PVR expands presence in Karnataka, opens 15 new properties

Bengaluru, Mar 27: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Friday formed a task force to monitor the spread of COVID-19 disease in the state and provide guidelines and suggestions to contain its proliferation in the state.

In a press release, the KPCC has stated that the 15 member committee will be headed by the senior Congress leader and former Health minister K R Rameshkumar also included two other former health ministers, Shivanand Patil and U T Khader as the members of the committee.

Kolhapur, May 27: Praising the Muslims of Ichalkaranji town in the Kolhapur district for making invaluable contribution for setting up of a new intensive care unit in Indira Gandhi Memorial (IGM) hospital for treatment of corona infected patients, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has said that with this donation, they have set an ideal example before the country.

While dedicating a 10-bed ICU unit at IGM hospital online from Mumbai, during Eid al Fitr, Mr Thackeray said that by donating Rs 36 lakh for ICU unit at IGM hospital, the Muslim community has set an ideal example before the country as to how to celebrate the festival.

The Muslims of Ichalkaranji made the donation following an appeal by the state government about avoiding unnecessary expenses for celebrating the Eid.

Minister of State for Health Rajendra Patil-Yadravkar, MP Dharysheel Mane, MLAs Prakash Awade and Raju Awale, district collector Daulat Desai, district superintendent of police Dr Abhinav Deshmukh, Zilla Parishad chief executive officer Aman Mittal, district surgeon Dr B C Kempipatil and others were present on the occasion.

Managluru, May 13: Expressing regret over the inconvenience faced by the first batch of passengers from UAE that landed at Mangaluru International Airport last night, Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, deputy chief minister of Karnataka, today assured that all short comings will be addressed.

Addressing Kannadiga delegates from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and other countries through a video conference, Dr Narayan also assured that necessary steps will be taken by the Karnataka government to provide free quarantine facility for those who cannot afford private quarantine in hotels or guest houses. The video conference was organised by coastaldigest.com.

"The incontinence faced by passengers from Dubai at Mangaluru Airport have already been brought to my notice. All these shortcomings will be addressed. We will take appropriate steps to prevent the recurrence of such inconveniences," he said.

He said that the Karnataka government has already amended its standard operating procedure for international passengers to allow pregnant women to entre home quarantine if they test negative for covid-19. 

The problems faced by passengers at Mangaluru Airport last night include lack of staff to handle luggagues, lack of food and water, delay in arranging vehicle to transport passengers to quarantine centres and lack of free quarantine facility for those who cannot afford private quarantine facility. The next batch of repatriates will not face these problems, he said. 

Dr Narayan also promised to exert pressur on the union governmment to operate more flights to repatriate stranded Indians, especially Kannadigas from Saudi Arabia.

Prominent NRI commnity leaders Zakariya Jokatte, Naveen Bandary, Joy Fernandes, Shathosh Shetty Riyadh, Althaf Saqco, Shiekh Expertise and others participated in the video confernce.