Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday asked administrations of 10 districts with a high number of COVID-19 cases to work towards bringing down the mortality rate in the state to below one percent.
Amid a spike in cases, Yediyurappa on Thursday chaired a meeting with Deputy Commissioners, Zilla Panchayat CEOs, Police Superintendents and District Health officers of 10 districts in the state that have high positive cases, via video conferencing.
"Officials have shared information regarding the increase in the number of deaths and positive cases in districts.
Efforts are underway to control it as much as possible in the coming week.
We have asked officials to bring down the death rate to below 1 percent. There has been control in 5-6 districts, we have said that it should happen in other districts as well," Yediyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said officials are working day and night and they will take all the necessary measures to bring things further under control in the coming week.
"Pointing to the increase in cases in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a recent meeting has given certain suggestions and guidance regarding bringing it under control. In this context I have held interactions with officials from 10 districts," he added.
According to state COVID-19 war room data, the fatality rate in Karnataka stood at 1.4 percent.
Responding to a question about the reopening of schools, Yediyurappa said no discussion has taken place regarding opening schools in today's meeting, and a decision will be taken keeping the situation in mind and after taking consent from parents.
The CMO later in a statement said the CM has asked the officials to check the pandemic and bring down the death rate by identifying primary and secondary contacts of those infected, conducting target based testings, and giving necessary treatment to them.
Noting that people have to understand that wearing masks, sanitization, and maintaining social distancing is the medicine for this pandemic, he said officials have to make people understand that the imposition of a fine for not wearing a mask is part of creating awareness and the government has no other intentions.
The government had on Wednesday had said the fine amount for not wearing a face mask in public will be reduced to Rs 250 from Rs 1,000 in urban areas and Rs 100 from Rs 500 in rural areas, following public opposition and expert opinions.
The Chief Minister, who reviewed the death audit in the backdrop of rising in mortality rate in Dharwad district, issued directions to despatch a special team there, as he asked the officials to rectify shortcomings if any, and bring down the number of cases and death rate with the cooperation from everyone.
Observing that Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) has increased in the state, he gave instructions to bring it down and increase the number of RT-PCR tests.
To ascertain the deaths of patients within 72 hours of hospitalization, death audits have to be conducted, the release said adding that 50 percent of deaths have happened within 72 hours, so testing to identify infection is crucial.
The Chief Minister has issued directions to ensure control of the virus spread in rural areas and that the clinical protocols should be strictly followed.
Noting that it has been decided to organize Dasara in Mysuru this time in a simple way, he said the cases were on a rise in the district and asked the officials to send a separate report within a week's time.
All necessary protocols have to be followed during Dasara, and it should be encouraged to organize programs virtually.
As of October 7 evening, cumulatively 6.68 lakh COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 9,574 deaths and 5,42,906 discharges, the health department said in its bulletin.
Bengaluru Urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 2.62 lakh infections, followed by Mysuru 39,590 and Ballari 33,515.
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New Delhi (PTI): Left parties on Wednesday said the new bills that provide for the removal of the prime minister or chief ministers arrested on serious criminal charges, are a direct "assault" on democracy and the federal framework, and vowed to oppose it "tooth and nail".
The government plans to introduce three bills in Parliament on Wednesday for the removal of the prime minister, a Union minister, a chief minister or a minister of a state or Union Territory when arrested or detained on serious criminal charges for 30 days in a row
Flaying the move, CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby said on X that "Modi Govt's 3 bills to oust PM, CMs, Ministers after 30 days in custody expose its neo-fascist characteristics. This direct assault on our democracy will be opposed by CPIM tooth and nail. We urge all democratic forces to unite against this draconian move".
"These bills, cloaked as tackling crime in high office, reveal their true intent given the RSS-controlled Modi govt's history of undermining elected state govts. With SIR, they mark a blatant move to subvert our democracy. All democratic forces must resist," he said on X.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas called the bills "draconian".
"The new bill by Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, purportedly in the name of 'public interest, welfare, and good governance,' is, in reality, draconian and designed to destabilize opposition-led state governments while undermining India’s federal structure," Brittas said in a post on X.
"In an era marked by vindictive politics, where central agencies are deployed against opposition leaders, the provisions will be misused for ulterior motives," he said. The CPI(M) leader said the bill’s reference to “constitutional morality” contradicts its spirit, as it deviates from the established principle that disqualification and punishment should be tied to convictions by courts, not merely charges or arrests. "This principle is clearly enshrined in Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act (RPA). In today’s pernicious political climate, where individuals can be easily charged, arrested, and detained for extended periods, this legislation will be weaponised to target political opponents and erode democratic norms," he said.
CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said the bills will sound the "death knell" for federalism.
"Viewed together with the ongoing systematic subversion of the electoral system starting with the appointment of Election Commissioners to the relentless push for 'One Nation, One Election' system, this amendment will sound the death knell for federalism and parliamentary democracy in India," Bhattacharya said.
"Every state government opposed to the BJP's politics and policies will henceforth be rendered permanently destabilised and dysfunctional. Every NDA ally will be on tenterhooks to fall in line with the BJP," he said in a statement.
"The weaponisation of central agencies like ED, CBI, IT, NIA and the abuse of the Constitutional office of Governors in narrow partisan interest, a trend which has been seriously condemned on several occasions even by the Supreme Court, will now gain legal validity with the enactment of this bill," he added.
The three bills were approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday.
These bills are the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill 2025; the Constitution (One Hundred And Thirtieth Amendment) Bill 2025; and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2025. The Bills are likely to be referred to a committee of Parliament.