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Udupi, Apr 25: Senior RSS leader H Somashekhar Bhatt received a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday enquiring about his health.

Bhatt got emotional hearing the Prime Minister's voice at the other end, family sources said.

The Prime Minister called at 8.30 AM and began the conversation with 'Somashekharji' and spoke for about six minutes.

The 85-year-old veteran recalled how the Jana Sangh came to power in Udupi municipality under the leadership of V S Acharya in 1968 and about his association with the Sangh Parivar through the decades and his imprisonment during the Emergency.

Bhatt, former Udupi municipality president, later said it was a rare honour for him.

"I am very glad that PM Modi called and spoke to me. I shared the experience of meeting him at the Jaipur session.

Asked to take care of health and expressed concern," he said.

The Prime Minister has been calling senior functionaries of the party who worked for the Sangh Parivar in the time of adversities to build up the BJP in its present form and seeking advice from them.

He had also called in recent days former MLA Ram Bhat who was elected from Puttur in Dakshina Kannada and D H Shankar Murthy, who was former chairman of the state legislative council, BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel tweeted.

Bengaluru, Jun 23: In an attempt to avoid exploitation of patients affected with coronavirus, the Karnataka government on Tuesday announced fixing charges that could be collected from patients by the private hospitals for treatment in the State.

There are now two sets of rates for patients--those who are referred by public health facilities and those who approach private hospitals directly.

According to the notification issued by State Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar on Tuesday, 50 per cent of the total beds in private hospitals having facilities to treat Covid-19 patients shall be reserved for the treatment of patients referred by public health authorities.

This will include the high-dependency unit and ICU (intensive care unit) beds both with and without ventilators. The hospitals may utilise the remaining Covid beds for admitting Covid-19 patients privately.

Mangaluru, Jan 26: Minister for Muzrai, Inland Water Transport, Port and Fisheries Kota Srinivas Poojary in his Republic Day address praised the Dakshina Kannada district and Mangaluru city units of Karnataka police.

Poojary, also district in-charge minister, was speaking after unfurling the National flag as a part of 71st Republic Day celebrations held at Nehru Maidan in the city on Sunday.

He said that the police department had been successful in tackling the challenges posed by anti-social elements to the law and order situation from time to time.

He also lauded the police department for effectively handling the recent bomb threat incident at Mangalore International Airport.

He said, the state government is committed to protect the welfare of the oppressed and backward classes, minority, women, farmers, differently abled and the elderly.

“People from all these sections are guaranteed government benefits in one way or the other,’’ the minister said and called upon the people to strive towards social harmony and to help the departments concerned in keeping anti-social elements away.

The state government will release its share of Rs 4,000 to the farmers under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana, to which Central government has credited Rs 6,000 per eligible farmer. As many as 1,33,247 farmers are benefited by the scheme in the district, the minister said.

Stating that the coastal region of Karnataka has been placed in the ninth position in the country in fisheries, Poojary said that the coastal line of Karnataka, comprising backwaters and inland water, houses immense resource for fishes.

“Thrust will be laid on boat tourism and development of ports in the coastal districts,’’ he said.

The minister, meanwhile, said that the state government had implemented various programmes for the development of fishermen community.

“Loans to the tune of Rs 60.54 crore availed by 23,000 women belonging to fishing community will be waived. Diesel subsidies amounting to Rs 28.09 crore has been transferred to the bank accounts of owners of 954 mechanized boats during the year 2019-20. As many as 2,500 houses have been sanctioned under Matsyashraya scheme,’’ Poojary said.

Dakshina Kannada district has incurred a loss of Rs 893 crore during the recent floods. Financial assistance has been extended to 1,914 families affected by the floods to buy essential commodities, he said.

Services recognised

The minister thanked the Central government for announcing Padma Vibhushan awards to late Vishwesha Theertha Swami and George Fernandez and Padma Shri award to Harekala Hajabba.

‘’The selfless services to the nation by these stalwarts have been recognised,’’ he said. Educationist Harekala Hajabba was felicitated on the occasion.

Zilla Panchayat President Meenakshi Shanthigodu, MLAs D Vedavyas Kamath, Dr Y Bharat Shetty and U T Khader, MLCs Ivan D’Souza and S L Bhoje Gowda were present. Various troupes conducted march past on the occasion. Schoolchildren took part in cultural programmes.