10 new positive cases of COVID-19 in Karnataka, number rises to 51
Bengaluru: Ten new positive cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Karnataka on Wednesday, taking the total number of the affected persons by the deadly virus in the state to 51, the health department said.
"Till date 51 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes one death and 3 discharged," the department said in a bulletin.
It said 47 positive patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable.
Of the 51 cases detected and confirmed in the state so far, six are transit passengers of Kerala who have landed in airports and being treated in Karnataka, the department said.
Among the newly confirmed positive cases are a 63-year-old man and his 59-year-old wife, who are residents of the city, and had a history of travel to South America -Brazil and Argentina. The cases also include two 26-year-old men, who are residents of the city, and had a history of travel to Spain and arrived to Bengaluru via Dubai.
Others are a 63-year-old woman and her 69-year-old husband, who are residents of Bengaluru, with a history of travel to Athens and London, and nine and seven years' old daughters of a patient who earlier tested positive and is under treatment, as per the bulletin.
A 34-year-old man, a resident of Udupi, who returned from Dubai, and a 37-year old woman, a resident of Chitradurga, with a history of travel to Guyana and arrived to Bengaluru via Delhi (currently under treatment in Davangere) are the other cases, it said.
The health department said contact tracing has been initiated for all the cases.
Among the 51 positive cases in the state, 32 were reported from Bengaluru, five from Dakshina Kannada, three each from Kalaburgai and Chikkaballapura, two each from Mysuru and Uttara Kannada, and one each from Kodagu, Dharwad, Davangere and Udupi.
All the three discharged patients are from Bengaluru.
One death was reported in Kalaburgari earlier this month, which was the country's first COVID-19 related death.
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Heated debate in Karnataka Legislative Council over continued ACC mining in Kalaburagi
Bengaluru (PTI): A heated exchange took place in the Karnataka Legislative Council on Tuesday over alleged non-payment of mining dues and the "unauthorised" continuation of quarry operations by the Adani Group’s ACC Limited, with ruling Congress and the opposition BJP members questioning the government’s handling of royalty recovery and permissions.
Raising the issue during Question Hour, Congress MLC K Shivakumar, speaking on behalf of his party MLC Arathi Krishna, alleged that substantial royalty dues remained unpaid even as operations continued.
Krishna wanted to know whether the Karnataka government was aware that the lease period granted to Adani Group’s ACC Ltd for mining in the Kannur Limestone Block at Wadi in Kalaburagi has expired.
“If it is true, what action has the government taken against the said company for allegedly carrying out unauthorised mining at the site without paying the total dues of Rs 850.21 crore towards royalty, rent or penalty payable to the state government?” she asked in the written question.
She claimed that despite the Law department having given a written opinion to the Mines department that the said company should not be permitted to undertake mining activities until it clears all pending dues payable to the government, no legal action has been initiated against ACC, and instead a letter has been written to the central government regarding renewal of the lease in favour of the company.
Krishna questioned the apparent disparity in enforcement between small quarry operators and large corporate entities.
“After the Adani Group took over quarrying, they had to pay Rs 837 crore as royalty. Till today, they have not paid the royalty. What prompted you to exempt them from this royalty?” asked Shivakumar, on behalf of Krishna.
“If there is any small quarry operator, if he does not pay royalty, you do not allow him... You just bring him and seize it.”
BJP MLC C T Ravi echoed similar concerns, questioning the legal and procedural basis for allowing participation in bidding and continuation of operations despite pending dues.
“Do your rules allow those with pending dues to participate? If such a provision exists, under which rule does it exist?” he asked, also seeking clarity on recommendations of the High-Level Committee, Law Department and concurrence of the Finance Department.
Responding to the allegations, Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy, replying on behalf of the Mines and Geology Minister S S Mallikarjun, maintained that no fresh licence had been granted and that the matter involved both an existing mining lease and a separate new application still under process.
He said the company had applied through the bidding route and was given time to complete formalities, which had since been done.
The minister explained that the issue of dues was pending before the court, which has allowed operations to continue subject to certain conditions.
“The old licence is continuing under court direction. It has not been stopped. We are following court direction,” he said, adding that part payment had been made and the balance would be decided through legal proceedings.
Ravi, however, pressed further, arguing that court orders did not prevent recovery of dues.
“The court has not said do not recover dues. What does your legal opinion say? Why have you not recovered?” he asked.
Shivakumar also raised concerns over declining non-tax revenue from mining, citing the state’s own budget observations.
“If Rs 800 crore to Rs 900 crore is allowed to let go like this, where will non-tax revenue come from?” he asked and sought to know why the government had not fully tapped the sector’s revenue potential.
The Minister reiterated that the due itself was under dispute, making immediate recovery difficult.
“How can we recover when the amount itself is not decided? Until recovery is possible, no further permission will be given,” he said, adding that consultations with the Law Department and Advocate General would be held to explore further action.
He also cited tender conditions, stating, “As per the tender notification dated October 5, 2020, a company must have paid all past dues to be considered a successful bidder.”
Unconvinced, Ravi demanded that the recovery of dues should follow.
