Adequate precautionary measures are being taken and no bird flu cases have been reported in Karnataka, Chavan stated after the meeting. 

BENGALURU: In an attempt to allay any fears over consuming chicken and eggs after cases of bird flu were reported in neighbouring Kerala and some other states, the Karnataka Government on Friday clarified that there is no restriction on the sale of poultry products in the state.

“There is no restriction on the sale of poultry products and people can consume them without any apprehensions,” Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan said, after chairing a virtual meeting with Deputy Commissioners of all the districts to review the situation. 

Adequate precautionary measures are being taken and no bird flu cases have been reported in Karnataka, Chavan stated after the meeting. The statement from the minister came after chicken prices dropped drastically at some places, including Davangere and Chitradurga. Due to the fear of bird flu, the demand for poultry products, including eggs, has dropped noticeably. 

The minister said that except for poultry products from Kerala, Karnataka has not imposed restrictions on transportation of poultry products from any other state. The state has banned entry of poultry products from Kerala and also sounded a high alert across the state, especially in the border districts. Officials of the Animal Husbandry, Forest, Rural Development, Police and other departments have been asked to work in coordination to keep a close watch on the situation. 

Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan said officials in bordering districts of Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Mysuru and Chamar-ajanagar have been told to be extra vigilant and also report cases of unnatural bird deaths. They have also been told to closely watch poultry farms and sanctuaries.

Bengaluru: Dry run, an exercise for end-to-end testing of the COVID-19 vaccination process, was conducted “successfully” in 281 facilities of 31 districts of Karnataka, and the state is ready for the actual vaccination whenever the vaccine arrives, the health department said on Friday.

The 281 facilities where the dry run was conducted include eight in the city civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike limits.

According to the state health department, Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan visited the district hospital in Ramanagara and observed the dry run activities, while Health Minister K Sudhakar visited Aster CMI hospital at Yelahanka in Bengaluru and the District hospital in Chikkaballapura.

Sudhakar, after visiting the dry run facilities, said the arrangements and preparedness were quite good and the process was being followed as per the guidelines issued.

Several MLAs, including Kumar Bangarappa (Soraba), MP Kumaraswamy (Mudigere), Suresh (Tarikere) visited dry run facilities in their constituencies and observed the activities.

Senior health department officials and Deputy Commissioners of various districts personally supervised the dry run sites, it said.

It said after the successful completion of the dry run in all the districts, the state is ready for the actual COVID-19 vaccination whenever the vaccine arrives.

Sudhakar had earlier in the day said Karnataka expects to receive 13,90,000 vials of a vaccine against COVID-19 in a day or two and it is likely to be administered from January 11.

The vaccination will first be administered to health care workers and 6.30 lakh health care professionals have registered in Karnataka to date, he said.

Health workers will be followed by those with co morbidities, those aged above 60, and in other departments like Police and Revenue working against COVID-19, he added.

The first round of the dry run was held in five districts of Karnataka- Bengaluru (including BBMP), Belagavi, Kalburgi, Mysore, and Shivamogga- on December 2 as per the government of India guidelines.

Bengaluru: The Congress in Karnataka on Friday alleged that police stations and government offices at several places in the state were functioning like ruling BJP’s offices and party workers were being intimidated and threatened to stage protests.

The party’s state president D K Shivakumar, while leveling this charge, said efforts were on to strengthen the Congress and the party’s aim was not only to outperform BJP in the coming taluk and Zilla panchayat polls but remove it from power.

“Various police stations and government offices have been converted into BJP offices.

Police officers like circle or Sub-Inspectors are threatening our workers with cases if they don’t go to BJP,” he told reporters at a state Congress “Sankalpa’ convention here.

Shivakumar claimed that many block presidents had informed the party of this and it had been taken note of.

“We have made a list of it. We are thinking about organizing protests at those police stations or in those constituencies.

We will plan and do it. We will not sit in rooms..we will go on the streets and agitate. It will be to give strength to our workers and send a message to authorities,” he added.

The division level Sankalpa conventions are aimed at strengthening the Congress at the grassroots level and chalk out political strategies, including creating awareness on the ‘failures’ of BJP-led state and central governments.

“There are taluk and Zilla panchayat polls also in certain municipalities …not just winning these polls, our challenge, our vow, and resolve are to remove the BJP government from the state and the country.”

Noting that his aim was to convert Congress, which is a mass-based party, to a cadre-based party, the KPCC chief said the process was on to appoint and train booth level agents.

“We have also asked the local leadership for new panchayat and ward level committees to be formed and inform the party about it.

We will have a “digital youth” (to manage social media, databases) in every booth, involve women and youth in a big way at the grassroots level of the party organization,” he added.

Shivakumar said the Congress would come out with a list of “anti-people” moves and “corruption”, among other things, against the BJP government.

To a question about the Karnataka High Court dismissing the Chief Minister petition, seeking quashing of the FIR in connection with an illegal denotification case, he said “…Yediyurappa should take moral responsibility, Delhi leadership of that party seems to be encouraging…”

The court had on January 6 dismissed Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s petition and directed the Lok Ayukta to continue the probe in the matter.

