Siddaramaiah flags off 262 new ambulances under Arogya Kavacha - 108 scheme
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday flagged off 262 new modern, life-saving ambulances here to be inducted into the Arogya Kavacha-108 programme, under which people in need of emergency medical services vehicles can book these vehicles free of charge.
The Arogya Kavacha - 108 ambulance programme is run by the Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department. At an event marking the occasion on the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha here, Siddaramaiah said it is the government's goal to ensure that quality healthcare services are made available at all government hospitals.
The Chief Minister called upon doctors to treat poor people who come in "old and dirty clothes" with humanity.
"They must get good health care without discrimination," he said.
"The government is committed to providing quality healthcare to the people of the state. The 108 emergency ambulances have been provided to the health service so that no one loses their life without getting treatment.
"More than 840 ambulances are required in the state. Four ambulances are functioning in each taluk and are providing emergency health services to hundreds of people every day," he said.
The chief minister stressed the importance of primary emergency treatment in saving lives.
"Every district should have MRI scanning facility. Due to the high cost of services in private diagnostic centres, the poor are facing a lot of hardship. Thousands of people are applying for the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for this reason alone," Siddaramaiah said.
"Therefore, an environment is being created in the state where quality treatment is available in government hospitals. When good service is possible at Jayadeva Hospital, it is possible to provide the same quality service in other places," he stressed.
Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research (SJICR) is an autonomous healthcare institute run by the state government, known for providing quality medical care at affordable cost to all sections of society.
Stating that the government is working hard in that direction, he suggested that Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao focus more on North Karnataka, where more such services are needed.
According to officials, the 108-Arogya Kavacha - Emergency Ambulance Service was started in 2008-09 with 150 Ambulances. By 2014-15, based on the then population, the ambulance fleet size was increased to 710, out of which 555 were Basic Life Support (BLS) and 155 were Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances.
Presently, 484 Basic Life Support and 231 Advanced Life Support ambulances are operational in Karnataka, out of which 262 ambulances (105 ALS and 157 BLS) are being replaced in the existing fleet.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
