Deve Gowda bats for free Covid vaccine to the poor

News Network
December 5, 2020

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Bengaluru, Dec 5: Lauding the Union government's efforts to get the Covid vaccine rolled out early, former Prime Minister and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda on Friday said the vaccine should be given for free to the poor and at affordable rates to the majority of the people.

"The Covid vaccine should be given for free to the poor, who are economically weak and its cost should be made affordable for the majority of the people across the country," Deve Gowda said in a statement.

Gowda, 87, who also participated in the all-party meeting vaccine distribution held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day through video conference, said the Central government should bear the cost of the vaccination programme across the country.

"I am glad to know that the Prime Minister had recently reviewed the advances made by some drug firms in getting the Covid vaccine ready soon. The stock-taking was essential to give hope and confidence to the people who have been trapped for months by the pandemic," asserted Gowda.

Modi on November 28 visited Zydus Cadila in Ahmedabad, Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad and Serum Institute of India in Pune to take stock of vaccine development.

Deve Gowda, who was the country's Prime Minster in 1996-97, got elected to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka in June.

Noting that the transportation and storage of the vaccine would pose a major challenge to the stakeholders, Deve Gowda suggested the formation of a high-level team to coordinate the timely delivery of the vaccine to the people across the country.

"The coming weeks should be treated with great care to ensure Covid cases do not spiral out of control and put the healthcare system under stress. Hopes of a vaccine cannot be a basis to throw caution to the wind," he said.

Deve Gowda also suggested that the high-level team should directly report to the Prime Minister's Office and create a network of medical volunteers right from the panchayat level, which is the basic governance unit in the country.

The JD-S supremo suggested that the Union government should rope in the IITs in converting any room into a cold storage with an assembly unit to store the Covid vaccine for long term, as its distribution and administration will take months.

Gowda also wanted to know if the government would buy the vaccine from other countries due to capacity constraints in making the drug in huge quantity for inoculating over 100 billion people across the country.

"Should we allow Phase 3 vaccine trials more time to assess its efficacy and safety? How many people are we going to vaccinate in the first round," Gowda had asked the Prime Minister during the interaction earlier in the day.

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News Network
January 8,2025

Bengaluru: In a sweeping anti-corruption operation, the Karnataka Lokayukta conducted simultaneous raids on the properties of eight government officials across eight districts on Wednesday. The raids, part of ongoing investigations into disproportionate assets cases, targeted over 20 locations linked to these officials.

According to Lokayukta sources, the coordinated operation spanned Bengaluru, Mandya, Bidar, Belagavi, Tumakuru, Gadag, Ballari, and Raichur. Properties of the following officials were under scrutiny:

Shobha – Joint Commissioner, Bengaluru Transport Department

S. N. Umesh – Health and Family Welfare Officer, Kadur

Ravindra – Inspector, Minor Irrigation and Groundwater Development Sub-Division, Bidar

Prakash Sridhar Gaikwad – Tahsildar, Khanapur

S. Raju – Retired RTO Officer, Tumakuru

Huchesh alias Huchappa – Assistant Executive Engineer, Gadag Municipality

R. H. Lokesh – Welfare Officer, Backward Class Department, Ballari

Huliraja – Junior Engineer (Electric), Raichur

Lokayukta officials are thoroughly examining documents, assets, cash, and other valuables found during the raids.

This operation is the Lokayukta’s first major crackdown in 2025. Notably, on December 12, the watchdog had unearthed disproportionate assets worth Rs 48.55 crore in raids on properties belonging to 10 government officials.

The Lokayukta’s intensified efforts signal its commitment to curbing corruption and ensuring accountability among government officials.

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News Network
January 7,2025

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Mangaluru: A tragic road accident claimed the life of a young medical store owner on Monday, January 6, near Tiblapadavu, Natekallu, located on the outskirts of the city.

The victim, identified as 25-year-old Ausaf, was the proprietor of Hajira Medicals and the son of Jaleel, a resident of Derlakatte. 

The unfortunate incident unfolded as Ausaf was riding his bike from Derlakatte toward Tiblapadavu. Upon approaching a divider near Tiblapadavu, a lorry made a sudden turn, resulting in a collision between the motorbike and the rear of the lorry. Ausaf succumbed to his injuries on the spot.

Having completed his education a few years ago, Ausaf had taken up the responsibility of managing Hajira Medicals at Derlakatte Junction. He was well-known in his community for his dedication and service.

Authorities at the Mangaluru South Traffic Police Station have registered a case, and CCTV footage capturing the incident is under review. The tragic loss has left the local community in shock, mourning the untimely demise of a promising young entrepreneur. 

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News Network
January 7,2025

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New Delhi, Jan 7: Fifty-three people were killed after an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 hit Tibet near the Nepalese border today, news agency AFP said quoting Chinese media Xinhua. The tremors of the earthquake were felt in several parts of India, including Bihar, Assam and West Bengal.

The epicentre of the earthquake was in Tingri county in Shigatse city. Tingri is about 400 km southwest of Tibet's capital Lhasa and is on the border with Nepal. It is a tourism hub for those visiting Mount Everest. 

According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake was recorded at 6:35 am. NCS data reveals that two more earthquakes hit the region shortly after the first one. 

The second earthquake of magnitude 4.7 was recorded at 7:02 am at a depth of 10 km and the third earthquake of magnitude 4.9 at 7:07 am at a depth of 30 km. 

Nepal is nestled in a geologically active region, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, forming the Himalayas and making earthquakes a frequent occurrence. In 2015, nearly 9,000 people died and more than 22,000 were injured when a 7.8-magnitude quake struck Nepal, destroying more than half a million homes.

The tremors were particularly felt in Bihar where people were seen outside their houses and apartments. There have been no reports of any damage to property because of the earthquake.

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