Shwetha Rasquinha conferred doctorate by Mangalore University

Mangaluru, Jan 29: The Indian Coast Guard today commissioned a high-speed coast interceptor boat at New Mangalore Port here giving a fillip to the coastal security.

The water jet propelled Interceptor Boat C-448 (27.80 mts in length) has an endurance of 500 nautical miles at 20 knots.

The vessel fitted with latest state of the art navigation and communication equipment can achieve a speed of 45 knots. Thus, the vessel is designed for high speed interception, close coast patrol, low intensity maritime operations, maritime surveillance, search and rescue.

The quick reaction capability coupled with modern equipment and system ensures that the vessel responds to any maritime situation. With a crew of 12 personnel, C-448 is Commanded by Assistant Commandant Apoorva Sharma.

The Interceptor Boat will be based at Mangaluru. T. M. Vijaya Bhasker, Chief Secretary Karnataka, who commissioned the IB, said that the crew should discharge their duties faithfully and with courage. Anand Prakash Badola, Commander, Coast Guard Region ( West) and A.V. Ramana, Chairman, New Mangalore Port Trust, were present on the occasion.

Bengaluru, May 9: The Karnataka government may not extend the daily working hours from 8 to 12, with Labour Minister A Shivaram Hebbar saying on Saturday that the move would neither benefit the industries nor workers.

Hebbar said that the proposal has not been discussed and it may come for final deliberations next week. He also noted that some States have already extended the working hours. More than extending working hours, there should be employment to be given. If there are no jobs what can be done by extending working hours? If it is done (working hours extended to 12 hours), it would neither benefit workers nor industries. Let's see what happens, he said.

Asked if the government was in favour of the extension, he said, "I don't think it will be ready for the (12 hour) proposal." Meanwhile, the Minister also said that their top priority now was to see that all MSMEs start operating again, salaries are paid to employees and there are no job losses for any reason. If industries don't reopen, how can workers get their employment? We should think in parallel, Hebbar said adding, the government was keeping the interests of both MSMEs and workers in mind.

He urged the Centre to offer a relief package to the MSME sector, saying it is facing very difficult times due to the adverse impact of the COVID-19-induced lockdown, and also noting its role in generating large-scale employment and feeding large industries.

The BJP-led government has done whatever within its limitations to help the MSMEs, he said. Earlier this week, the Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa announced that the monthly fixed charges of electricity bills of MSMEs would be waived for two months. MSMEs have suffered huge production losses due to the lockdown. It takes some time for them to revive, Yediyurappa had said. The Chief Minister had also said payment of fixed charges in the electricity bills of the large industries will be deferred without penalty and interest for a period of two months.

Bengaluru, Apr 26: Three new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Karnataka in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases in the state to 503 as per Karnataka government.

There are 302 active COVID-19 cases in Karnataka presently, while 182 patients have been discharged, 19 deaths have been reported, state government informed.

The total number of positive coronavirus cases across the country are 26,917, including 20,177 active cases of the virus. So far, 5,913 patients have either been cured or discharged while 826 deaths have been recorded in the country, as per data provided by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.