Checkposts will come up in border regions having village-to-village contact to stop COVID surge: CM
Kalaburagi, Jan 4: With rising COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra and Kerala, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said checkposts will be set up in places where there are village-to-village contacts between Karnataka and neighbouring states.
He also said the police station under the jurisdiction will be responsible for such checkposts.
"Our experiences since the first and second wave have been that the infections in Karnataka rise whenever COVID-19 cases spiral in our neighbouring states, with whom we have daily business activities. We have to focus on that area," Bommai told reporters.
When asked about the laxity in the border regions, the Chief Minister said the border is vast and checking is happening at the main checkposts only. However, there are contacts with neighbouring states at the village level.
"Today, I am going to issue a direction to hold the police stations responsible for places where there is village-to-village contact. We will set up checkposts in such villages there and deploy people," the Chief Minister said.
To a query on the possibility of a lockdown, semi-lockdown or weekend curfew, Bommai said he will have to wait for the experts' view on it. He, however, pointed out that the lockdown will have an adverse effect on the economy.
"We have to keep the economy moving along with taking care of public health. That's the thinking of our government. I seek public support to contain the spread of the disease," Bommai said.
Regarding the possibility of closure of schools and colleges in view of rising COVID cases, Bommai said he will go by what the experts say in the meeting later in the evening.
The state on Monday reported 1,290 cases and five deaths of which 1,041 infections and three fatalities were in Bengaluru itself.
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2 killed, 5 injured in firing after mob storms CRPF camp in Manipur's Bishnupur: State home minister
Imphal (PTI): Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam on Tuesday said two persons were killed and five others injured in firing after a mob stormed a CRPF camp in Bishnupur district.
A large number of youths and women held a protest against the killing of two children in a bomb attack by suspected militants in Moirang Tronglaobi area earlier in the day, he said.
The protesters stormed the CRPF camp near Gelmol, a few 100 metres from the bomb attack site, burnt vehicles and vandalised properties there, he said.
"I had urged the protesters not to enter the CRPF camp and to allow security forces to focus on conducting an operation to apprehend those involved in the bomb attack," the minister said.
But the demonstrators did not pay heed to the appeal.
"They stormed the CRPF camp, burnt vehicles and vandalised portions of the camp, leading to firing by security personnel. They fired either in self-defence or in anger. Two persons, unfortunately, died in the firing, while five others sustained bullet injuries," the state home minister said.
