Karnataka govt extends services of retiring health care personnel by a month
Bengaluru: Amid rising COVID-19 cases, the Karnataka government on Saturday decided to extend the services of health care personnel, who are retiring on May 31, for a month till June 30 to assist in containing the coronavirus spread in the state.
A notification to this effect was passed by the Additional Chief Secretary, (Health and Family Welfare Department) Jawaid Akhtar on Saturday, according to a government bulletin.
Similarly, the Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Services has issued an order regarding testing of passengers, who are coming by flights and trains from high-risk states, at their own cost by private labs for COVID-19.
"The sample will be tested by the pooling method (5 samples in one pool as per ICMR guidelines).
Each traveler will be charged a fee of Rs 650 per test by the private lab irrespective of test result being positive or negative," the order read.
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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.
