It's difficult for a Vokkaliga to become CM: Deve Gowda

DHNS
September 3, 2017

Bengaluru, Sep 3: JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda on Saturday said it is difficult for a Vokkaliga to become the chief minister because members of the community are treated as second-class citizens.

Gowda made these remarks at the silver jubilee celebration of the Krishik Sarvodaya Foundation, where he shared the stage with Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, BJP leader R Ashoka and Adichunchanagiri Mutt seer Nirmalanandanatha Swami.

“Shivakumar, Ashoka or Kumaraswamy (state JD-S president) - let any of them become chief minister if it is in their fate. But it is not easy. I am saying this from personal experience. They won’t let us become first-class citizens,” Gowda said, implicitly suggesting to Shivakumar, also a Vokkaliga, that he will not have it easy in the Congress. Shivakumar was seen smiling with folded hands through Gowda’s remarks.

“When I launched some schemes, other communities branded me as pro-Vokkaliga. I have faced this punishment throughout my political career. Now, I am in the last leg of my life and I am pondering on the direction in which the Vokkaliga community is headed. I am concerned about two crore people living in the Cauvery belt. I don’t know if the Cauvery problem will be resolved. But let us try together,” Gowda said.

Praising the former prime minister, Shivakumar said Gowda had suffered much in his 50-year political life. “I have been in politics for 30 years and have suffered many wounds,” he said. “But I can’t afford to be as open as Gowda.”

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July 28,2020

Bengaluru, July 28: Former prime minister and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda today threatened to launch a state-wide agitation in against the amendments made to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act.

Gowda’s opposition to the new law comes even as Congress leader Siddaramaiah is also doggedly pursuing it.

Demanding that the state government immediately rollback the ordinance empowering these amendments, the octogenarian leader said he personally would take to streets if the government failed to budge.

The B S Yediyurappa government has liberalised the land reforms law by removing restrictions on non-agriculturists from purchasing and owning farm lands.

The government has also amended the APMC Act and has tweaked labour laws, which are all “against the interest of the state and must be rolled back,” Gowda said.

Speaking to reporters here, Gowda stated that he had already written thrice to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa in this regard. "The ordinances have to be taken back. The amendments to Karnataka Land Reforms Act, by repealing sections 79-A, B and C, is an anti-farmer move. The APMC Act amendment, too, is against the interest of the state. The government has failed to speak about the impact of these amendments," said Gowda, who is now a Rajya Sabha member.

Elaborating on the amendment to the Land Reform Act, the JD(S) patriarch opined that by throwing open agricultural land ownership to anybody at all, the government was only helping real estate developers while pushing farmers into a “vulnerable” situation.

Amidst all this, there are now reports of funds misappropriation in Covid-19 relief measures and in procurement of medical equipment, he said, adding that it seemed like only the corrupt became stronger over time.

Further, Gowda lambasted both national parties for creating political unrest, referring to the ongoing political crisis in Rajasthan and the recent developments in Madhya Pradesh. However, he added that he would not wish to dwell on it much, while emphasising that his focus was primarily on strengthening his own party at this point in time.

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News Network
April 26,2020

New Delhi, Apr 26: The Centre will bring back the Indian citizens stranded abroad due to the ban on arrival of international passenger aircraft, only if the respective states they belong to agree to allow them to come back home and make necessary arrangements to quarantine them after their return.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has started consultations with the State Governments on bringing back the Indians, who got stranded in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada and many other foreign countries due to the ban on arrival of international passenger aircraft to any airport in the country. The decision on facilitating their return to the country would be taken after getting feedback on preparedness of the States and the Union Territory to receive them following all required health precautions, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba said.

Gauba on Saturday had a video-conference with the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories to review the implementation of the restrictions on travel and transport as well as the lockdown imposed across the country to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though the Government earlier either evacuated or facilitated the return of nearly 28000 Indians from a number of foreign countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, it almost stopped doing so after the ban on arrival of international passenger aircraft was enforced on March 23 in the wake of the spurt in the number of COVID-19 cases in India.

Thousands of Indian students, tourists, professionals and others are stranded around the world, including in the countries, where respective governments had imposed lockdowns to contain the pandemic. They have been desperately requesting the government on social media to evacuate them.

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News Network
April 25,2020

Mangaluru, Apr 25: The Kasturba medical college hospital at Manipal in Udupi district has decided to resume normal outpatient department services for all specialities from Monday.

In a release, hospital medical superintendent Avinash Shetty said the services will be made available from 8.30 am to 1 pm.

The services had been suspended in view of the nationwide lockdown.

Those visiting the hospital should visit the temporary screening kiosk set up outside the hospital, from where they will be shifted to the respective departments.

Mask is essential for all patients and their attenders.

Only one attender is allowed along with a patient.

Doctor's consultation through telemedicine service is also available from 9 am to 4 pm.

Trauma and emergency services will function as usual, the release said.

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