Young Gram Panchayat member ends life by consuming poison

Bengaluru, Apr 29: Janata Dal-Secular leader and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday accused the central government of writing off loans of those who are facing charges of fraud.

In a series of tweets, Kumaraswamy slammed the central government.

"Really? At a time when the whole world is worried about unprecedented economic emergency, writing off Rs 68,000 crore loans of willful big fish defaulters became the best antidote to the economic crisis? And how is 50k cr package to mutual funds going to help the common man?" he tweeted.

In another tweet, Kumaraswamy said that "Billionaire scamsters like Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksy, Sanjay Junjunwala seem to be very dear to this government".

"Na khaunga, na khane dunga" is yet another jumla unraveled. Billionaire scamsters like Vijay Malya, Mehul Choksy, Sanjay Junjunwala seem to be very dear to this government. The poor are dying by the roadside, farmers are desperate, the middle class is faced with economic doom.

The government has done little to help. But it writes off loans of those who are facing charges of fraud! What patriotism! What nationalism!" he tweeted.

Mangaluru, Mar 25: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has so far given nod to three private laboratories in Karnataka for testing COVID-19. The ICMR comes under the Department of Health, Government of India

The three labs are KMC Hospital Manipal, Shankar Research Centre's laboratory, and SRL laboratory on Bowring Hospital Road at Shivajinagar, Bengaluru.

Eight private labs from Maharashtra, two from Haryana, three from Tamil Nadu, four from Delhi, and three each from Karnataka and Gujarat have been given permission. 

These labs have over 15,000 collection centres all over the country. Blood samples and throat swabs of coronavirus suspects can be given at these centres.

Newsroom, June 5: The union health ministry has announced new rules for shopping malls which have been permitted to open from June 8, except those falling in containment zones.

The guidelines will come into effect from Monday and cinema halls, gaming arcades and children play areas in these establishments will remain closed.

Here is the complete list of standard operating procedures issued by the ministry to be followed in shopping malls to contain the spread of COVID-19.

•   Thermal screening of all visitors mandatory at entry point, along with compulsory hand hygiene. Only asymptomatic visitors will be allowed to enter the shopping mall .

•  It will be mandatory for all visitors as well as workers to wear face masks at all times inside the mall. 

•  Posters and audio-visual media on preventive measures about COVID-19 should be displayed prominently.

•  Visitor entry to shopping malls should be allowed in a staggered manner and adequate manpower be deployed by mall management for ensuring social distancing norms.

•  All employees who are at higher risk like elderly, pregnant women and those having underlying medical conditions should take extra precautions. They should preferably not be exposed to any front-line work requiring direct contact with the public.

•   Proper crowd management in the parking lots and outside the premises – duly following social distancing norms shall be ensured. Preferably, separate entry and exits for visitors, workers and goods/supplies shall be organised.

•   The staff for home deliveries should be screened thermally by the shopping mall authorities prior to allowing home deliveries and required precautions while handling supplies, inventories and goods in the shopping mall must be ensured.

•   Physical distancing of a minimum of 6 feet, when queuing up for entry and inside the shopping mall should be maintained as far as feasible while the number of customers inside the shop should be kept at a minimum, so as to maintain the physical distancing norms.

•   The number of people in the elevators should be restricted and use of escalators with one person on alternate steps should be encouraged.

•   Number of people in the elevators shall be restricted, duly maintaining social distancing norms. Use of escalators with one person on alternate steps may be encouraged.

•   Effective and frequent sanitation within the premises shall be maintained with particular focus on lavatories, drinking and hand washing stations/areas

•   Cleaning and regular disinfection of frequently touched surfaces  to be made mandatory in all malls in common areas as well as inside shops, elevators, escalators etc.

•   In the food-courts, adequate crowd and queue management is to be ensured and not more than 50 per cent of seating capacity should be permitted.

•   Food court staff should wear mask and hand gloves and take other required precautionary measures, the seating arrangement should ensure adequate social distancing between patrons as far as feasible and tables should be sanitized each time a customer leaves.

•   Gaming arcades, children play areas and cinema halls inside shopping malls shall remain closed.

•   Spitting should be strictly prohibited and installation and use of Aarogya Setu App shall be advised to all.

•   The ministry advised persons aged above 65, those having comorbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10  to stay at home, except for essential and health purposes.