Karnataka govt releases Rs 571 cr for COVID-19 management
Bengaluru, Apr 22: Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Thursday said a total of Rs 571 crore is being released by the state government to various district administrations, including Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike for COVID-19 management, amid a spike in cases.
"Aimed at controlling the COVID-19 pandemic Rs 305 crore is being released to Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), they can use the amount for medicines and medical care, to make payment for labours hired on contract basis, for leasing marriage halls and others as facilities for quarantine and RT-PCR tests," Ashoka said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the money is immediately being released under the Revenue Department's Disaster Response Fund.
"Using this funds complaints regarding pending bills, delay in payment for contract workers among others can be resolved, and BBMP Commissioner has been given instructions to take immediate steps in this regard," he added.
Noting that a total of Rs 266 crore is being released to other district for COVID management, the minister said Kalaburagi is being alloted Rs 50 crore, Rs 15 crore for Bengaluru Rural and Bengaluru urban districts and Rs 10 crore each to Chamarajanagara, Davangere, Shivamogga, and Tumakuru among others.
Taking note of long queues at crematoriums in the city, Ashoka said that a 4-acre land in Tavarekere in Bengaluru will be opened for cremations of Covid-19 dead bodies.
"The land is ready... the land already has a cemetery...
it will be open from Friday and will function for two months... It can be used for cremation of 50-60 bodies daily as per traditions using fire wood, he said.
He also said the government has identified another 100- acre space, about three km from Tavarekere, where 50 bodies can be cremated daily.
"This will be ready in about two days.. so, in a day or two, everything will be fine," he added.
Aimed at relieving the pressure on crematoriums and burial grounds, Karnataka government on Wednesday had permitted cremation or burial of bodies of COVID-19 victims at the land or farm house owned by the family members or relatives of the deceased, by strictly adhering to the guidelines.
The Minister said the rush at crematoria and burial grounds in Bengaluru was due to people from nearby villages and towns.
"For the only reason of burning bodies, people are getting bodies to Bengaluru from hospitals located in a 15-20 km radius.
Thats why there is a burden. Rural Covid-19 patients from Magadi, Ramanagara, Channapatna and Devanahalli are coming to the city for hospitalisation," he added.
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India, China decide to resume Kailash Mansarovar Yatra
New Delhi, Jan 27 (PTI): India and China on Monday decided to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra as the two sides agreed to take certain people-centric steps to "stabilise and rebuild" ties.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said this following Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's talks with his Chinese counterpart Sun Weidong in Beijing.
It said the two sides also agreed in principle to resume direct air services between the two countries.
"As agreed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at their meeting in Kazan in October, the two sides reviewed the state of India-China bilateral relations comprehensively and agreed to take certain people-centric steps to stabilize and rebuild ties," the MEA said.
"In this context, the two sides decided to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in the summer of 2025," it said.
The MEA said the two sides also agreed to hold an early meeting of the India-China expert level mechanism to discuss resumption of provision of hydrological data and other cooperation pertaining to trans-border rivers.
It said the two sides agreed to take appropriate measures to further promote and facilitate people-to-people exchanges, including media and think-tank interactions.
"They agreed in principle to resume direct air services between the two countries; the relevant technical authorities on the two sides will meet and negotiate an updated framework for this purpose at an early date," the MEA said.
