SDPI, ISF help repatriate body of Karnataka man from Saudi after elected reps fail to assist

Mangaluru, Apr 1: The rush for purchase of essential commodities has eased in several places in Dakshina Kannada with the relaxation of lockdown from Wednesday between 7 am and 12 noon by the district administration. However, a few markets in Mangaluru still had queues in front of vegetable shops on Wednesday.

Vegetable shops and markets in Mallikatte, Kadri, Bejai-Kapikad, Urwastore, Mannagudda and Carstreet areas were crowded with people violating social distancing norms due to the coronavirus crisis.

To avoid swelling of crowds at Central Market in Mangaluru, the market was opened only for wholesalers to collect vegetables. The entry of public to Central Market was prohibited.

MCC Commissioner Ajith Kumar Hegde Shanady said that retail sale is prohibited at Central Market.

The Surathkal market too has been closed from April and traders from the market are allowed to sell essential commodities at alternative locations from 7 am to 12 noon.

Mumbai, May 19: Even as banks in United Arab Emirates are trying to trace NMC founder BR Shetty, a prominent bank in India is seeking to recover loans worth Rs19.13 billion from him and his companies. 

A local court has also barred him and his wife from selling or transferring some properties while it hears the case.

In the court filing, the Bank of Baroda said Shetty had an obligation to handover the title deeds of the 16 properties and mortgage the assets with the bank.

The 16 properties in several Indian cities including Bengaluru were among guarantees put up by Shetty and his wife against the Rs19.13 billion ($253 million) loans, according to a May 16 court order seen by Reuters. The court in Bengalaru set the next hearing in the case for June 8.

NMC, the largest private healthcare provider in the UAE, was placed under administration in April after months of turmoil. It disclosed in March it had debts of $6.6 billion, well above earlier estimates of $2.1 billion.

Finablr, in which Shetty has a controlling stake, said in April it may have nearly $1 billion more in debt than previously reported.

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.