Raichur: Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao issued a stern warning to doctors and staff in taluka hospitals, emphasizing the importance of their presence at duty stations to provide necessary care for pregnant women. He cautioned that disciplinary action would be taken against those found negligent.
Speaking at the launch of the state-level Maternal and Child Safety Campaign on Wednesday at the premises of the Mother and Child Hospital in Raichur, the minister underlined the government's responsibility to safeguard maternal and child health. He detailed plans for the Matru Suraksha Abhiyan, which will be conducted across all district and taluk centers in Karnataka.
He announced that taluk hospitals will be upgraded into district mini-hospitals, equipped with enhanced facilities and staffed adequately. He stressed the need for round-the-clock treatment availability, highlighting Raichur's need for better healthcare and education services. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has pledged support, including funds for immediate implementation of these initiatives.
Highlighting alarming maternal mortality statistics, Gundu Rao pointed out that 64 out of every 100,000 pregnant women in the state die due to insufficient care. The campaign aims to reduce this figure to zero through improved healthcare access and awareness.
Minor Irrigation and Science and Technology Minister N.S. Boseraju reinforced the need for a district hospital in Raichur and urged swift action to address healthcare infrastructure deficiencies. He called on medical professionals to ensure quality service for economically disadvantaged families.
MLA Hampaiah Sahukara, District Collector Nitesh, Zilla Panchayat CEO Pandve Rahul Tukaram, and local civic leaders were present during the program. The program was coordinated by District Health Officer Dr. Surendra Babu, with Dandappa Biradar serving as the event's master of ceremonies.


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Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
