Process of appointing new Lokayukta is in final stage: CM Bommai
Mysuru/Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said the process of appointing a new Lokayukta for the state is at final stage and it will be completed at the earliest.
The Chief Minister's statement came a day after the Karnataka High Court indicated that the process of appointment of the Lokayukta was under active consideration of the state government.
"According to me the process (of appointment of Lokayukta) is at its final stage, it will be done at the earliest, it won't take many days...," Bommai told reporters in Mysuru in response to a question.
The Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, who is part of the panel along with the Chief Minister, Speaker of the Assembly, Chairman of the Legislative Council and the leaders of the opposition in both the Houses which appoints the Lokayukta, gave the indication while hearing a PIL on Tuesday seeking the appointment at the earliest.
The petition, filed by advocate Umapathi S seeking direction to the State to appoint the Lokayukta at the earliest, pointed out that the post has been vacant since January 2022.
Justice P Vishwanath Shetty had stepped down as the head of Karnataka Lokayukta in January, after five years of service. The division bench of the High Court headed by the Chief Justice posted the matter for hearing again after 10 days.
The court said that since the matter was under consideration, the PIL may be disposed of.
But the petitioner-advocate requested for keeping it pending till the appointment was made citing earlier alleged instances where the court order was not followed by the government.
The petition said: due to non-appointment of Lokayukta, the complaints and grievances are pending for disposal for several years and fresh complaints and grievances keep on accumulating to the pending list of grievances and complaints.
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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.
