Karnataka seeks central assistance to raise the number of oxygenated beds and oxygen plants
Bengaluru, Jan 13: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday sought central assistance to raise the number of oxygenated beds and oxygen plants in the state.
Bommai sought the assistance today while taking part in a video conference held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chief Ministers of various states over the COVID-19 situation in the country.
"I explained the measures taken by the state government to control and manage Covid. The Prime Minister appreciated the high rate of testing and vaccination in the state which is higher than the national average," the CM was quoted as saying by his office in a release.
Noting that the PM was also apprised about measures initiated to ramp up the medical infrastructure, he said, "I sought the central assistance to raise the oxygenated beds and oxygen plants."
The Prime Minister gave instructions on making all preparations based on the experience of the first and second wave of Covid, as the pandemic is expected to peak in February, the CM said.
During the third wave over 94 per cent infected are in home isolation, and therefore the Prime Minister wanted to give priority to ensuring supply of medicines, appropriate care and measures to instill a sense of confidence among the infected, he said.
Further Bommai said, the Union government has suggested ramping up testing, purchase of ambulances and improving medical infrastructure under the Rs 32,000 crore package it has provided.
"The union government has provided Rs 32,000 crore for states after the second wave to raise the health infrastructure. Many states have so far not utilised it. States too need to chip in with their own share of resources to improve the health infrastructure like ICU, Oxygen plants, oxygenated plants and purchase ambulances to make best use of the project," he said.
According to the release, Modi appreciated the 5T plan of Testing, Tracking, Tracing, Triaging and Technology adopted by the state government to control COVID, and also praised the use of technology for monitoring the health of those in home isolation.
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Bypoll results will decide the future of Congress in Karnataka: BJP leader Ashoka
Bengaluru (PTI): Leader of Opposition BJP in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka said the results of the bypolls in Davanagere South and Bagalkote assembly constituencies will decide the future of the ruling Congress in the state.
The bypolls were necessitated following the demise of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, who represented Davanagere South and Bagalkote constituencies respectively.
The ruling Congress has fielded Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s grandson and Karnataka Minister S S Mallikarjun’s son Samarth Shamanur in Davanagere South and Umesh Meti in Bagalkote, who are locked in a direct contest with BJP candidates T Dasakariyappa and Veerabhadrayya Charantimath.
According to Ashoka, there is a contest between the poor and the rich in the upcoming bypolls, scheduled on April 9.
"The Congress will lose this election, and the future of the state will be decided. Since Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said ‘Make the poor win’, the BJP has fielded poor candidates,” the BJP leader said in a press conference.
In Davanagere, the BJP has given a ticket to an ordinary person, whereas Congress has given tickets to powerful and influential people. In Bagalkote, there is a very good opinion about the BJP candidate, he claimed.
According to him, the Congress has given space to dynastic politics in both places. Therefore, the BJP has a strong chance of winning in both constituencies.
The LoP said if the Congress candidate wins in Davanagere, it is understood that Muslims will not get opportunities in the future, and therefore, Muslims are opposing the Congress party.
He also charged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who talks about uniting backward classes, has not given a ticket to backward class candidates.
