IED recovered from Mangaluru Airport defused safely; 3 teams formed to nab suspect: Top cop

Bengaluru, May 9: Dubai NRI Kannadigaru president and entrepreneur Naveed Magundi in a video message thanked government of India for helping stranded Indians in Arab countries to return home. 

The video was shared by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan on Friday on Twitter. 

"Kannadigas, who are in trouble in the Arab countries and wanting to return home, have got the central government's rapid response. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gratitude video on behalf of Dubai President Kannadigas," Narayan said in the tweet.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has prepared a chart for the first phase evacuation of over 14,000 Indian nationals stranded in 13 foreign countries by 64 flights in week one of the operation.

ಅರಬ್‌ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಕಷ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಲುಕಿ ದೇಶಕ್ಕೆ ವಾಪಸಾಗಲು ಬಯಸಿರುವ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರಿಗೆ ವಿಮಾನದ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ ಮಾಡುವಂತೆ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಕ್ಷಿಪ್ರ ಸ್ಪಂದನೆ ದೊರಕಿದೆ.

ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ ಶ್ರೀ @narendramodi ಸರ್ಕಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ರೀತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಹಕರಿಸಿದ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಬ್ಬರಿಗೂ ದುಬೈ ಅನಿವಾಸಿ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗ ಬಾಂಧವರ ಪರವಾಗಿ ಕೃತಜ್ಞತಾ ವೀಡಿಯೊ - pic.twitter.com/BUcFZ3VuKj

— Dr. Ashwathnarayan C. N. (@drashwathcn) May 8, 2020

Bengaluru, Mar 29: There was no shortage of masks and testing kits for detecting coronavirus cases in Karnataka and the government would import them if a need arose, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday said.

Apprising leaders of political parties on measures taken by his government to combat spread of coronavirus, he also told an all-party meeting that the government has decided to provide life insurance cover to police and civil workers and has taken extra precautions to maintain supply of food grains.

"There is no shortage of testing kits, medicines and masks. If there is need, we will import more... We will distribute testing kits to all the district and Taluk hospitals," he was quoted as saying in a government release.

The state has so far reported 76 COVID-19 cases including three deaths and five discharges.

At the meeting held in the Vidhana Soudha here, former chief minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah said there were shortcomings in the screening of passengers coming from abroad and stressed on the need to maintain supply of essentials.

Yediyurappa said supply of foodgrains would be made through Public Distribution System and the government had taken extra precautions to avoiod any difficulties.

He told the leaders that there was no restriction on agriculture activities in the state.

"I have been regularly holding meetings since March 13 regarding the measures taken to contain the transmission of COVID-19," the chief minister said.

Health Minister B Sriramulu, Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar, IT-BT Minister C N Aswath Narayan, Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, Siddaramaiah, JD(S) MLAs H D Revanna, D K Shivakumar and former speaker K R Ramesh Kumar attended the meeting.

Yediyurappa said a task force comprising of ministers and officials has been formed to oversee the implementation of the government orders in view of the 21-day lockdown.

He highlighted the prevailing situation across the globe saying normal life has been paralysed everywhere.

The chief minister also brifed the leaders about the number of clinics all over the state, availability of medicines and protection gear for the doctors and in quarantine rooms in the state.

Flagging concerns over screening process, Siddaramaiah said around 4,500 people were yet to be tracked, which need to be taken up on a warfooting.

"The government is saying that we have not reached the third stage but in Nanjangud, a person contracted the disease though he does not have any travel history. This must be probed," he said.

The former former chief minister asked the government to make sure that the free distribution of food grains to weaker sections take place without any difficulty from April 1, as announced by the Central government.

He objected to police 'excesses' while enforcing lockdown.

Siddaramaiah also asked government to bring the police personnel under special insurance cover.