Preparations for holding polls to local bodies to be completed in 2 weeks: Govt to HC
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Government has informed the High Court that the preparation for conducting elections to local bodies including Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Zilla Panchayats and Taluk Panchayats will be completed in two weeks. The Government’s submission before the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale came during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by the State Election Commission (SEC).
The SEC has challenged an Amendment by which the State Government withdrew its power to redraw the constituencies and prepare the reservation list. A new delimitation panel was created by the State to conduct this exercise.
Considering the government's submission to complete the exercise within two weeks, the bench disposed of the PIL. The HC, however, clarified that the SEC was at liberty to approach the court again if it faced any difficulty from the government in completing the task.
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Advocate General K Shashikiran Shetty, who appeared for the State, informed the bench that the delimitation exercise for the local bodies would be completed today (December 19) and a notification would be issued soon. He also submitted that a draft notification for reservation of seats in these constituencies would be issued within two weeks. Objections to these lists would be considered within two weeks thereafter. The HC, while recording these submissions, directed the State to file a detailed memo and disposed of the PIL.
The SEC had made preparations for the ZP-TP polls in Karnataka in April and May 2021. It had completed the delimitation exercise on constituencies and the final list of voters was also published. The reservation draft was also announced by the SEC. However, before the SEC could announce the election schedule, the then State Government amended the Karnataka Panchayat Raj and Gram Swaraj Act.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
