Mangaluru: Over 1500 students, teacehrs to take part in ABVP state conference

Bengaluru, May 17: Left to itself, Karnataka will look to spring back towards normalcy under Lockdown 4.0 as the state government is on standby to resume public transport services from May 18, if the Centre allows it. 

Though KSRTC and BMTC have been preparing for resumption of services, officials in the two corporations told DH that they cannot make a move till the government makes a decision.

Transport Commissioner N Shivakumar said the department will take a decision based on the state government's orders. "The government will take a call on buses as well as taxi and other transport services," he said.

Senior officials in the state government said Deputy Chief Minister and Transport Minister Laxman Savadi has written to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari seeking a nod for resumption of the services. 

Transport Secretary Gaurav Gupta has written a separate letter to his counterpart in the Union government requesting permission to operate public transport. "The state government wants the services to open. The official has listed out the steps the corporations will take to ensure social distancing other steps that will be taken to check spread of Coronavirus," a source said.

The B S Yediyurappa administration has been bullish on easing lockdown restrictions. 

If the Centre empowers the states to define Lockdown 4.0, Karnataka is likely to do away with the red-orange-green zoning of districts and allow public services to resume, except in COVID-19 containment zones. The government is also likely to redefine its containment strategy by micromanaging localities where COVID-19 cases are reported, without letting life in an entire district get affected. 

The government has already shown willingness to allow hotels and gyms to open after May 17 subject to social distancing norms and restrictions. In fact, the government has proposed to allow the resumption of all economic activities in standalone establishments. The government, however, is not keen on opening malls, theatres, diners and establishments that have centralized air conditioning. 

“Everything depends on the Centre,” Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan said. “Our only stand is that the red zone should be treated at par with the other zone when it comes to relaxation.” 

Bengaluru, Jun 8: More than two months after the nationwide lockdown was imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus, people offered prayers at Bengaluru's Saint Mary's Church and Shree Dodda Ganapathi Temple as the government has allowed reopening of religious places from today.

Fewer devotees here visited Saint Mary's Church in Shivaji Nagar and were seen maintaining social distancing inside the church premises.

Meanwhile, people queued outside Shree Dodda Ganapathi Temple at Basavanagudi to offer prayers in the wee hours of Monday.

Floor markings have been made here to maintain social distancing.

Social distancing norms are also being followed in Hubli's Nagashetty Koppa where only a few devotees thronged the temple on Monday morning.

In Kalaburagi's Sharana Basaveshwara Temple the visiting hours for devotees have been fixed from 7 am to 10 am and three hours in the evening from 5 pm to 8 pm.

Thermal screening is being conducted here and a disinfectant tunnel has also been installed at the entry point.

Floor markings have also been made here to ensure social distancing while barricades have also been installed on the temple premises.

Bengaluru, June 29: The Karnataka government on Monday issued guidelines to conduct online classes for all students of ICSE, CBSE and SSLC under the directions of the High Court.

According to the guidelines, for the kindergarten students, online classes can be held 30 minutes a week and students in classes 1-5 will have online classes for 30-45 minutes divided into two periods for three alternate days every week.

For students in classes 6-8, the online classes will be for 30-45 minutes divided into two periods for five days every week while students in classes 9 and 10 can have the virtual classes for 30-45 minutes divided into four periods for five days a week.

Earlier, the state government barred online classes for the kids from LKG to class 5.

Minister for primary and secondary education S Suresh Kumar had said that online classes cannot be held for the kids from LKG to class V.