at a hospital for past five days, breathed his last today. He was a former government account who retired in 1973. He was the oldest known covid-19 patient in the state so far.

Many members of the patient's family are said to be infected and are hospitalised at various facilities. The funeral will be overseen by two uninfected family members.

The patient 74411 died on Saturday morning at around 9 a.m., said Dr Prasanna, Managing Director of Pristine Hospital And Research Centre where the former was admitted.

“The patient was initially doing well when he admitted on July 20. He did not have significant lung changes when he was admitted. However, after three days, his blood pressure started to drop so he was put on oxygen in the ICU. Yesterday morning, with continued deterioration, he was placed on non-invasive ventilator support,” Dr Prasanna said.

“Finally, by last night, his oxygen saturation levels began to plummet abruptly and we had to intubate him for ventilator support. His condition continued to deteriorate, however. The cause of death was respiratory failure and the onset of sepsis,” he added.

Although earmarked for supplies of Remdesivir by the government, the hospital did not receive the drugs. An appeal to Dr K Sudhakar, Minister of Medical Education by the hospital staff resulted in an assurance that the medication would arrive. “However, in the end, we had to source the medication ourselves on Friday,” medical staff said.

Dr Thrilok Chandra, Head, Critical Care Support Unit (CCSU), which oversees the care of critical or vulnerable-aged Covid-19 patients, had said that Patient 74411 had been diagnosed early. “He was identified when the disease was still in the early stages in his body. He only had symptoms of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI), so the symptoms were not severe,” Dr Chandra had said.

“It’s very sad. We were rooting for him to pull through. He had no comorbidities at all. He had been bed-ridden from last year, but he was healthy. His only potential comorbidity was his advanced age,” Dr Prasanna said.

According to government data, 34% of Covid-19 fatalities in India are aged between 60 and 74 years of age. Fourteen per cent are aged above 74.

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News Network
July 19,2020

Mysuru, Jul 19: Residents in the vicinity of the Chamundeshwari temple alleged VVIP racism against the administration for allowing BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje for a special visit there on Friday.

Even though the district collector had ordered the closure of temple visits due to the COVID pandemic, an exception was made for VVIPs.
The BJP leader claimed that she visited the temple on Thursday evening but the temple officials confirmed that she visited the temple on Friday at 7 am. It is her routine every year to visit the temple on the last Friday of Ashada Masa.

Locals, who tried get darshan of Chamundi Devi, were barred by the police leading to an altercation between locals and cops at the entrance to the temple.

Ashada Masa is considered an auspicious occasion and it is a belief among politicians that for the longevity of their political career, they need to visit Chamundeshwari temple every last Friday of Ashada Masa.

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