Karnataka SSLC results to be out in the first week of August: Minister

Bengaluru, Jun 8: The Janata Dal (Secular) on Monday announced that former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has decided to contest the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

"Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has decided to contest the Rajya Sabha elections at the request of our party legislators, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and many other leaders of the country. Tomorrow, he will be filing nomination for the election. Thanks to the former PM for agreeing to everyone's consensus," JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy said.

The elections to fill the vacant 18 Rajya Sabha seats from seven states are scheduled to be held on June 19.

Four Rajya Sabha seats are up for grabs in the state, Congress has already nominated senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge as its candidate.

The ruling BJP will field candidates for two seats.

Kolhapur, May 27: Praising the Muslims of Ichalkaranji town in the Kolhapur district for making invaluable contribution for setting up of a new intensive care unit in Indira Gandhi Memorial (IGM) hospital for treatment of corona infected patients, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has said that with this donation, they have set an ideal example before the country.

While dedicating a 10-bed ICU unit at IGM hospital online from Mumbai, during Eid al Fitr, Mr Thackeray said that by donating Rs 36 lakh for ICU unit at IGM hospital, the Muslim community has set an ideal example before the country as to how to celebrate the festival.

The Muslims of Ichalkaranji made the donation following an appeal by the state government about avoiding unnecessary expenses for celebrating the Eid.

Minister of State for Health Rajendra Patil-Yadravkar, MP Dharysheel Mane, MLAs Prakash Awade and Raju Awale, district collector Daulat Desai, district superintendent of police Dr Abhinav Deshmukh, Zilla Parishad chief executive officer Aman Mittal, district surgeon Dr B C Kempipatil and others were present on the occasion.

Mumbai, Jun 26: In a humanitarian gesture, a mosque in Bhiwandi town of adjoining Thane district has been converted by its administrators into a temporary COVID-19 facility, where oxygen is provided free of cost to patients.

The facility at Makkah Masjid in the Shanti Nagar area of the powerloom town has been set up by the local chapter of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Movement for Peace and Justice and the Shanti Nagar Trust, which runs the mosque.

Apart from putting up five beds equipped with oxygen cylinders, the JIH also delivers them for free to patients homes if required, an office-bearer of the JIH said, adding the makeshift facility is open to all communities.

So far, the Bhiwandi-Nizampur municipality has recorded over 1,332 COVID-19 cases and 88 casualties. It has a mortality rate of 5.26 per cent, a release stated.

"Bhiwandi-Nizampur has been hit hard by the pandemic as it is a congested city. It doesn't even have proper health infrastructure.

"The situation has only worsened during the pandemic as general medical practitioners have shut their clinics fearing the virus spread," said Ausaf Ahmed Falahi, president of the JIH's Bhiwandi chapter.

As a majority of people here lack awareness about the viral disease and are unable to afford treatment, a facility like this one was the need of the hour, he said.

Over 70 persons have benefited from this facility, which has two doctors, while 15 oxygen cylinders have been delivered to the homes of eight COVID-19 patients, Falahi said.

People irrespective of their religion have been availing treatment at the mosque, he added.

"Makkah Masjid has been shut for prayers since the lockdown. So, we decided to use a part of the premises to help those who can't avail treatment elsewhere," said Qaiser Mirza of the Shanti Nagar Trust.