Karnataka Governor, CM stress importance of performing yoga
Bengaluru: Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala and Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday stressed the importance of practicing yoga regularly, as the International day of Yoga saw people in the state celebrating it in a low key manner, with COVID-19 restrictions in place.
Schools, parks, clubs and playgrounds in Bengaluru wore a deserted look, unlike in previous years, as people did not congregate there due to the restrictions. The Governor and Chief Minister greeted the people on the day.
Sharing images of the Governor performing solo Yoga, the Raj Bhavan, in a press release, quoted him urging people to perform it regularly to boost immunity and improve mental, physical and emotional health.
"Honourable Governor wishes happy sixth International Yoga Day 21 st June, 2020 to the people of Karnataka State and appealed to practice 'Yoga at home, Yoga with family'," a press release said.
It said the staff practiced yoga on the lawns of the Raj Bhavan at 6 am. In his tweet, Yediyurappa said Yoga is a gift from India to the world, which was handed down to us by our ancestors.
"We have to preserve Yoga and also need to practice it regularly to celebrate a strong, healthy and meaningful life", he said.
Many ministers and government officials shared images of them performing Yoga. State ministers B C Patil and S T Somashekar performed yoga together at a lawn and shared the videos and images.
The Pantanjali Yoga Kendra members performed Yoga on the Parakala Math premises in Mysuru, maintaining social distancing.
The Karnataka unit of BJP celebrated the day at the basement of the party office, where the state BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel and other office bearers performed it.
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi, who represents Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka, too shared his photographs and Yoga Day message on Twitter, saying it helps in boosting immunity and is the most effective way to combat COVID-19.
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Hospital wall collapse: CM orders suspension of executive engineer; kin of victims get solatium
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday ordered the immediate suspension of an executive engineer for the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital wall collapse that claimed the lives of seven people, during a high-level review meeting at Vidhana Soudha.
A compensation of Rs 5 lakh, as announced by the CM Siddaramaiah, was distributed to the families of seven victims who lost their lives in the tragedy on Wednesday evening, which occurred due to heavy downpour with gusty winds and hailstorm.
The meeting of municipal commissioners of the five corporations, chaired by the chief minister and attended by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, focused on fixing accountability and examining lapses that led to the tragedy.
"Why was soil dumped in a way that damaged the wall? Why did you not monitor this?" Siddaramaiah asked, pulling up hospital authorities during the meeting.
A statement from the chief minister's office said that the CM ordered the immediate suspension of the executive engineer of the Karnataka Health Systems Development Project (KHSDP).
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He also questioned the hospital authorities, asking why they failed to monitor the dumping of soil that weakened the structure.
The chief minister directed that a notice be issued to the head of the Hospital.
During the meeting, Siddaramaiah said the rains had caused extensive damage in the city, with over 250 trees uprooted.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to take necessary measures before the onset of the monsoon to avoid untoward incidents.
Commissioners of all five municipal zones in Bengaluru have been asked to take precautionary steps, including trimming dry and dangerous tree branches, the CMO said.
Siddaramaiah also directed them to get the silt cleared from stormwater drains to prevent flooding, and that immediate action be taken to remove debris and fallen branches from roads.
Further, he instructed that barricades be placed at underpasses where water stagnates and restricts public movement.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao said in a statement that Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad distributed compensation cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased on Thursday.
Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and seven others injured when the compound wall collapsed amid heavy rain, strong winds and a hailstorm on Wednesday evening.
Police said the victims, comprising three from Bengaluru, two from Kerala on a study tour and one each from Uttar Pradesh and Assam, had taken shelter near the wall when it suddenly gave way, trapping them under the debris.
The chief minister questioned officials over the dumping of soil near the wall despite knowing it could weaken the structure, and directed that a notice be issued to the head of Bowring Hospital.
Siddaramaiah, who had visited the spot soon after the incident along with senior officials, reviewed the situation and ordered a detailed probe into the collapse.
