Attempts to hoist separate statehood flag during Rajyotsava foiled

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 27: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said the issue of return of Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) to the state has been taken up with the Centre and the state government is awaiting a favourable response.

Vijayan said this in a meeting with Non-Resident Keralites over steps taken by the state government for those wishing to return to the state from foreign countries.

The Chief Minister announced that the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs has opened online registration for such NRKs.

"Those returning should undergo screening at airports. All those returning should undergo mandatory home quarantine for 14 days.

Arrangements of isolation wards will be provided for those unable to go home," said Vijayan.

Bengaluru, Apr 25: KPCC president D K Shivakumar, has alleged that BJP leaders from the state have sold rice that was meant to be distributed to the poor in Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to newsmen here on Friday, he stated that Congress fully supports the government’s work in the prevention of the spread of COVID-19, but maybe unknown to the Chief Minister, corrupt dealings are which we want to bring to his attention.

He alleged that 1,879 quintals of rice brought from Haryana have been illegally sold to a businessman in Hosur, Tamil Nadu.

Bengaluru, July 17: The government of Karnataka has decided to issue caste and income certificates to Brahmins in the state to reduce the socio-economic inequality faced by the community.

“A notification has been issued to tehsildars in all 30 districts to issue caste and income certificates to Brahmins so that they can also benefit from the government schemes and scholarships,” a Revenue Department official told said.

The notification comes a month after the Karnataka State Brahmin Development Board on June 10 appealed to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to issue the certificates to the traditionally dominant community, which accounts for 3 per cent of the 7 crore state population.

“Though Brahmins are in ‘minority’ in terms of their population across the state, they need caste and income certificates to benefit from the welfare schemes meant for the economic weaker sections such as SC, ST and OBC groups,” the official said.

The board was set up in March 2019 as a state-run company with Rs 5 crore authorised capital and Rs 5 crore equity and is registered with the Registrar of Companies.

The notification was issued to the local bodies and taluk offices after several members of the community complained to state Revenue Minister R. Ashoka that they were unable to benefit from the welfare schemes in the absence of the certificates.

The certificates will also help students from the community to avail scholarships for higher studies from the state-funded board if their gross annual family income is less than Rs 8 lakh per year.

The board has also urged the state government to implement the 10 per cent quota for its community members under the economically weaker sections, as applicable for Central government jobs and admissions to central institutions.

Noting that every community has people who are forward and backward economically for various reasons, including historical, the official said the board would be empowered to serve the Brahmins.

“The board will provide interest-free loans to the financially weaker sections of the community,” said its Chairman H.S. Sachidananda Murthy.