SDPI contesting LS polls with the sole aim to stall BJP, claims its chief

Bengaluru, Apr 11: Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda claimed the lockdown decision was taken in 'haste' without forethought because of which farmers and the working class were 'suffering' and suggested measures to mitigate the impact. The state government should have consulted experienced citizens, officials, progressive farmers, farmer organisations and wholesale traders about the pros and cons before lockdown, he said in a letter to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, while highlighting that 61 per cent of the state's population depended on agriculture.

Because of the "hasty decision taken without any preparations", farmers of the country and the state are facing financial distress," he said in the April 9 letter, a copy of which was released to media here on Friday. The JD(S) patriarch suggested taking up some measures, including ensuring no restrictions on agriculture activities, procurement of horticulture produce at a fair price, relaxing export curbs on it, to provide relief to farmers, agriculture labourers, and daily wage workers.

On Sunday, Gowda had said he has assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his support in the nation's battle against COVID-19 pandemic when the latter called him to discuss the situation. In his letter to the chief minister, Gowda said: "...the lockdown implemented to control the spread of coronavirus has led our farmers into despair and put their lives into a burning fire.

This lockdown looks like a decision taken at haste without proper thinking and forethought for our farmers, agriculture labourers, and daily wage workers." He said the lockdown decision was taken after remaining 'quite' for about two months since the first corona infection was reported in the country on January 30. Among the suggestions made by the former prime minister include, procurement of horticulture produce at a fair price like in the case of milk from villages by the government through related organisations like Karnataka Horticulture Federation, HOPCOMS among others.

As horticulture produce was perishable, there should be no restriction on its procurement, transportation and marketing; all processing related activities of horticulture produce should be given relaxation from the lockdown, he said. Gowda also called for relaxation on exports for horticulture produce and its processed items. There should be no restriction on agriculture activities; a national grid has to be set up for marketing of horticulture produce, he said.

If such measures were not taken up immediately, the government will have to pay compensation to farmers for losses. Lack of remedial measures would lead to a shortage of supply, leading to rebellion from the people and may result in farmers' suicides and bringing about a situation that might be more grave than coroanvirus, he said.

Mangaluru, Feb 28: Sleuths of Bajpe police station have busted a counterfeit currency racket and arrested two persons on charge of printing and circulating fake currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 200.

The arrested have been identified as Dheerendra (45), a resident of Kanjilakody House in Bantwal taluk, and Sudheer Poojary (44), a resident of Adyar Volabail. Both of them said to be activists of Hindutva groups and had campaigned for BJP during last Lok Sabha polls.

Apart from counterfeit currencies, the cops have recovered a colour printer, two mobile phones and a motor bike from the accused.

According police, on February 23 the miscreants went to a petty shop owned by one Abdul Salam near Suralpady and purchased a Gillette blade costing Rs 20. They handed over Rs 200 currency note to Abdul Salam and took Rs 180 back from him.

However, the shop keeper grew suspicious about the genuineness of Rs 200 note. When he went in search of the duo, he came to know that they had purchased mustard seeds from a nearby provision store belonging to one Muhammad Arif. There too, they had handover Rs 200 fake note and got change.

The duo then took fake notes back from Abdul Salam and Muhammad Arif and escaped. The next day, Abdul Salam filed a complaint with Bajpe police station.

Apr 21: An 80-year-old COVID-19 patient has died in Karnataka's Kalaburagi district, taking the death toll in the state to 17, Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said on Tuesday.

The elderly person was suffering from Parkinson's disease for the last three years and died at a hospital on Monday, the minister said in a tweet.

"The person had developed fever on Sunday and was admitted to the hospital. The patient passed away yesterday at 9 am. Last night at 9 pm the death report came, which confirmed that the person was COVID-19 positive," Sudhakar tweeted.

The total number of COVID-19 infections in the state has crossed the 400-mark, according to last evening's bulletin by the Karnataka health department.