Will terminate pact if 108 failed to ensure better service: UT Khader

Bengaluru, May 27: Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday hit out at Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa-led Karnataka government for allegedly "betraying" the people by not fulfilling its Rs 1,610 crore COVID-19 package promise.

Taking a dig at Yediyurappa over the matter, the Congress leader tweeted, "Chief Minister of Karnataka BS Yediyurappa has betrayed people by not fulfilling his Rs 1,610 crore package promise. He seems to be following his @BJP4India leader @PMOIndia @narendramodi."

"Crisis and vulnerability should not be misused for political gains and BJP for India is insensitive towards the same," the former Karnataka Chief Minister said.

On May 6, Yediyurappa had urged migrant workers to stay back as construction activities have resumed and announced a Rs 1,610 crores COVID-19 financial package for the state.

"A package of Rs 1,610 crores will be released as COVID-19 financial relief. One time compensation of Rs 5,000 will be given to 2,30,000 barbers and 7,75,000 drivers," the Chief Minister said.

Referring to media reports, Siddarmiah cornered the state government for asking the licence to release funds for unorganised sector workers.

"How can we expect washermen and other unorganised sector workers to have licence for their work?" he asked.

It looks like Karnataka Chief Minister is very far from reality, he added.

Bengaluru, Feb 21: The Supreme Court in its interim order on Thursday allowed the plea of the Karnataka government for implementation of the final award by a tribunal for sharing of water between Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra from the Mahadayi river.

The interim order was passed by a bench comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hemant Gupta after hearing the counsel from the three states. The bench said the final hearing in the matter will take place in July.

It also said the interim order is subject to the final outcome of the petitions filed by the three states against the tribunal's award.

The Mahadayi Water Dispute tribunal had passed the order on August 14, 2018, allocating 13.42 TMC ( Thousand Million Cubic Feet.) water (including 3.9 TMC for diversion into the depleted Malaprabha river basin) from the Mahadayi river basin to Karnataka.

Maharashtra was allotted 1.33 TMC water while Goa was given 24 TMC in the final decision of the tribunal. The UPA-2 government had constituted Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal in 2010.

Karnataka government, which has locked horns with the neighbouring Goa on the larger issue of sharing Mahadayi River water between both the states, had petitioned the tribunal seeking the release of 7.56 tmcft of water for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.

The Kalasa-Banduri Nala (diversion) project, which will utilise 7.56 tmcft of water from the inter-state Mahadayi river, is being undertaken by Karnataka to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and the districts of Belagavi and Gadag.

It involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, the tributaries of the Mahadayi River, to divert 7.56 tmc water to the Malaprabha river which fulfils the drinking water needs of the twin cities.

Dubai, Feb 13: An Indian expatriate found to be infected with coronavirus in the UAE on February 10 is in a stable condition, the Indian Embassy told Gulf News.

“The Indian is a 36-year-old male,” an embassy official said, adding “he a resident of the UAE”.

However, the official did not say if the man had any travel history to China and also refused to divulge which state he hailed from.

On February 10, the Ministry of Health said the Indian national was found infected with coronavirus in the latest such case in the UAE. “The Indian national had interacted with a recently diagnosed person,” the ministry had said in a statement.

"All reported cases are in stable condition, except for one case, who is being put under close observation by a team of senior consultants at the Intensive Care Unit," added the statement.

The man is among the eight cases of coronavirus detected in the UAE so far. Others include six Chinese nationals and one from Philippines.

Earlier this week, the UAE announced that one of the infected patients, a 73-year-old Chinese national, Liu Yujia, had recovered.