Mangaluru: Dr. KV Rajendra, the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada District on Friday confirmed that the district has completely banned any poultry supply from neighboring state Kerala which is hit by bird-flu. The DC added that this was in-line with one of the many precautionary measures the administration has undertaken to tackle the spread of H5N8 Avian influenza.

The DC has also issued a notification adding that the vehicles that transport poultry from Dakshina Kannada to Kerala, should be disinfected while re-entering the district after offloading poultry in Kerala.

He has also urged the people of the district to report immediately any suspicious deaths of birds and chickens in their locality. Calling upon the farm owners to ensure cleanliness at their respective farms, the DC also asked veterinarians to regularly visit poultry farms in their areas.

Bengaluru: Rubbishing speculations about the possible merger of his party JDS with the ruling BJP, former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday vowed to bring it back to power on its own in the 2023 assembly polls.

The JD(S) legislature party leader also shared his plans for revamping the party organization and having in place an 8-10 member core-committee in place to make decisions.

“…our youth should understand the path covered by this party…making this party a slave of some other party or merging it with any other party will be an insult to Deve Gowda’s (JDS patriarch and former prime minister) long struggle,” Kumaraswamy said.

Speaking at a party meeting here, he said, JD(S) has its own history and the party has no understanding or adjustment with BJP or any other party as was being projected by some.

“We have no adjustment with them (BJP)…there is no understanding with anyone. There are talks that I’m soft on BJP and (Chief Minister B S) Yediyurappa and propaganda about the merger is being spread, also there is another party (Congress) calling us BJP’s B-team, nothing is true,” he added.

Both the BJP and JDS have repeatedly rejected rumors and reports in a section of media of late about the merger after Kumaraswamy twice met Yediyurappa and JD(S) extending its support for passage of key bills and to the no-confidence motion against Legislative Council Chairman.

The work towards strengthening the party will begin from Sankranti (Jan 14), Kumaraswamy said adding “it will be towards bringing JD(S) government, Kannadiga’s government to power in 2023.”

Noting that the party organization work has taken a beating because of coronavirus, Kumaraswamy said all its wings would be dissolved and reconstituted through the respective chiefs would be retained.

After discussing with Deve Gowda and other senior leaders, a core committee consisting of 8-10 leaders will be constituted before January 14 to take decisions on the party affairs, he said.

A “War Room” will be set up at headquarters. “I’m ready to work with you under a new system for 20 hours a day. it’s not difficult to win 30-35 or 40 seats….let’s not depend on anyone to be in power. Let’s form the government independently on our own strength,” he added.

Stressing the need to take up membership drive in a big way, Kumaraswamy also asked leaders not to speak against the party and its affairs on the streets.

“Speak at party forums, the doors are open,” he added.

Mangaluru: The Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has requested Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to withdraw the proposed hike in electricity tariff by Mangalore electricity supply company (MESCOM).

In a letter to the Chief Minister, KCCI president Isaac Vas said Mescom’s decision to increase power tariff by Re 1 per unit was ‘shocking.’

The move will badly affect the consumers of DK, Udupi, and Shivamogga districts, he added.

The increase will be a blow to the MSME sector, the second-largest employment generator after agriculture, and acts as a breeding ground for entrepreneurs and innovators with considerable support in strengthening business ecosystems, Vas said.

In Dakshina Kannada alone, over one lakh people are employed in this sector while the large industries employ less than 10,000 people.

The countrywide lockdown dragged MSME owners, employees, and other stakeholders to unexpected repulsions.

After the lockdown period, MSMEs face challenges relating to debt repayments, wages and salaries, and statutory dues.

The MSME sector will completely collapse if the tariff hike is implemented, he said.

The KCCI requested that Mescom reduce its distribution losses and overheads instead of putting an additional burden on the consumers.

MSMEs are struggling to revive operations after the pandemic and the severe slowdown in the economy, Vas said in the letter.

By Husna Rizwan

YES TRUST is one of the most trusted organisation in the service of mankind. Established in 2015 at Mysore by the visionary Dr.Mir Sameem Raza (President Trustee -Yes Trust)
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On the occasion of Karnataka Educational Awards 2020 ceremony held at Ravindra Kalakshetra, Bangalore on  evening of Saturday, the 2nd of January 2021, the ONFYX network was launched by the illustrious guest of the evening.

Dignitaries included
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Dr Prabhakaran N (ex Scientist DRDO )
Dr. M.M. Mahadevappa ( Dean And Professor sri venkateshwara group of institute)
Dr. Sachin Sharma. (CEO Super Human Foundation )
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Dr. Raj Singh , ( Vice Chancellor Jain University)
Dr. Gurukulam Ganapathy Reddy, (Founder and CEO Stayfit india pvt ltd )
Mr Rizwan Asad, (Chief Editor Nasheman News)
Mrs, Revathi Iyer, (national Awardee Hindi )
Ms. Ritanya Gowda ( Official Anchor )

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