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Mangaluru, Feb 12: More than 7,000 people at Mangalore International Airport (MIA) and over 1,000 at the New Mangalore Port (NMP) have undergone thermal screening for the novel coronavirus in the past few days, a taluk health official said on Wednesday.

A few more ships are scheduled to arrive at the port and all precautionary measures to check the ship’s passengers and crew are ready, he said.

Soon after a positive case of deadly pathogen surfaced in Kerala, the district health officials here actively started monitoring all entry points in the bordering district. 

Apart from Mangaluru, there is bus connectivity to Puttur, Sullia, Bantwal, Dharmasthala and Subrahmanya from Kerala. More than eight to 10 trains arrive at Mangaluru daily from Kerala.

Hence, it is impossible to take up screening of all the vehicles arriving from Kerala, sources in District Health and Family Welfare said.

Bengaluru, Jul 25: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that the ministers of the BJP-led government in the state avoiding a judicial enquiry into the alleged corruption in procurement of medical essentials "is their height of arrogance".

In a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah said, "Why is the government afraid of judicial enquiry on corruption in procurement of medical essentials? If the ministers are so clean, what is holding them back from initiating investigation? This is their heights of arrogance!!"

He said that there should be a judicial enquiry by a sitting High Court Judge to let people know the facts.

"We will submit our documents and let the government submit their documents. If they are confident, why are they reluctant to initiate an investigation?" Siddaramaiah asked.

"Statment from the PMO says 50,000 ventilators are procured at a rate of Rs 4 lakhs per unit. Is this not true? Will Karnataka BJP ministers say that ventilators under PM CARES are sub-standard and lack quality?" he said.

"There will be both basic and premium models in everything. Even the PMO could have bought Rs. 18 lakh worth ventilator. Why did they buy a Rs 4 lakh worth ventilator? What is the justification from ministers for this?" he questioned.

Siddaramaiah asked that if the Medical Education Department sent a proposal worth Rs 815 crores which is not recomended by experts.
"It is true that Medical Education department has sent a proposal worth Rs 815 crores. It is also true that there is a note on the proposal which says that these are not recommended by experts. What is the significance of this note?" he tweeted.

The former Chief Minister said that if the state government is saying that if ventilators were procured during the tenure of Congress-JD(S) government, they must produce the proof.

"They are accusing us for the ventilators procured during the coalition government. I was not in the government then. If they have documents, let them investigate about that also. Let the truth be revealed," he said.

The Congress leader said that the opposition is not interested in playing politics during the time of COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are not interested in doing politics during COVID-19 pandemic, which is why we have not taken up many other pressing issues. But how can we be quiet when hundreds of people are succumbing due COVID-19 mismanagement?" he asked.

Karnataka on Friday reported 5,007 more COVID-19 cases and 110 deaths. The total number of cases in the state stands at 85,870, including 52,791 active cases and 1,724 fatalities, said the state government's bulletin.

Mangaluru, Feb 18: Customs at International Airport here have seized Rs 58.95 lakh worth gold in two incidents and arrested two smugglers, Customs Commissionerate said on Monday.

According to the department, two men have been arrested by the customs officials in two separate incidents last evening for attempting to smuggle gold into the country valuing over Rs. 58.95 Lakhs.

In the first incident, Muhammed Swalih Chappathodi, 22, hailing from Malappuram, Kerala who arrived from Dubai by Spice jet flight concealed capsules containing gold in paste form inside his rectum which upon purification resulted in the recovery of 797 gm of 24 karats valued at Rs.32,35,820.