VHP leader Ashok Singhal dies at 89

Bengaluru, Mar 3: Chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Monday introduced the Karnataka Municipalities and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Bill, 2020, in the assembly to give voters the opportunity to reject candidates in civic polls.

The bill, if passed, will enable election officials to offer the NOTA option in the elections to municipal corporations on the lines of assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

An amendment bill which seeks to enable the government to set up a separate university for the districts of Raichur and Yadgir was also tabled. The government said the workload of Gulbarga University necessitated creation of a separate university for the two districts, a move that will also help reduce regional imbalance in Kalyana Karnataka region.

Another amendment bill seeks to allow industrial units, which have failed to start operations on allotted land after seven years, to sell off the parcels to another unit. Bills which empower authorised agencies to regulate turf clubs and horse racing and regulate salary and pension of teachers in higher education institutions were also introduced in the assembly on Monday.

Mangaluru, June 24: Congress leader Ivan D’Souza has vowed to serve the poor and practice as a lawyer in the city, as he completed six years of tenure as a member of Karnataka legislative council on June 23. 

Expressing satisfaction about his work as an MLC, he said: “I’m one among the three MLCs who have 100% attendance in the council. Meanwhile, I’m the only council member to utilise the privilege of raising five questions in each session. I brought several major issues to the government through the questions and succeeded in finding solutions to the problems of people.”

“During my six years of tenure as a council member, I could bring sanctions to the tune of Rs 46 crore through various departments. Meanwhile, financial aid to the tune of Rs 13.24 crore has been distributed through Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to nearly 1,600 beneficiaries. I will continue to serve the poor on my own as an individual. For this, I have set up an office in the premises of my house,” Ivan said, adding that he has distributed grocery kits and other essential items to over 18,000 families during the lockdown period.

“I have successfully fulfilled my duties as the chief whip of the government in the council and also as the parliamentary secretary to revenue department in Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy governments, respectively,” he said. 

Ivan said his office in the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) building will be handed over to JD(S) MLC S L Boje Gowda. “My doors are always open for the people. I will strive to build the party in the state,” he added. 

Bengaluru, June 19: Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa''s home-office in the city centre was shut for sanitisation after the husband of a woman employee working there tested COVID-19 positive, an official said on Friday.

"The chief minister''s home-office has been closed for sanitisation after the employee''s husband tested positive for coronavirus," an official of the Chief Minister''s Office told media persons here.

The employee did not report for duty for two days after her husband was infected with the virus.

"The chief minister''s engagements, including an official event involving the state police department were shifted to the Vidhana Soudha (state secretariat)," said the official.

As the employee was on outpost duty, she did not come in contact with the Chief Minister or his cabinet colleagues and other senior officials.

Earlier in the day, the divisional railway manager''s office in the city centre was shut for sanitisation after a visiting employee tested positive for coronavirus.

"The three-floor DRM office has been closed for the day for santisation and all employees have been advised to work from home as one of our staffer who visited the office early this week tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday," senior Divisional Commercial Manager Krishna Reddy told media persons here.

The DRM''s office is located adjacent to the Krantivira Sangoli Rayanna (KSR) main railway station in the city centre.

The state''s mini secretariat Vikas Soudha adjacent to the iconic Vidhana Soudha in the city centre has also been shut for sanitisation after a government employee working in it tested COVID positive.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), entrusted with the task of containing the virus spread, has already sanitised a portion of the massive building in the city centre.

After an employee of the food and civil supplies department tested positive, all offices on the ground floor of the mini-secretariat were sealed and sanitised.

The city registered 17 fresh cases on Thursday, taking the total number of positive cases to 844. With 14 discharged earlier in the day, 384 have been cured of the infection, while 408 are under treatment.

Of the 114 COVID deaths across the southern state since March 10, Bengaluru has accounted for 51 till date.