Bidar: Former MLA Syed Zulfiqar Hashmi (57), passed away due to kidney failure in the early hours of Tuesday at a Hospital in Hyderabad. The deceased is survived by his wife, three sons, two daughters, and a multitude of relatives and friends.

After joining politics at the age of 27, in 1994, as a BSP candidate, Syed Zulfiqar Hashmi was elected to the Vidhana Sabha from the Bidar constituency. Thereafter he had contested as a JDS candidate from the Bidar region for the Vidhana Sabha and lost in the elections. For some years after that, he had also been a recognized figure within the Congress.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Tuesday said Bengaluru has emerged as an epicentre of coronavirus cases in Karnataka and there was a need to work on a war footing.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, “Bengaluru is the epicentre of Karnataka. If you see the total cases, at least 70 per cent are reported in Bengaluru.”

He was replying to queries on the all-party meeting to be chaired by Governor Vajubhai Vala.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will attend the meeting virtually as he has got reinfected by the virus and is undergoing treatment.

Sudhakar said there will be discussion on Bengaluru and seven other districts, which have been designated as sensitive zones in view of the alarming rise in COVID cases.

He added that the government will seriously consider constructive suggestions by the opposition leaders such as Siddaramaiah, Congress state chief D K Shivakumar and JD(S) leader and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy.

According to him, the meeting has been convened because everyone has a role to play in this pandemic season and it should not be left to the government alone.

To a question on opposition’s accusation that the government has miserably failed in managing the situation, Sudhakar said, “We have to be battle-ready for this war. We have to strive to protect people and their lives.

This is where our focus should be.”

He, however, said, “We are unable to provide more number of ICU beds to the patients due to the rising coronavirus cases.”

The minister also pointed out that India alone was not confronting the shortage of beds but the entire world, including the most advanced nations.

“Why is the death rate high in America and Europe? Is their health system there in disarray? This is a major pandemic spreading rapidly across the globe, which we had never seen before,” Sudhakar said.

He underlined that infrastructure can still be created but the army of doctors and nurses cannot be raised overnight.

To another question on stringent measures to contain COVID-19 surge, Sudhakar blamed people for the current situation stating that if they had strictly followed the norms, there was no need for any lockdown or night curfew. PTI GMS ROH

Bengaluru: Ruling out talks with the workers of road transport corporations (RTC) whose strike completed the 13th day on Monday, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi appealed to them to resume work.

Stating that it was not right to go on strike as the State is reeling under the COVID-19 pandemic, Savadi, holding the transport portfolio, warned those instigating or creating fear among employees who have returned or willing to return to work.

The employees of the four transport corporations have been keeping off work demanding wages as per the 6th Pay Commission recommendations.

Noting that employees were slowly returning to work, Savadi, in a statement, said over 7,000 RTC buses were operating and some private buses were plying to cater to the public.

He said over 110 buses have been damaged in stone-hurling in the name of strike, causing loss to the RTCs.

“Today too, three KSRTC buses were stoned and two employees, who were coming to duty, were assaulted. This is condemnable. The government will not tolerate such goondas,” he said, adding that those indulging in such acts and causing fear among employees or instigating them would be punished.

Rejecting reports of talks between government and the RTC employees, Savadi said, “The Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has himself ruled out talks and asked them to get back to work.”

He dismissed as false the claims made by some leaders of RTC employees to the media that talks have been held with Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Bommai too issued a statement clarifying that he had only requested Kodihalli Chandrashekhar, honorary president of the Karnataka State Road Transport Employees League, who met him this morning, to withdraw the strike in the interest of the people.

“I had only requested them to withdraw strike and get back to work. No assurance was given regarding the Pay Commission.

I have only said that I would bring their demand to the notice of the Chief Minister and Transport Minister,” he said.

Pramesh Jain

In a broad daylight incident,a gang of three men pelted stone at the moving BMTC bus as a result the driver sustained head injuries.

Senior officer told,The incident took place at Vigneshwaranagar bus stop in Kamakshipalya police station limits on Sunday evening.

Tension was gripped in the area for a while following the incident, kamakshipalya Inspector and staff with Hoysala patrolling police rushed to the spot and shifted the injured driver to the hospital.

The injured has been identified as Nanjundegowda,(43), a resident of Jalahalli.

The stone pelting incident took place at 4.15pm the bus was heading towards Jalahalli and three men intercepted the bus and pelted stone.

The front glass was damaged and the driver sustained severe head injuries and he was rushed to a nearby hospital.

The incident was caught on CCTV cameras and the police have identified the accused.Efforts are on to nab them a case has been registered in kamakshipalya police station and efforts are on to nab the miscreants.

