All ministers will visit districts to review COVID, flood situation: CM Basavaraj Bommai
Bengaluru, Aug 4: The Karnataka cabinet, which met for the first time after it was expanded with the induction of 29 new members on Wednesday, decided that all ministers will immediately visit districts assigned to them and review the flood and COVID-19 situation there.
"The cabinet that met today after the expansion of the Ministry, has decided to allocate Ministers with districts to review COVID and flood situation. Tomorrow itself an order to this effect will be issued," Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, he said Ministers will immediately go to the districts to review the steps being taken to manage the possible COVID third wave and oversee the relief measures in the flood affected regions, and report the requirements of additional assistance for relief.
Bommai, who had taken oath as the Chief Minister on July 28, had chaired a single member cabinet the same day.
The Chief Minister said the cabinet has also decided to reconstitute the COVID-19 task force immediately after the portfolio allocation.
He also said that a decision has been taken to set up an exclusive secretariat for welfare of Scheduled Tribes for effective monitoring and implementation of STP (tribal sub-plan) programes.
"This has been a long pending demand by the ST community."
Further, a decision has been taken to implement women's safety and welfare programmes in various departments under the direct supervision of the Chief Minister, as announced in the Budget 2021-22, he added.
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Rupee falls 20 paise to 95.43 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 20 paise to 95.43 against US dollar in early trade on Tuesday as market sentiments remained fragile after renewed military exchanges between US and Iranian forces in the Gulf region.
Forex traders said investor anxiety due to instability in the Gulf is causing massive capital flight into safe-haven assets, with the US dollar acting as the primary beneficiary.
Moreover, Brent oil prices is hovering near USD 113 per barrel, maintaining pressure on oil-importing economies like India.
At the interbank foreign exchange market the rupee opened at 95.30 then lost ground to touch 95.43 against the US dollar, in initial trade, registering a fall of 20 paise over its previous close.
Rupee fell 39 paise to close at an all-time low of 95.23 against the US dollar on Monday.
"With oil boiling rupee on Monday fell to a closing low of 95.0875 and this morning the opening was still lower as it becomes more and more vulnerable when dollar index rises due to safe-haven buying and oil prices rise due to the continuous fighting in the Gulf Region," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.
The higher oil prices will keep rupee sold off against the dollar as oil companies and FPIs intensify dollar buying, Bhansali added.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 98.51, up 0.15 per cent.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading lower by 1.07 per cent at USD 113.22 per barrel in futures trade.
"Market sentiments remained fragile after renewed military exchanges between US and Iranian forces when Iranian forces launched fresh attacks in the Gulf as both sides sought to assert control over the strategic waterway," Bhansali said.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex declined 361.62 points to 76,907.78 in early trade, while the Nifty dropped 134.90 points to 23,980.60.
Foreign Institutional Investors purchased equities worth Rs 2,835.62 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.
