Two-year-old girl goes missing; found murdered in garbage heap

Bengaluru, Apr 22: The Karnataka government has announced partial relaxation of COVID-19 lockdown norms in the state allowing certain construction activities, manufacturing of packaging materials, courier services, among others, from April 23.

The activities will be permitted only outside the COVID-19 containment zones identified by the government.

Service provided by self-employed people like electrician, IT repair, plumbers, motor mechanics, and carpenters in local areas have also been given exemption.

Tea, coffee and rubber plantation have been allowed to work with 50 per cent workforce, and a similar exemption have been given to processing, packaging, sale and marketing of these produce.

“To mitigate hardship to the public, select additional activities have been allowed,which will come into effect from 00.00 hours of April 23,” Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar said in an order on Wednesday.

However, these additional activities will be operationalised by District Administrations and BBMP (city corporation in the case of Bengaluru city) based on strict compliance to the guidelines on lockdown measures, it said.

Before operating these relaxations, district administrations and BBMP (city corporation) shall ensure that all the preparatory arrangements on social distancing in offices, work place establishments as also sectoral requirements are in place, it said, adding that relaxations will not apply in containment zones.

Facing a financial crunch, the state government has been eager to kick-start economic activities in the state that had come to halt due to the coronavirus lockdown.

While hospitality services, bars, malls, theatres, shopping complexes, religious and places of worship among others will continue to remain shut, relaxation of norms has been for activities that are linked to essential services such as health, infrastructure and agriculture.

As per the order, while, public transportation will continue to remain suspended till May 3,private vehicles with passes for emergency services and personnel commuting with passes to places of work and back will be allowed.

Activities permitted include construction of roads, irrigation projects, buildings and all kinds of industrial projects, including MSMEs, in rural areas and all kinds of projects in industrial estates, where workers are available on site and no one is required to be brought in from outside.

Also permitted to function are manufacturing units of essential goods – drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, their raw materials and intermediates;

food processing industries in rural areas, coal production (mines and mineral production and activities incidental to mining) besides manufacturing units of packaging materials.

Bengaluru, Jan 10: Barely 24 hours after the standoff between BJP workers and students of Jyoti Nivas College (JNC) in Bengaluru over CAA became breaking news, it took political hues with the saffron party and the Congress locking horns over the issue.

Taking the battle to the anti-CAA camp on Thursday, the BJP aggressively defended its party workers, who on Wednesday erected a pro-CAA banner on the college compound wall and allegedly forced students to sign on it as a mark of support.

With one of the workers who had locked horns with JNC students by his side, deputy chief minister CN Ashwath Narayan, at his official residence, questioned students’ right to protest party cadre erecting a pro-CAA banner on their college compound wall.

“How can you tell people not to create awareness about a law that has been passed in this country? Who gave students the right to question political workers? If there was anything wrong, let them report to the police,” retorted the minister, who also holds the higher education department portfolio.

On the other hand, the Congress, cashing in on simmering anger over the assault on JNU students in Delhi, used the JNC standoff to project the ruling party as prime culprits in stifling the voice of students. BTM Layout MLA and seasoned politician R Ramalinga Reddy even warned the BJP against “allowing JNC to become another JNU”.

Reddy met with the JNC administration and extended his support against any “threats” to students. It is being alleged that Reddy was the first to “leak” the video of Wednesday’s row to the media. The college falls in his assembly constituency.

Taking a cue from his colleague’s stand, former CM and opposition leader Siddaramaiah also leaned into the matter and sent a strong message “backing” students in the standoff. “BJP goons are threatening students of Jyotinivas College to support CAA. MrYediyurappa, I am strictly warning you to control hooligans from your party. Don't subvert knowledge & institutions for your selfish motives. We won't let Ktaka to be victim of your Hitler rule!” said Siddaramaiah in a tweet.

Bengaluru, Jun 14: Karnataka Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar on Sunday said there was no question of reimposition of the lockdown amid speculation that it would be done.

"The question of lockdown is not in front of us. There is such speculation as the Prime Minister is holding a video conference with all Chief Ministers on June 16 and 17.

On June 17 our state will be taking part in it at around 3 pm," Mr Sudhakar said in response to a question.

Speaking to reporters at Kalaburagi, he said the current situation would be discussed in that meeting. Mr Sudhakar said the Prime Minister has repeatedly been holding such video conferencing exercises to take stock of the situation and plan for the future.

"There will not be a lockdown anymore according to me," he added.

There has been speculation that there would be another shutdown from this month owing to a rapid rise in the number of cases.

Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com
Mr Sudhakar had on Friday said experts have indicated a surge in COVID-19 cases in the state in August and that the government was taking all precautionary measures in that direction.

As of June 13 evening, cumulatively 6,824 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 81 deaths and 3,648 discharges.