Efforts to eradicate public fear of police: New SP BM Lakshmi Prasad
Mangaluru: The public is scared of police and police stations. Efforts will be made to eliminate it, said BM Lakshmi Prasad, DK's new SP.
Addressing media persons at the district SP office here on Wednesday, he said that there was a lack of communication between the police and the public. This causes more problems. "The public fear to inform regarding anti-social activities. To avoid this, action will be taken to create a people-friendly police system. Following which, people can visit police stations with their problems," he said.
Already beat police system exists in the district. It will be further organized. The trend of listening public's problems has been reduced in the police department. It can be solved only by looking to the issues. In this regard, the police will be instructed to find solutions to people's problems and resolve the issue, BM Lakshmi Prasad added.
Dakshina Kannada is the most sensitive district. The appropriate decision will be taken after carrying out discussions whenever problems and challenges arise. I have also understood that the rise in drugs and marijuana in the district is emerging as a challenge to the police department. It will be tackled.
Additional SP Sajit VJ and others were present.
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Karnataka procured 16 lakh expired RT-PCR kits during Covid wave: D’Cunha commission
Bengaluru: Justice John Michael D’Cunha’s committee has uncovered significant irregularities in the procurement of medical supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic, revealing that more than 16 lakh RT-PCR test kits purchased by Karnataka in 2022 under the BJP-led government were either expired or close to their expiry dates.
After irregularities in PPE kit purchases, ventilators have also come under the scanner, with the report highlighting discrepancies amounting to Rs 173.26 crore in purchases made by the Medical Education Department.
The commission has also found that the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd. (KSMSCL) that cancelled a supply order for one lakh Rapid Antigen (RAT) kits placed with a Singapore-based company in March 2020 — for delay in supplying — has not recovered the Rs 6.99 crore paid to the company towards the order, as reported by The Hindu on Thursday.
According to the 279-page report on procurements made by the KSMSCL that is compiled in part IV of the report, a payment of Rs 148.84 crore was made by KSMSCL to various suppliers and firms towards procurement of RT-PCR kits from 2020 to 2022.
The Commission’s report, as cited by the publication, stated that there were records indicating procurement of RT-PCR kits, RNA extraction kits and Viral transport media (VTM) of a total value of Rs 106.25 crore during the pandemic in Karnataka. However, according to the report, this procurement was made without administrative approval.
“Since the KSMSCL has failed to discharge its obligation and responsibility, the loss caused to the State exchequer to this extent is required to be replenished by the erring officers and/or officials of the KSMSCL as well as the officers and/or officials of the consignee designated laboratories who received the consignment,” the report said, pegging the losses due to expired kits supplied by companies at Rs 3.11 crore.
In response to the report’s findings, state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao criticised the saffron party for profiting from the pandemic. He promised accountability for the irregularities involving PPE kits and ventilators, stating that those responsible would face punishment.
