CM Yediyurappa asks top district officials to work from taluks to check COVID-19
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday directed district authorities including the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to camp at taluk centres and work towards curbing the spread of COVID-19.
Calling for strengthening of vigilance mechanism on those in home quarantine at ward and village level, he said, FIR should be booked against those violating quarantine norms.
Yediyurappa held a videoconference with DCs, ZP CEOs and SPs of Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Udupi, Yadgir, Raichur and Belagavi districts that have seen spike in cases.
Asking DCs, ZP CEOs and SPs to divide taluks of respective district among themselves and camp there to supervise the control of COVID-19 from there, the Chief Minister said all precautions should be ensured before easing the lockdown restrictions on June 8 and the guidelines issued by the central government has to be followed.
Pointing out that COVID-19 cases were increasing in the state because of returnees from Maharashtra, he asked officials to take all necessary measures to check it, his office said in a release.
Instructing district administrations to be vigilant about those under home quarantine, Yediyurappa said, police department should appoint a constable near the house of those under home quarantine, also at gram pancyat level task force has to be constituted for surveillance.
Noting that booth level teams should be asked to submit reports regarding this on a daily basis, he said, adding "at every village and ward (in cities) vigilance committees have to be set up and they have to work efficiently.
If home quarantine is violated FIR has to be registered."
Asking border districts to be extra vigilant at the borders aimed at controlling unauthorized entries in to the state, Yediyurappa said, bodies should not be allowed to be brought into the state at any cost.
He also instructed to conduct the SSLC (class 10) and PUC (class 12) that have been scheduled later this month smoothly.
Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Revenue Minister R Ashoka, Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar among others were present at the meeting.
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Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
