Cong manifesto to be ready before LS poll dates are announced: Tharoor
Kolkata (PTI): Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said that the first draft of the party's manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections would be released by February 15 and the final one would come out before the poll dates are announced.
He also expressed hope that the opposition bloc INDIA might choose elements from the manifestos of parties in the alliance and come up with one having a list of the core issues.
"We have our internal procedures. The first draft should be ready by February 15 but thereafter it has to be agreed upon and adopted by our working committee. But certainly, by the time the Election Commission announces the elections, our manifesto will be ready and out," he said.
Tharoor participated in 'Shape the Future', a programme jointly hosted by the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee and the All India Professionals' Congress, for constructive input from cross-sections of the civil society for preparing the party's manifesto.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP is also a member of the committee to prepare the party manifesto.
"I think each party is going to be working on its own manifesto... It is entirely possible that the INDIA alliance will choose elements from all the manifestos in common and come up with a core list of issues," he added.
Tharoor said the manifestos would focus on the issues of unemployment, price rise, the need for income support for the poor, women's rights, youths and farmers.
The objective of Saturday's interactive session was to gather impartial, spontaneous, and value-added views from different segments of the society on issues that they felt to be addressed by a union government, a Congress leader said.
Tharoor heard stakeholders from the Industry, Economy, Healthcare, Banking, Education, Information Technology, Human Resources, Literature, Cultural, Legal and Diversity segments.
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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.
