Mangaluru: Sea Hawks achieve Guinness Record for longest open water relay

Bengaluru, Apr 18: Amid fears that people from the unorganised sector are running out of cash to meet their daily expenses, the Karnataka government said there was no data available for such labourers, who can be provided financial assistance under the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme.

"The government does not have data of people in the unorganised sector such as drivers, farmers, domestic help and others. If we have to deposit directly into their account, we need data..," State Labour minister A Shivaram Hebbar told reporters.

The minister said a situation borne out of the COVID-19, where the entire nation has been lockdown was never anticipated.

To him, the pandemic has given an opportunity to gather information about the unorganised sector.

"This COVID-19 has taught the department and the workers a lesson that we should be prepared for a situation like this. We have learnt that all the information about labourers should be available with the labour department," Hebbar conceded.

The minister opined that the department should have had the list during the good times but nobody bothered to have it.

"During the good times nobody bothered about it -- neither they (beneficiaries) asked for it, nor we thought of it.," Hebbar said.

Now that the pandemic has struck, the government is focusing only on not letting anyone starve to death.

A three-level preparation has been made -- at the village level, Taluk level and the city level, the minister said.

Village anganwadis have been stuffed with food items to be cooked for the needy, whereas in Taluk level, government hostels have been turned into shelters for the labourers, he said, noting that lakhs of philanthropists in cities have come forward to feed the people from unorganised sector.

"The basic objective of our government is that no one should starve to death. The issue of organised or unorganised sector comes next," he explained.

On the fear of large-scale retrenchment, the minister said notices have been served on all the industries that no one should be expelled from the job.

However, Hebbar underlined that the industrialists today are as much in distress as the workers and his department was taking into account everyone's concern.

A decision will be taken in this connection by the government in the next two days, to provide assistance to small enterprises to keep them afloat.

Bengaluru, Feb 27: Karnataka Chief Minister and veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa turned 78 on Thursday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of leaders greeting him.

Modi hailed Yediyurappa as a "hardworking" chief minister and wished him long life and good health, while several state leaders flocked to his residence and greeted the Lingayat strongman.

"Birthday greetings to Karnataka's hardworking CM @BSYBJP Ji. He is passionately working for the state's progress, especially on farmer welfare and rural development. I pray for his long life and good health," the Prime Minister tweeted.

A large-scale "non-partisan" birthday bash will be held here later in the evening.

The felicitation function will see Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and former chief minister S M Krishna besides Siddaramaiah of Congress and H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) sharing the stage.

Union Ministers D V Sadananda Gowda, also a former chief minister, Pralhad Joshi and Suresh Angadi will be in attendance.

BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B L Santosh and state party chief Nalin Kumar Kateel are among those who will be gracing the event.

While Santosh will release a felicitation volume in Kannada with 78 articles from a cross-section of people, including politicians, writers, bureaucrats, and spiritual leaders; Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy will unveil a coffee table book and documentary respectively.

Yediyurappa, on the eve of his birthday on Wednesday, had said whatever he has achieved is a result of the people's "blessings and faith" and requested well-wishers not to bring bouquets, flowers, shawls, sweets, turbans or any souvenirs to greet him.

The birthday function organised by "Yediyurappa Abhinandana Samiti" (Yediyurappa Felicitation Committee) is being seen in some quarters as an attempt by Yediyurappa and his loyalists to send a message to the party leadership that he was still "strong".

The BJP's current dispensation under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah has retired several senior party leaders who crossed the age of 75.

However, an exception was said to have been made in Yediyurappa's case after the BJP won 25 of 28 seats in the Lok Sabha election under his leadership.

In the 2018 elections, he spearheaded the campaign of the BJP which emerged as the single largest party but fell short of the majority mark following which Congress and JD(S) came to power stitching a post-poll pact.

However, the coalition collapsed in July last year, paving the way for return of Yediyurappa as Chief Minister for the fourth time.

Mangaluru, Feb 1: Rotary Club of Mangalore city team represented by Rtn. Dr. Ranjan Rao and Rtn. Sumith Rao duo bagged the 14th Annual prestigious Rotary Quiz Trophy by securing 380 points. The Rotary Club of Vijayanagar Mysore represented by  Rtn. H.M. Harish secured 370 points and was declared runners up.

Rotary Club of Mangaluru central as a part of Rotary movement awareness campaign conducted their 14th Annual “Dist. Level Inter Club Rotary Quiz”  contest on Friday 31.01.2020 at Hotel Ocean Pearl Hall, Mangaluru. The Quiz was based exclusively on Rotary related affairs, matters and issues.

Chamarajnagar City based Eminent Pediatrician and Rotary past Dist. Governor Rtn. Dr.R. Nagarajun  graced the occasion as Chief Guest, in is address he lauded the  invaluable contributions of Dr. Rai to the Rotary Movement and congratulated on his achievements.  Later he awarded the Rotary Glittering Trophy, Certificates and Cash prizes of R.3,000 to the Winners and Runners up and congratulated them on their unique achievements.

13 Teams from Mangaluru, Bykampady, Panamburu, Deralaktte, Puttur, Mysore, participated in this contest. Rtn. Dr. Devdas Rai was the Quiz Master and officiated the closely contested  quiz contest. Asst. Governor Zone-2  Rtn. Geethanand Pai was the guest of honour he released the weekly club news bulletin “Centor”. Club President Rtn. Dr. Jayaprakash Poonja presided over the function. Secretary Rtn. K.M. Hegde presented the monthly report. Rtn. Prakash Chandra proposed the vote of thanks.  The event was sponsored by Chairman and Managing Director of Athena Hospital Rtn. Raviraj Shettiyan and Eminent Chartered Accountant C.A. Nithin Shetty.