Apart from instances of assault,angry protesters have pelted stones and damaged more than 97 buses,including luxury air-conditioned buses.As many as 35 buses in the Karnataka Road Transport Corporation’s (KSRTC) fleet have been pelted with stones so far.A total of 85 employees have been arrested so far.

Pramesh Jain

Bengaluru CCB on Sunday conducted a special drive across Bengaluru and arrested 3 accused who were having illegal stock of the Remdesivir injection and selling at Rs 10,500,which is much higher than the MRP.11 injections bottles seized.

The accused have been identified as Rajesh and Shakeeb,who run Gurushree medicals.Case registered in Sudduguntepalya police station. Another accused Sohail,case in Madiwala Police station.

Sandeep Patil,Joint commissioner of police,Crime,told media persons,that There was news in various media and social media about hoarding and black marketing of Remdesivir injection needed for Covid treatment.

Based on the information and tip off from our informants our team conducted a special drive across city in which the team conducted raid on Gurushree Medicals in Sudduguntepalya police station limits and arrested Rajesh and Shakeeb for the possession of illegal stock of the injection and selling it in higher price more than MRP.

Another team arrested one more person in Madiwala police station limits for keeping storing illegally stock of Remdesivir injection and selling it to higher price to make easy money.

The cases have been registered against the accused in Suddaguntepalya and Madiwala police stations.The police is further investigating the source from where the doses were procured by the medical shops.

After the number of COVID-19 cases increased in Karnataka,especially in Bengaluru,the demand for Remdesivir also increased.

Remdesivir is considered a key anti-viral drug in the fight against COVID-19.Several states across the country have asked for more supplies amid the record surge in COVID-19 infections.

Karnataka on Sunday recorded its highest ever single-day coronavirus spike by logging as many as 19067 fresh cases in the span of just 24 hours.

According to the state health bulletin,the total tally reached,11,61,065,while the active cases touched 1,33,543 cases.

Pramesh Jain

Three police personnel succumbed to Covid while 100 police personnel tested covid positive and have been admitted snd quarantined in and around the city on Saturday.

While ASI rank officer from Ashoknagar and Reserve ASI from VIP security section aged 50 and 56 years respectively admitted to hospital yesterday succumed at a hospital today while 46 year old head Constable working in City Armed Reserve was admitted two days ago,breath his last,a senior officer said.

Three Corona Warriors who lost the battle against Covid are identified as,ASIs,as,Hanumanthappa,attached to Ashoknagar traffic police station,Mahadev of VIP security,and Ramachandraiah attached to City Armed Reserve police are three braveheart police personnel who succumbed to Covid19.

The total number of positives cases in the police department in city reached 102.While some admitted to hospital the others with mild symptoms were home quarentined a senior police officer,said.

The infection are on the rise and every police stations reported cases with West Division is highest of 34 cases so far.

All the police stations are being sanitized and police personnel are subjected to tests.Senior police officials counseling their staff since they are covid warriors.

Senior officers condole the death of three police personnel and said another three Brave Warriors Succumbed to Covid19 may the departed soul rest in peace and salute all the Brave Warriors fighting this tough disease to keep people fearless healthy and safe.

Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai,Karantaka DG IGP, Praveen Sood,Bengaluru Police Commissioner,Kamal Pant with other senior officers as,BR Ravikanthe Gowda, DCP Traffic East,Shantharaju KM,ACP,Sathish,PI,Kiran Kumar condole the death of three police personnel who lost their battle in fighting Covid.

And senior officers has instructed to all the police personnel to follow Covid protocol and use sanitizer masks and Covid shields and take care of their health first and to be safe while performing duty.

Pramesh Jain

The southeast Division police of Hulimavu police busted an inter state drug racket and arrested two persons and seized a total of 120.7 kgs of Marijuana worth Rs 54 lakh from the accused

The accused has been identified as,Radha Ravi,29,and Palani Velu,38 both resident of Tamilnadu.

Both the accused were sourcing drugs from  Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh,and were storing it in Krishnagiri  in Tamilnadu before smuggling it into the city and selling it to the college students on Bannerghatta road.

Senior officer told media persons,that as on 12th April our Hulimavu police inspector Mahesh Kanakagiri received a credible information from his inputs that near Bannerghatta road Christ college a person is selling drugs to college students.

Based on a tip off the Hulimavu police inspector and his team rushed to the spot and kept a close watch on the person and when he was trying to sell Marijuana drugs to Christ college students our team caught him red handed and after checking his bag they found 3.7 kg Marijuana in his possession.

