Two ‘missing’ MLAs reach Vidhana Soudha ahead of floor test, join Congress camp

Bengaluru, Jun 19: Congress leaders BK Hariprasad and Naseer Ahmed filed their nominations as party candidates for Legislative Council elections in Bengaluru and KPCC chief DK Shivakumar said that the two leaders have been given ticket to strengthen the party with their guidance.

"The Legislative Council means the Upper House and the Elders House. We have unanimously agreed to select and send these two senior leaders to discuss the party organization and various issues of the state in Legislative Council. There were plenty of aspirants to enter the Upper House. But it is decided to elect these two leaders and they will contest the election," Shivakumar said.

"We need seniority to guide us... That's the reason we are selecting these leaders... The high command has given these senior leaders the opportunity to discuss with all our leaders about strengthening the party," he added.

The elections are scheduled to be held on June 29.

Mangaluru, July 14: In order to detect COVID-19 cases quickly in Dakshina Kannada, the government has commissioned a programme to administer rapid antigen tests.

The coastal district has already received 3,500 rapid antigen test kits, which can give results in 30 minutes, an official said, adding that tests will be conducted shortly and training is being imparted on the use of the kits.

The antigen tests will be conducted for emergency cases like delivery, surgery, persons with severe symptoms of Covid-19, multiple-organ failure and for those whose condition is critical. 

"If a symptomatic patient tests negative for Covid-19, then his throat swab sample would be sent for lab testing," the district health officer (DHO) said.

The rapid antigen tests is expected to help in increasing the number of tests and bring down the load of testing on labs, as antigen kits allow faster diagnosis.

It takes a minimum of eight hours to get the results via real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. Antigen tests can provide results within half an hour.

Belthangady, Jul 26: The forest department officials on Sunday banned traffic in Charmadi ghat section as a precautionary measure following information that landslide and uprooting of trees may take place due to heavy rain which has been lashing the ghat section since last one week.

The officials said that a tree was likely to be uprooted in the 6th and 7th cross of the ghat section therefore the entry of vehicles were banned and this has resulted in a traffic jam.

It is said that despite lockdown many vehicles have been playing in the Ghat section.