Govt to take decision on COVID curbs based on experts' report: CM Bommai
Bengaluru, Jan 27: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said the state government will review the COVID-19 situation soon, and take decisions regarding the curbs that are in place, after obtaining the experts' committee report in this connection.
He said the government is coming out with a book on its achievements so far, as it completes six months in office, tomorrow.
"We (Ministers) have discussed several issues including COVID situation, how to manage it in the days to come, representations given by various organisations (for relaxations), regarding the functioning of schools and colleges among others. We have referred it to the experts' committee," Bommai said.
Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting here, he said once we get the report from the experts' committee, a meeting will be held in about three or four days and certain decisions will be taken.
Last week, the state government had decided to lift the week-end curfew imposed in view of the spike in coronavirus infections, while deciding to continue the the night curfew between 10PM to 5AM everyday, and all other COVID curbs including 50 per cent capacity rules in cinema halls, pubs, clubs, restaurants, bars, hotels and eating places.
Noting that the Ministers after cabinet meeting, also discussed the upcoming Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections, the CM said it has been decided to conduct these polls successfully, whenever it happens, by deploying Ministers from other districts along with those from Bengaluru.
A decision was also taken to make preparations for Zilla and Taluk Panchayat elections.
Alluding to the completion of six months in office tomorrow, he said a book will be released on the achievements of his government so far.
Bommai said discussions were held on the programmes to be implemented until 2023 and publicise the work done during the last six months.
It has been decided that Ministers during the next one week through the media will inform people about the performance of their departments.
He further said that the meeting for coordination between the party (BJP) and the government that was postponed will be convened soon.
"We have discussed and decided to move ahead and work united," he added.
To a question regarding plans to meet the party high command in Delhi soon, he said he was in constant touch with the party leadership, and will pay a visit, if they call.
"Normally during the parliament session it is a practice for CM to hold a meeting with all MPs from the state in Delhi, there is a plan for such a meeting as well," he added.
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Kerala polls: Vijayan, Revanth Reddy trade barbs as campaigning ends
Kannur (Kerala)/Hyderabad (PTI): A war of words between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy turned acrimonious on Tuesday, the final day of campaigning for the April 9 Assembly polls.
The two leaders sparred on the virtual world as well, exchanging letters on their respective social media handles.
The escalation came after Vijayan, responding to Reddy's earlier remarks, used Malayalam expressions considered nearly derogatory, signalling strong disapproval of the Telangana CM's comments.
Reddy, campaigning for the UDF in Kollam district, hit back swiftly, likening Vijayan to PM Narendra Modi.
He said he would take any personal remarks from the senior leader as a "blessing" considering his age, but objected to what he described as insults directed at the people of Kerala. "But you cannot abuse our Kerala people," he said, hours before campaigning drew to a close.
The controversy began after Reddy had said "nee po mone Vijaya" by invoking a famous dialogue from superstar Mohanlal's blockbuster movie "Narasimham" while referring to Vijayan on April 1 during a UDF campaign roadshow in Nemom constituency.
Earlier in the day, while reacting to Reddy's earlier remarks, Vijayan said a CM must maintain basic standards of conduct and questioned whether such dignity was being followed.
In his response to a query, Vijayan used Malayalam words that were seen as nearly derogatory for Reddy, signalling his strong disapproval of the remarks made against him.
Sharply reacting to the CM's objectionable remarks, Congress leader V D Satheesan said Vijayan appeared to have "completely lost composure" and warned that any further deterioration in his conduct would have brought "greater embarrassment" to the state.
After the critical remarks during the press meet, Vijayan wrote on his 'X' handle that political differences are natural, but expressing strong disagreement through personally insulting remarks is an attitude that he rejects. Reddy's statements lacked factual backing.
In a detailed letter attached with the 'X' post addressing the Telangana CM, Vijayan said the experience of the people of Kerala was "vastly different" from what Reddy had portrayed.
He clarified that he did not intend to engage in a debate over the performance of the Telangana government, stating that it was for the people of Telangana and political parties there to assess their government.
Referring to Reddy's comments, Vijayan said the LDF government has been consistently publishing progress reports over the past 10 years on the implementation of its election promises, underlining its commitment to continuous accountability.
He also rejected the allegation of "selective appropriation" of Kerala's achievements, including its top ranking in the NITI Aayog SDG Index, and said such criticism was misplaced.
Dismissing claims of industrial stagnation, Vijayan said Kerala has made significant strides in the startup ecosystem and ease of doing business, adding that these achievements have been widely acknowledged.
He also alleged that key infrastructure projects in Kerala, including the Kochi Metro and Vizhinjam Port, faced delays under previous Congress-led governments at the Centre, while long-pending promises such as a railway coach factory remained unfulfilled.
Vijayan further accused the BJP-led Union government of discrimination against Kerala and said the state has been actively resisting what he described as "anti-federal and undemocratic" policies through legal and political means, including approaching the Supreme Court.
He also rejected Reddy's criticism that the LDF was not vocal enough against the BJP, asserting that Kerala has been at the forefront of defending constitutional values.
Concluding his letter, Vijayan reiterated the state government's commitment to building a "Nava Keralam" and moving forward as a model for others.
On April 1, while addressing party workers in Nemom, Reddy used the popular Malayalam film dialogue "Nee po mone Vijaya". He adapted it to target Vijayan, saying "Nee po mone Vijaya".
Reddy went further, claiming that Vijayan's "time is over" and that his "expiry date has passed".
Responding to these allegations, Vijayan had said that the Telangana CM was "misinformed" and accused him of "ridiculing" Kerala and its people while trying to hide the weaknesses of his own state.
In a later response, Reddy defended his remarks and said that many of the statistics cited by Vijayan were taken from the NITI Aayog SDG Index 2023 24, arguing that the data was already outdated.
Reddy in his letter questioned the veteran Marxist leader's claim that Kerala would become the first state to completely eradicate extreme poverty by late 2025 had been achieved. Further, he chooses to conduct himself respectfully and gracefully in his criticism of the Kerala government's performance, whereas Vijayan opted to use language of poor taste.
Reddy, in his letter on X, said that while he respects NITI Aayog's corruption rankings, he wants to know why the infamous gold smuggling case, linked to individuals connected to the CMO, remains unresolved, and why 4.5 kg of gold allegedly misappropriated from the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple has not been accounted for.
