BENGALURU: While neighbouring Maharashtra has decided to continue with its curbs, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is expected to announce further relaxations and may even lift the weekend curfew in the state from July 5.

While a meeting in this regard will be held on Friday evening, experts from the Technical Advisory Committee were unaware of the development. They have expressed concerns over the hurry in opening up all economic activities or lifting curfews at a time when neighbouring states, including Kerala, are witnessing a surge.

“A meeting will be held with the CM on Friday evening to decide on the issue,” said Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan who also heads the State’s Covid 19 Task Force. However, experts feel that the state should perhaps wait for the next two weeks before announcing more relaxations. 

“It would be better to watch for two weeks before we announce total relaxations. At least night curfew should continue in the state. If you look at the first and second waves, we have seen a surge in cases in Karnataka four weeks after it happened in Kerala and Maharashtra. Now, with many people coming into the state, we may have an increase in cases here too.

Gatherings should definitely not be given permission at any cost,” said Dr C N Manjunath, Director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research and member of the TAC. According to medical experts, though the state cannot stall commercial activities for a longer time, it may make sense for the government to probably do away with the weekend lockdown.

“We should ideally open up economic activities in a very controlled manner and not encourage social and entertainment activities. We can continue with the night curfew or extend it by an hour’s time,” felt Dr Vishal Rao, Dean, Centre for Academic Research, HCG Cancer Centre and expert committee member of the Covid-19 task force.

Interestingly, the number of new daily cases is still in the 2,500-3,500 range. Dr Manjunath pointed out that in the first wave, the state saw the number come down to three digits and felt this should be the ideal scenario in the second wave too. “People cannot afford to let their guard down. Life vs livelihood has to be remembered. They have to come out, I agree. But, every single citizen has to be responsible and follow Covid-19 norms. Or else, there will be multiple lockdowns and multiple waves,” Dr Manjunath warned.

KARNATAKA: The Karnataka government announced that passengers from Kerala carrying a vaccine certificate of at least one dose will be exempted from producing negative RT-PCR reports, as the state has taken special surveillance measures for people coming from Kerala.

However, an exemption has been provided to the people who have received both the doses of COVID-19 vaccine, or are constitutional functionaries, health workers and children below two years of age. In case of dire emergency situation like death in the family and medical requirements, the passengers shall be allowed even without these requirements after collecting their swabs along with details of identity. 

Pramesh Jain

The South Division police of Kumaraswamy Layout busted an interstate drug racket and arrested three persons and recovered 70 kgs of Marijuana and 1 kg of hashish oil worth Rs 21 lakh from them.

The accused has been identified as,Kaala Shiva Jamil ,25, Kollu Govinda, 25 and Hari Prasad from East Godhavari and Chittor district of Andhra Pradesh.

The trio were caught red handed while they were waiting for their customers at Jaraganahalli bus stop on Kanakpura road to deliver the goods.

Senior officer told media persons,Our Kumaraswamy layout police inspector,P  Shivakumar, received a credible information that three persons are in Jaraganahalli play ground with huge quantity of drugs substances with them and are waiting to deliver to their clients.

After receiving the information Inspector informed the senior officers as ACP,DCP regarding the information, Senior officer asked to raid the place and nab the peddlers by taking additional force with them and handle carefully.

Based on the information,ACP,TM Shivakumar,along with inspector and crime staff rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area by rounding up the ground from all the corners.

The ACP and his team swung into action and after keeping a close watch the team entered the ground and secured three persons and after searching their belongings the team found Marijauna and Hashish oil in their possession the team secured them red handed.

After securing them the team questioned them and during interrogation the accused confessed the crime and the trio said they source the drugs from Andhra Pradesh and deliver it to their contacts in the South and Eastern part of the city in bulk.

The accused said that they would smuggle the narcotics in buses since lock down,as getting the narcotics in the car is risky at the border check posts so they smuggled the drugs in plastic gunny bags.

He even said that they obtained the information about the Andhra Pradesh peddlers a few days ago while carrying out surveillance and a special drive against the drug addicts in their jurisdiction.

Based on the information, the police kept a tab and waited at the bus stop in disguise and caught the trio red handed after they got down from the bus and waited for their clients to deliver the narcotics packets.

The team has recovered totally 75 kgs of Marijuana and 1kg of Hashish oil Worth of Rs.21 lakh from them and a case under NDPS Act has been registered against the accused and further investigation is on to nab other drug peddlers he added.

Finally Bengaluru Police Commissioner,Kamal Pant has appreciated Addl CP East,S Murugan, DCP South,Harish Pandey,ACP,Subramanyanagar Sub-Division,TM Shivakumar,PI,P Shivakumar,PSIs,as,Nagesh HM,and Sathyamurthy and crime staff as,Ravikumar, Kempegowda,Bhukanth,Eshwarappa,Ananth Reddy,Anekanth Bilagi,Mahantesh K,Girish,Umesh and Shivaram has been appreciated for nabbing the trio inter-state drug peddler and seizing huge quantity of drugs from them a suitable reward will be given to the team for the exemplary work done by them he added.