Health dept appointments, transfers done through counselling to curb corruption: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Asserting that curbing corruption in appointments and transfers is his government’s clear objective, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said all recruitments and transfers in the Health Department are being carried out strictly through counselling to ensure transparency.
He warned newly appointed candidates against approaching anyone for transfers and cautioned them about growing menace of transfer agents.
“All these recruitments are being done through counselling. The government’s objective is to eliminate corruption,” he said underlining the government’s stand on transparency in appointments.
Noting that even transfers were being streamlined, he said, “Through counselling, we have carried out around 5,700 transfers, including doctors — that is, we have transferred 5,700 doctors through counselling. Likewise, these new appointments have also been made through counselling so that corruption does not take place in transfers and recruitments.”
According to Siddaramaiah, everything is being done through counselling, and hence people should not approach anyone seeking transfers. "Do not go to anyone. Agents have started operating — transfer agents. They demand money and also try to get money paid to officials. No one should engage in such practices hereafter.”
The Chief Minister said he was sharing his experience.
“I have worked for more than 40 years as a Minister, MLA, Leader of the Opposition, and Chief Minister. Earlier this problem was not so prevalent, but now it is increasing,” he said.
He was speaking at a programme 'Abhaya Hasta' organised by the Department of Health and Family Welfare to distribute appointment letters to newly recruited candidates.
About 1,000 candidates received appointment letters and joined the department.
“I have symbolically distributed the appointment letters. Around 1,000 people are today receiving their appointment letters and joining the Department of Health and Family Welfare. I extend my congratulations and best wishes to all those who have been newly appointed,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of the department, he said, “Your appointment to the Health and Family Welfare Department is not merely for a profession or a job. This department serves the people. It also works to prevent diseases. You must always remember that you are the ones who help save lives.”
Referring to vacant posts, he said the government had assured people after returning to power that vacancies would be filled in a phased manner.
More than 2.5 lakh posts are vacant. These will be filled in stages, he said, adding that special focus was being given to Education, Health and Police departments, which he described as essential services.
Highlighting the spirit of public service, he said, “You have chosen to join the Health Department to serve with humanity. There is no place for caste or religion here — only humanity."
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5.8 magnitude quake hits Afghanistan killing 8
Kabul (AP): An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 rattled parts of northern and eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan late Friday, killing at least eight people in Afghanistan, authorities said.
The region is highly seismically active, and quakes have caused thousands of deaths in recent years. Friday's earthquake had an epicentre in the Hindu Kush mountain range, about 150 kilometres (90 miles) east of the Afghan city of Kunduz, according to the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center and the US Geological Survey.
Hafizullah Basharat, a spokesman for the Kabul governor, said eight people were killed and a child was injured when a house collapsed on the outskirts of the capital. He said all were members of the same family.
Kabul is roughly 290 kilometres (180 miles) southwest of the epicentre. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from areas closer to the epicentre. The area is remote, and it can often take several hours before local authorities can relay information back to Kabul.
With the epicentre at a depth of over 180 kilometers, the quake jolted a wide swath of Afghanistan and Pakistan. In Pakistan, it was felt in the cities and towns of Islamabad, Peshawar, Chitral, Swat and Shangla, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries in Pakistan.
Afghanistan's Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said Kabul and provincial health authorities had been put on alert.
Last August, a 6.0 earthquake that struck a remote, mountainous part of eastern Afghanistan killed more than 2,200 people, levelling villages and trapping people under rubble. Most casualties were in Kunar province, where people typically live in wood and mud-brick houses along steep valleys.
In November, a 6.3 earthquake struck Samangan province in northern Afghanistan, killing at last 27 people and injuring more than 950. It also damaged historical sites, including Afghanistan's famed Blue Mosque in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, and the Bagh-e-Jahan Nama Palace in Khulm.
On Oct 7, 2023, a 6.3 quake followed by strong aftershocks in western Afghanistan killed thousands of people.
Impoverished Afghanistan often faces difficulty in responding to natural disasters, especially in remote regions. Many homes in rural and outlying areas are made from mud bricks and wood, with many poorly built.
M5.9 earthquake strikes Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region in Badakhshan. Widely reported at 08:42 pm, depth 171 km. No immediate casualty or damage reports from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, India or nearby areas. #sismo pic.twitter.com/Lhddad9Uwr
— GeoTechWar (@geotechwar) April 3, 2026
