40-yr-old teacher protesting outside Jharkhand minister's house dies
Dumka (Jharkhand): A 40-year-old para-teacher died during a night-long sit-in outside the house of a Jharkhand minister here, with protestors claiming that he died due to cold, officials said Monday.
The deceased, a contractual teacher, was identified as Kanchan Das, they said.
The para-teacher was declared dead by doctors Sunday and other protesters claimed that he had died of cold on Saturday night, an official said.
Dumka Civil Surgeon A K Jha said they had information that one para-teacher has died in the course of agitation Saturday.
The para-teachers across the state have been agitating for the last three months for regularisation of their services along with other demands.
They had been staging indefinite rotation dharnas outside Jharkhand Welfare Minister Louise Marandi's house since November 25.
Das along with six others had joined the dharna Saturday, spent the night outside the minister's house and did not wake up Sunday morning, other members of the agitation said.
He was rushed to a hospital where the doctors declared him dead.
Asked about the cause of death, AK Jha said, "We are waiting for the post-mortem examination report. Then only we can confirm the exact cause of death."
He said the report was likely to be available on Monday.
The post-mortem was conducted by a medical board comprising a forensic expert and the board was constituted by the district administration Sunday, Jha said.
Dumka Superintendent of Police Y S Ramesh said the sit-in agitation ended Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the minister condoled the para-teacher's death and talked to Dumka Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Kumar in this regard.
Referring to the problem of the para-teachers, Marandi said Chief Minister Raghubar Das was abroad presently and she would discuss the matter with him once he was back.
"We want to have a constructive discussion on the problems of the para-teachers," she said.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
