Karnataka CM bans officials from carrying mobiles to meetings
Bengaluru, June 2: Within days of taking charge as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, H.D. Kumaraswamy has banned the state government officials from carrying mobiles to his meetings to enforce discipline and avoid diversions, a top official said on Saturday.
"The Chief Minister has directed to ensure that the officials do not carry mobile phones to the meetings to avoid distractions and to enforce discipline," state's Chief Secretary K. Ratna Prabha told IANS here.
Calling it a welcome move, the Chief Secretary said the decision to ban mobile phones will ensure that the officials contribute effectively to the meetings.
"It is a welcome step by the Chief Minister as distractions through mobile phones will be removed during crucial meetings," she added.
The Chief Minister's decision came 10 days after he took charge on May 23 and held only a few meetings with the officials.
A senior officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) rank in the state, however, declined to comment on Kumaraswamy's order.
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Online fraud: Hotel chef from Udupi cheated of over Rs 1 lakh by WhatsApp contact
Udupi: Udupi City Police have registered a case of online fraud after a 62-year-old hotel chef was allegedly cheated of Rs 1.13 lakh by a woman who befriended him on WhatsApp, claiming to be based in London.
The victim, identified as Pandu Kariappa Poojary, a resident of Kuthpadi in Udupi, was working at a hotel in Mangaluru.
He reportedly came into contact with a woman identifying herself as Emilda William on WhatsApp. During their interactions, she told Poojary that she planned to start a cosmetics and hotel business in India and would meet him during a visit to Mangaluru.
On April 7, Emilda sent Poojary a flight ticket from London to Delhi via WhatsApp. The following day, Poojary received a phone call from a woman who informed him that Emilda had arrived at Delhi airport carrying a demand draft worth Rs 5 crore along with other items. The caller allegedly asked him to pay Rs 70,000.
Subsequently, Poojary also received a call from Emilda, who was reportedly crying and spoke about the situation. Believing the claims, he transferred a total of Rs 1,13,300 in phases using a scanner. He later realised that he had been cheated.
