Karnataka: Fresh guidelines issued for night curfew, weekend curfew; Details here
Regulations issued for marriages, funeral, religious places
Bengaluru: Karnataka government on Friday issued fresh guidelines to contain the COVID-19 pandemic during the festival season. The fresh guidelines will come into effect from 7 August 2021 and will remain in place until 16 August 2021.
According to the order issued by the Chief Minister, night curfew will continue to be imposed from 9 pm to 5 am across the state and weekend curfews will be imposed in Belagavi, Bidar, Vijaypura, Kalaburagi, Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Mysuru, and Chamrajnagara districts.
All the social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural-religious functions, and other gatherings and large congregation will be prohibited.
However, marriages, family functions are permitted to be continued to be conducted involving not more than 100 people strictly following COVID-19 appropriate behavior. Cremation/funerals allowed with a maximum of 20 people.
Places of worship Temples:
Mosques, Churches, Gurudwaras, and other religious places are allowed to open and related activities pertaining to the places of worship are permitted strictly adhering to COVID appropriate behavior.
However, Jathras, temple festivals, procession, and congregations are not allowed.
Weekend Curfew Guidelines:
All-State and Central Government offices and their Autonomous Bodies, Corporations, etc, dealing with an emergency, essential services, and COVID-19 containment and management duties shall be fully functional and officers/personnel of the same shall be allowed unrestricted movement.
Telecom, Internet Service providers, Companies dealing with emergencies and essential and services and requiring operations 24/7 shall be allowed movement on producing valid ID issued by the company.
Patients and their attendants/persons requiring emergency need, eligible people intending to take vaccination shall be allowed movement with minimal proof.
Shops groceries:
Shops dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, dairy and milk booths, and animal fodder and street vendors shall be allowed to function from 5 am to 2 pm.
Standalone liquor shops and outlets, take away only, allowed from 5 am to 2 pm. Home delivery of all items shall be encouraged 24x7 to minimize the movement of individuals outside their homes. Restaurants and eateries shall be allowed only for take-away and home delivery.
Train, Air travel:
Movement of trains and air travel is permitted. The movement of Public Transport, private vehicles, and taxis to and from airports, railway stations, and bus terminals/stops/stands is allowed for facilitating the movement of passengers by air, rail and road. The movement will be allowed only on displaying valid travel documents/tickets and strictly adhering to COVID appropriate behavior.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