And for the possession of drugs our team arrested Radha Ravi,29,a construction labourer red handed on Monday.

After arresting the accused the team questioned him and a detailed Investigation led the accused to confessed the crime.

The team grilled him and the accused spilled the beans Based on his information the police team headed by PSI,Chidanand and team rushed to Neralagiri village in Krishnagiri and arrested Palani Velu,38, from whom Ravi was sourcing the drugs.

The police team interrogated him who spilled and based on his statement later seized 117 kilograms of Marijuana which he had stored in a pump house near lake in the village.

A detailed investigation by the team it has revealed that Palani,an agricultural labourer ganged up with his associate Mouli and started peddling drus to make quick money.

They contacted their associate Somesh from Vishakhapatnam and bought 120 kgs of Marijuana for Rs 25,000.

They used Radha Ravi,a construction labourer for peddling the drugs in the city to students and employees and construction labourers intended to sell one kilo of Marijuana for Rs 45,000.

The accused Radha Ravi would source the drugs into the city in a goods and vegetable vans from Tamilnadu in small quantity and sell it to his customers until the Hulimavu police got the tip off and nabbed the duo.

Both the accused has been booked under NDPS Act and further investigation is on to nab their associate and ascertain their network.

Finally Bengaluru Police Commissioner,Kamal Pant has appreciated Addl CP East,S Murugan, DCP Southeast,Srinath Mahadev Joshi, ACP,Pavan N,PI,Mahesh Kanakagiri,PSIs,as, Chidanand Navi,Mehaboob Guddali,and their crime staff as,Parameshwar,Sathish Kumar,Chowdalingaiah TM,Mahaveer Shirahati,Kedharlinga Tambe and Ashok has been appreciated for the exemplary work done by them in nabbing the duo and seizing 120.7kg Marijuana from them and a suitable reward will be given to the team for the tremendous job done by them he added.

He was awarded the prestigious Padmashri, Pampa award and also  Kendra Sahitya Akademi’s literary honour ‘Basha Sanman’ for south zone. 

BENGALURU: Professor G Venkatasubbaiah, lexicographer passed away at a Bengaluru private hospital early on Monday. He was 107.

The eight volumes of the Kannada dictionary is about 10,000 pages long. Prof G Venkatasubbiah along with other experts developed it on par with the Oxford dictionary. 

From traditional to the new era Kannada, he successfully documented the richness of the language. He was awarded the prestigious Padmashri, Pampa award and also  Kendra Sahitya Akademi’s literary honour ‘Basha Sanman’ for south zone. 

He had presided over the 77th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held in Bengaluru in 2011.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and other ministers condoled his demise.

BELAGAVI: The Lancet Covid commission India Task Force, in a report titled ‘Managing India’s Second COVID-19 Wave: Urgent Steps’, has not recommended a blanket national or state lockdown. It has instead suggested localised, phased restrictions or closures. It has recommended that the next two months can be used to prepare the education sector for a safe opening of schools, colleges in July 2021 for the next academic year.

Experts in Karnataka largely agreed with the report. Dr Pradeep Banandur, member of the Covid Technical Advisory Committee and Additional Professor, Department of Epidemiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, said last year’s lockdown was to prepare for the impending number of cases, oxygen beds, ventilators, etc, while this year the country has facilities. As government beds are not sufficient, the state is negotiating with private hospitals for beds which will be worked out in a day or two, he said, adding localised containment measures have already been followed in Karnataka.  

The second wave is expected to last 2-3 months and schools and colleges can be reopened once the test positivity rate is below 2 to 5 percent, he opined. Financial resources should be allocated for treatment and genomic sequencing, he added. 

The report recommended an aggressive vaccine coverage of priority population groups, followed by phased opening up to younger populations with specific focus on the urban poor especially in states (and districts) with high rates of infection. 

Dr Giridhara R Babu, Professor and Head Lifecourse Epidemiology, Public Health Foundation of India who is also a member of TAC and author of this report, said Karnataka can tie up with private manufacturers to produce vaccines. “It is high time we do it,” he said. 

A mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine for all visitors arriving from other countries, with an RTPCR test conducted on day 8, and the option of completing another week in home isolation if the test is negative.  Seasonal migration of workers from urban areas to rural parts is about to commence with the start of the harvest season. The State Government should support migrant labourers  equipping them with masks, options for testing and vaccination and by setting up quarantine centres in host districts.

BENGALURU: Former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday said he has tested positive for coronavirus.

For the last few days, Kumaraswamy had been campaigning for the party candidate in Basavakalyan, which is going to bypoll today.

He had got himself inoculated with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on March 23.