Unit to be formed to tackle fake news, stringent action against rioters: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, Feb 16: An Information Disorder Tackling Unit will be formed in collaboration with the Information Technology and Biotechnology department to take stringent action against those who create insecurity and fear in society by spreading fake news, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Friday.
Presenting the 2024-25 budget in the legislative assembly, the chief minister also said that the state government will initiate stringent action against those who engage in riots.
"As described by Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, our state Karnataka is a garden of peace for all communities," Siddaramaiah said. "For hundreds of years, people belonging to different religions, languages, cultures and communities have been living in harmony in this land. Therefore, our government will initiate stringent action against those who engage in riots in the name of caste, religion and language."
On the Information Disorder Tracking Unit, he said a special cell unit will be formed in the Home department which would be empowered to take suitable legal action against those who create insecurity and fear in society by spreading fake news.
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In the wake of increasing cases of fake news and other cybercrime cases, 43 CEN (Cyber, Economic and Narcotics) police stations will be upgraded with a view to strengthening cybercrime branch in the state to investigate and take effective action against those who deceive innocent people, the chief minister said.
Artificial intelligence software, baggage scanners and other state-of-the-art equipment will be procured at a cost of Rs five crore to ensure the smooth administration and security of all prisons of the state.
High-security prisons will be constructed in Shivamogga district at a cost of Rs 100 crore, he added.
To increase efficiency of the Fire and Emergency department, one per cent cess will be levied on property tax of newly constructed multistoried buildings according to the Karnataka Fire Force Act, 1964.
Under the Police Gruha-2025 scheme, 1,128 police quarters have been constructed so far and the construction work of 2,956 police quarters is under progress at a cost of Rs 800 crore. Rs 200 crore will be provided for the year 2024-25 for this project.
"Own buildings will be constructed for the police stations and offices that don't have buildings at a cost of Rs 30 crore, and necessary equipment and software will be provided to strengthen mobile forensic and audio-visual branch of Forensic Science Laboratories at the cost of Rs 10 crore," the CM added.
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Pakistan reports two more polio cases; Total tally now 52
ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.
The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.
Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.
