Karnataka bandh over Cauvery issue disrupts normal life in Bengaluru and southern parts of State
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka bandh called by the 'Kannada Okkoota' to oppose release of water to Tamil Nadu received a good response in Bengaluru and other southern parts of the State on Friday, disrupting normal life.
Authorities have clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code in Bengaluru Urban, Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagara, Ramanagara and Hassan districts, and declared a holiday for schools and colleges there.
'Kannada Okkoota' is an umbrella organsation of Kannada and farmers' outfits. A Bengaluru bandh was observed over the same reason on Tuesday.
Most of the shops, business establishments and eateries in Cauvery basin districts such as Mandya in southern part of the State downed their shutters. Private vehicles were off the roads in those areas.
The state-owned transport corporations operated very few buses in the southern districts fearing a backlash.
The bandh evoked a mixed response in other regions of the State.
Protestors set fire to a portrait of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin in the district headquarters town of Chitradurga.
The Kannada film industry has extended support to the bandh.
Theatres across the State have cancelled shows till evening, with the Karnataka Film Exhibitors Association backing the bandh.
Most of the information technology companies and other firms in Bengaluru have asked their employees to work from home.
Key market areas in Bengaluru such as Chikpet, Balepet and adjoining business areas wore a deserted look.
The Auto Rickshaw Drivers Union and Ola Uber Drivers and Owners Associations too have extended their support to the bandh.
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'Low-quality' catheters supplied to West Bengal govt hospitals at high price, probe ordered
Kolkata (PTI): The West Bengal health department has launched a probe into the supplies of allegedly low-quality and locally made catheters at a high price to several government hospitals, posing a risk to the lives of patients undergoing treatment in these facilities, officials said.
Such central venous catheters (CVCs) were allegedly supplied to at least five medical colleges and hospitals in the state, defying allocation of international standard-compliant CVCs, they said.
The distribution company, which has been accused of supplying these catheters to government hospitals, admitted to the fault but placed the blame on its employees.
"We started checking stocks some time back and found these locally made CVCs in my hospital store. These catheters are of low quality as compared to those allocated by the state. We have informed the state health department," a senior official of the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital told PTI.
Low-quality catheters were also found in the stores of other hospitals, which indicates "possible involvement of insiders in the scam", a health department official said.
The low-quality CVCs were supplied by a distributor in the Hatibagan area in the northern part of Kolkata for the last three to four months, he said.
"Such kinds of local CVCs are priced around Rs 1,500 but the distributor took Rs 4,177 for each device," the official said.
A CVC is a thin and flexible tube that is inserted into a vein to allow for the administration of fluids, blood, and other treatment. It's also clinically called a central line catheter.
"An initial probe revealed that the distribution company Prakash Surgical had supplied the low-quality and locally manufactured catheters to several government hospitals instead of the CVCs of the government-designated international company.
"All the units will be tested and a proper investigation is on to find out who benefited from these supplies," the health department official said.
The distribution company blamed its employees for the supply of inferior quality catheters.
"I was sick for a few months. Some employees of the organisation made this mistake. We are taking back all those units that have gone to the hospitals. It's all about misunderstanding," an official of the distribution company told PTI.
According to another state health department official, a complaint was lodged with the police in this connection.
Asked about how many patients were affected by the usage of such low-quality CVCs, the official said, "The probe would also try to find that out".
According to sources in the health department, some of the staff of the hospitals' equipment receiving departments and some local officials of international organisations might be involved in the alleged irregularities.
