It's official: Bangalore's airport to be named after Kempegowda

Bengaluru, May 30: Health Minister B Sriramulu banned the consumption of chewing tobacco in public places on Saturday, which is marked as World Tobacco Day. The ban would include chewing paan masala and spitting in public places.

In June 2013, the state banned the manufacture, storage, sale, or distribution of gutka and paan masala containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use. On October 26, 2016, the state proscribed all kinds of chewing tobacco, containing tobacco or nicotine or both in accordance with the Supreme Court order.

Karnataka is the second state in India to ban e-cigarettes. The state also prohibited single cigarettes. Until September 2019, the state counselled 15,698 patients in tobacco cessation centres set up in private dental colleges.

Bengaluru, Apr 27: Janata Dal-Secular leader and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday said that the government should work towards lowering the cost of living as the spending power of the consumer has weakened, and it should impose COVID cess on the ultra-rich.

"The economy won't bounce back within a very short period. It is important to lower the cost of living as the spending power of the consumer has depleted. The government must cut the petrol/diesel prices. The loss of revenue may be offset partially by imposing COVID cess on the ultra-rich," Kumaraswamy tweeted.

"According to RBI and international economic assessment agencies, the GDP growth rate of the country is expected to fall to a historic low. Such a dire situation calls for citizen-centric measures like full or partial waivers of EMIs, rents, school fees, and other levies," he added.

Kumaraswamy further said that the government must announce schemes to save the livelihoods of people, especially those in the unorganised sector.

"It is high time the government announced schemes to save livelihoods of people, especially those in the unorganised sector. The government must provide immediate relief to farmers, construction workers, cab and auto drivers, garment workers, etc," the former Karnataka CM tweeted.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) had said on April 23 that India's economic growth is likely to hover between zero and 1.5 per cent in the current financial year as the extended COVID-19 lockdown slows down activity across most sectors.

India is under a nation-wide lockdown which was imposed on March 25 and later extended on April 14 to May 3 to stem the spread of coronavirus.

Shivamogga, Jan 2: A large number of farmers who wanted to stage a demonstration against Prime Minister Narendra Modi protesting the non-implementation of the 'Swaminathan Report' were detained at Bengaluru, Tumakuru and Shivamogga, police said on Thursday.

According to police, the detentions have taken place in certain parts of Tumakuru, near Bengaluru as well as in Shivamogga.

As part of his two-day visit to Karnataka, Modi is scheduled to visit Tumakuru on Thursday to pay his obeisance to the departed seer of Siddaganga Math Shivakumara Swamiji and meet the present pontiff Siddalinga Mahaswamiji.

Later, he would address a mega public meeting where he will give away the Krishi Karman awards.

In the evening he will reach Bengaluru to visit the DRDO facility to dedicate five DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories to the nation.

Pressing implementation of the Swaminathan Report, which recommends a holistic national policy, the farmers under the leadership of Kodihalli Chandrashekar had planned to stage a demonstration at Tumakuru.

Before they could leave for Tumakuru, the police detained them.

According to Chandrashekar, the farmers have been arrested at Nelamangala, Herohalli near Magadi, Kunigal and Koratagere in Tumakuru district and Shivamogga.

Speaking to PTI, Chandrashekar said the BJP has betrayed farmers by not implementing the Swaminathan report.

"The BJP could implement all the agenda such as abrogation of Article 370, paving way for Ram Temple in Ayodhya and various other poll promises but it ignored its promise of implementing the Swaminathan report," the farmer leader said.

Chandrashekar also said he has been detained at a ground on Magadi Road along with two others while farmers who wanted to take part in the protest have been detained in different parts of the state.