Karnataka govt considering opening malls,decision likely soon: CM Yediyurappa
Bengaluru, Jun 29: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday said the government is considering opening malls in the city with some conditions, and a decision in this regard will be taken soon.
"Malls (Shopping Centres) association members have met me. I will discuss with my cabinet colleagues. We are discussing giving certain concessions with some conditions.
No decision has been taken yet," Yediyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters here, he expressed happiness over COVID cases coming down.
"I have told them that I will discuss with my cabinet colleagues, and take a decision soon," he added.
Malls may be allowed to operate with riders after July 5, when the current COVID "Unlock" guideline comes to an end. Under the "Unlock" guidelines that are in place in most parts of the state, several sectors have been permitted to operate but air-conditioned shops, shopping complexes, malls, are still not permitted to function.
Earlier in the day, the Shopping Centres Association of India members met Yediyurappa and requested him to allow Malls to be opened from next week.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, G M Nandish of Garuda Mall said they have sought opening of malls.
"We have said not to impose restrictions limiting it from 9am to 6pm as it won't be useful, and allow it from 9am to 9pm. We have also assured following all the conditions with regard to safety, security, social distancing, sanitisation among others," he said.
Requests have also been made to waive the rent or licence fees in government buildings."CM has sought time for a couple of days and that he will discuss with Ministers and officials," he added.
Due to closure, malls are facing financial stress and also property tax has not been waived, representatives of malls said. Besides, electricity fixed charges are being charged, they said and sought its waiver, and financial assistance if any.
There are about 84 malls in the state, transacting business of about Rs 40,000 to 45,000 crore annually, and their continued closure will bring lakhs of employees on to the streets, representatives said, adding that the managements have been paying salaries to employees for now.
Meanwhile, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said, in his opinion malls can be allowed to function, as restrictions like operating with 50 per cent capacity can be implemented, because people there go only for a couple of hours, but strict vigil has to be maintained at food courts.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
