Protests erupt across Dakshina Kannada, Udupi against arrest of PFI leader

Bengaluru, Mar 23: Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi cautioned private bus transport services operators, taxis and autorickshaws from exploiting commuters in wake of bus and train services being suspended by the government as precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In a statement released here on Monday, Transport Minister Savadi said it has come to the notice that private buses, taxis and autorickshaws were misusing the opportunity and exploiting commuters. Inter-district bus services have been suspended in the districts wherein lockdown has been announced to protect the health of people and none should violate the decision of the government, he stated.

Transport and Police Department officials have been asked to taken action against those violating norms and exploiting commuters. Service providers for their profit cannot risk with the health of the people and repeated cases if come to the fore, they will not be spared, Savadi cautioned.

Government has taken measures to prevent spread of COVID-19. Private transport service providers and people should join hands and cooperate to contain it, he appealed. 

Bengaluru, Jul 9: The M Chinnaswamy cricket stadium and the Bengaluru Palace in Karnataka will be converted into a COVID-19 care centre, informed the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on Thursday.

The Bangalore International Exhibition Centre was also recently converted into a COVID-19 care facility by the state government amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

R Ashoka, the state's COVID management in charge said, "People of Bangalore need not panic. All necessary equipment and preparation are being arranged by the state. We have over 600 ambulances ready to take care of COVID patients."

As per the data from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Karnataka now has a total of 28,877 COVID-19 cases, including 16,531 active cases and 11,876 recoveries.

470 people have died of the infectious virus in the state so far.

Bengaluru, July 20: The Karnataka government has reiterated that no final decision has so far been taken on reopening of schools in the state.

The clarification comes after minutes of the July 15 HRD ministry meeting where Karnataka education department officials said schools are reopening on September 1 went viral on social media. 

“The state government has not decided yet on starting schools. That they will reopen in September was only a general opinion expressed by our officials at the meeting. At present, we have no plans to start schools unless there is a conducive environment. There’s no need for anxiety,” said primary and secondary minister S Suresh Kumar.

Kumar said the government is involved in meeting the education sector’s changed priorities in the current scenario.

The minutes were of a virtual conference on school-safety plans, with representatives of state governments and Union territories expressing views on reopening of schools. 

Against the name of Karnataka, “After September 1” was written. Similar datelines were given by Kerala, Ladakh, Manipur, Rajasthan, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, while in case of many other states it said “no decision”.

An education department official said Karnataka submitted to MHRD that it will be able to take a decision only after September 1, depending on the situation in the state.