Government response to earthquake has shortcomings, concedes Turkish president
Death count in Turkey-Syria crosses 15,000 as debris, weather hampers rescue work
Antakya: Turkish President Recep Tarrip Erdogan admitted on Wednesday to the government response to the disaster that has killed more than 15,000 people in Turkey and Syria having ‘shortcomings’.
Facing intense and growing criticism online to the way the Turkish government handled the situation after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit the region, Erdogan visited Kahramanmaras, which was not only one of the worst-hit spots but also the epicenter of the quake, reports NDTV.
The president acknowledged problems in the government response to the mishap. "Of course, there are shortcomings. The conditions are clear to see. It's not possible to be ready for a disaster like this," he said.
Rescuers have struggled to carry out the work amid not just the thousands of buildings that collapsed but also the freezing weather. The survivors, meanwhile, have been struggling to get food and shelter. They have also had to helplessly watch their relatives breathe their last after calling out for help from beneath the debris.
Expressing her pain, Semire Coban, a kindergarten teacher, in Turkey's Hatay, has said, "My nephew, my sister-in-law and her sister are in the ruins. There is no sign of life… We are trying to talk to them, but they are not responding... We are waiting for help. It has been 48 hours now.”
Officials and medical officers said that a total of 15,383 people had died – 12,391 in Turkey and at least 2,992 in Syria. Experts fear that the numbers will only rise sharply.
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Karnataka govt to strictly implement the paid menstrual leave policy, after HC directive
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad has said that the government will strictly implement the paid menstrual leave policy across all sectors at the earliest, following the High Court directive.
The High Court of Karnataka had recently directed the state government to "strictly and faithfully" implement the menstrual leave policy, pending formal enactment of the proposed legislation.
"I welcome the directive issued by the Karnataka High Court in support of our state government's ambitious menstrual leave policy," Lad said.
The state government has taken firm steps to implement the menstrual leave policy comprehensively, and as a model to the country, he said in a post on 'X' on Thursday.
"In line with the court's opinion that menstrual leave is a matter of women's dignity, justice, and humane recognition of their lived realities, we will strictly implement the paid menstrual leave policy--equivalent to one day per month, or 12 days per year--across all sectors at the earliest," he added.
The court had said that in the interregnum, it shall be incumbent upon the state to ensure effective operationalisation of the policy through the issuance of suitable guidelines, circulars, and administrative instructions, as may be necessary to secure its uniform, consistent, and rigorous implementation across all sectors.
The court issued the directive while hearing on a petition filed by 41-year-old Chandravva Hanumant Gokavi, who works in a hotel in Mudalgi of Gokak taluk in Belagavi district, before the Dharwad bench, seeking implementation of the November 20, 2025, order of the government providing one-day menstrual leave for all working women.
