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Bengaluru, Jan 14: Days after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) capped to Rs 35,000 the withdrawal limit of Sri Guru Raghavendra Co-operative Bank, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Monday reassured account holders and said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was personally monitoring the issue.

Taking to Twitter, Surya said, "I want to assure all depositors of Sri Guru Raghavendra Co-operative Bank to not panic. Hon'ble Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is appraised of matter and is personally monitoring the issue. She has assured the government will protect interests of depositors. Grateful for her concern."

The Bengaluru South MP also attached a letter in his tweet where he had appraised Sitharaman of the situation.

"Finance Minister, after speaking with the RBI governor and other authorities concerned, assured Surya that the government will do everything in its capacity to protect the interests of the depositors and the long term interests of the bank," the letter read.

It said that Surya also reached out to Sitharaman "three times on January 13" after which she reassured him that the "depositors need not panic".

RBI had, on January 10, imposed certain restrictions on Sri Gururaghavendra Sahakara Bank Niyamitha.

"In particular, a sum not exceeding Rs 35,000 of the total balance in every savings bank or current account or any other deposit account may be allowed to be withdrawn subject to conditions stated in the above RBI directions," the notification said.

The regulatory body said that the bank will continue to undertake banking business with restrictions until its financial position improves.

"These directions shall remain in force for a period of six months from the close of business of January 10 and are subject to review," it said.

The bank has been restricted from granting or renewing any loans and advances, make any investment, incur any liability including borrowal of funds and acceptance of fresh deposits, disburse or agree to disburse any payment whether in discharge of its liabilities and obligations or otherwise, enter into any compromise or arrangement and sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of its properties or assets except.

Bengaluru, Apr 28: Providing respite, Karnataka has decided to ‘conditionally’ allow economic activities to restart in green zones.

The green zones of Chamarajanagar, Koppal, Chikkamagaluru, Raichur, Chitradurga, Ramanagara, Hassan, Shivamogga, Haveri, Yadgir, Kolar, Davangere, Udupi and Kodagu will now see shops and industrial activities starting operations, according to an order issued by Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar on Tuesday.

Lockdown restrictions in the wake of COVID-19 will continue in Bengaluru Urban, Belagavi, Mysuru, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Kalaburagi, Bidar and Dakshina Kannada. Here, only essential services and supplies will be allowed.

In green zones, all shops that include neighbourhood shops, standalone shops, shops in residential complexes within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities can open with 50 per cent manpower but with masks and social distancing mandatory.

Shops in residential and marketing complexes are allowed to open in areas located outside municipal limits, the order states.

Multi-brand and single-brand malls will remain shut across Karnataka.

Industries operating in rural areas of these green zones (except Ramanagara) have been allowed to start. Also, manufacturing and other industrial establishments with access control in special economic zones and export-oriented units, industrial estates and industrial townships will be allowed to operate.

“These establishments shall make arrangements for stay of workers within their premises as far as possible and/ or adjacent buildings. The transportation of workers to workplace shall be arranged by the employers in dedicated transport by ensuring social distancing (sic),” Bhaskar said in the order.

This order comes a day after Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa participated in a video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and with all deputy commissioners.

No decision on relaxing lockdown restrictions has been taken for Ballari, Mandya, Bengaluru Rural, Gadag, Tumakuru, Chikkaballapur, Uttara Kannada and Dharwad. “The decision regarding opening of shops and industries in taluks where there are no active COVID-19 cases will be taken by the concerned district in-charge minister,” Bhaskar said.

Bengaluru, Mar 15: The Karnataka government on Saturday said it would advice IT companies to allow employees to work from home as most coronavirus  affected patients or their relatives were from this sector.

"If anybody (IT companies) asks (employees to work in the office),I will speak to them through the deputy chief minister so that they take steps to issue a definite order. We have very clearly said, Stay Home, stay safe," medical education minister Dr K Sudhakar said. He recalled that the chief minister himself had issued a strict advisory to allow employees work from home.

The minister said the IT sector understands the gravity of the situation because they are educated, have travelled abroad and have more exposure to information world. "No action," he said to a question on what action would be taken against companies who do not follow the instructions.

"There is no action to be taken. We have not promulgated any law. It should be a kind of a cohesive approach from the government and the responsible citizen," he said.

The minister said he had also acted on the advice of Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murty, who had told him that all areas where public and students gather, including malls, theatres, schools and colleges, should be closed.

Sudhakar claimed that the woman whose husband had tested positive for cornavirus here, had flown straight to Delhi from the city and had not come out of Bengaluru airport. He said the newly-wed couple came to Bengaluru airport on March 8 night and early on March 9, she flew alone to Delhi. From there she travelled to Agra by train. She did not come out of the airport, said the minister.

To a question on legal action being contemplated against her, the minister said he would take a call said he was not thinking of legal action at present and would take a call only after the woman, who has also tested positive for the virus, comes out of isolation. He insisted that the purpose of getting details was not to scare people.

On the preparedness in Kalaburagi, where the first Coronavirus death in India was reported, he said the administration had 'clamped down" the entire district. Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner of Ballari district ordered cancellation of tourists' entry to the world heritage site of Hampi from March 15 to 22 to prevent further spread of the virus.