Two more men held in Kannur over suspected IS links

Mangaluru, Apr 3: The laboratory at District Wenlock Hospital has initiated trial for Covid 19 testing, close on the heels of receiving permission from state government.

Doctors, elected representatives and stakeholders had repeatedly demanded that a laboratory should be set up in the port city. Without the lab, the samples were sent either to Shivamogga or to Bengaluru for testing. When Heath Minister Sriramulu had visited Mangaluru on March 17, he had promised a lab in the city for testing of the samples.

Accordingly, the government gave permission for starting the laboratory at Wenlock Hospital. The process of registering the lab with Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) will be completed shortly. The laboratory will be fully operational only after it is registered.

Bengaluru, Mar 28: Karnataka Director General of Police Praveen Sood on Saturday asked philanthropists who want to support the poor during the lockdown to leave food at the nearby police station, who will ensure that it reaches the needy.

The DGP has asked the Bengaluru City police Commissioner to take steps in this regard and ensure fair distribution.

"All philanthropists, in case you want to support poor. Leave cooked, packed, simple food at the police station and it will reach poor. @CPBlr pl announce a nodal officer for deciding the police station for fair distribution," Sood wrote on his official twitter handle.

Responding to the DGP's tweet, city police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao appointed Joint Commissioner (Crime) as a nodal officer.

"Sandeep Patil, IPS, Joint Commissioner, CRIME at 9480801011 is the officer nominated from Bangalore City Police to receive and acknowledge donation of food and consumables for distribution to police and those in need," Rao tweeted.

Meanwhile, the city police has also initiated measures to take those in critical medical emergency to the nearest medical facility.

"We @BlrCityPolice are at your service 24/7 to take you to nearest medical facility in critical medical emergency, dialysis, chemo, emergent heart issues etc PLEASE CALL 100 Misuse may affect someones life! Be responsible #CoronaLockdown is National Duty #Covid19India," Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration), Bengaluru, Hemant Nimbalkar tweeted.

Bengaluru police's initiative of distributing food, snacks, water and certain essential requirements to those in need has received wide appreciation.

While some police stations are already providing food to poor and those in need by collecting it from sponsors, couple of them have even hired a cook for the needy.

The lockdown has affected the poor who depend on their daily wages for livelihood.

Bengaluru, Apr 28: Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday suggested that the government can allow sale of liquor in green zones. 

“Merely because there is an economic slowdown in the state, I don’t recommend that alcohol should be allowed to be sold. But, wherever there are green districts, they can open (liquor sale) with certain restrictions, I think,” Siddaramaiah, the leader of the Opposition, told reporters. 

There are 14 districts in the state that are categorised as green because they do not have any active COVID-19 cases. The green districts are: Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Haveri, Davangere, Shivamogga, Chitradurga, Udupi, Chikmagalur, Hassan, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Ramanagara and Kolar.

There is tremendous pressure on the B S Yediyurappa administration to revive the economy as the lockdown has dried up all revenue sources. Excise, alone, accounts for 18 per cent of Karnataka’s own tax revenue. 

The Excise department recently suggested allowing regulated sale of liquor through the state-run MSIL outlets. The government, however, did not approve it fearing crowding and backlash from the Centre.