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K’taka ministers to donate 1-yr salary for Covid relief
Bengaluru As Karnataka and its capital Bengaluru are battling the surging coronavirus cases in the second wave of the pandemic, state’s cabinet ministers have decided to donate a year’s salary each for Covid-19 relief work in the state
Bengaluru
As Karnataka and its capital Bengaluru are battling the surging coronavirus cases in the second wave of the pandemic, state’s cabinet ministers have decided to donate a year’s salary each for Covid-19 relief work in the state.
R Ashok, Karnataka’s revenue minister, on Thursday said, “All of us ministers in Karnataka have decided to donate one year of our salary for Covid relief work.”
It has come at a time when Karnataka is currently under lockdown-like restrictions, which have added to the acute fund-crunch in the state to fight the raging pandemic, which is expected to peak in the first week of May.
“Chief Minister advised to donate one year salary of ministers and one month salary of legislators,” according to a statement by the chief minister’s office on Thursday.
Bengaluru has over 237,518 active Covid-19 cases as the city reported 19,637 new infections on Thursday, including 143 fatalities, according to government data.
Karnataka clocked 35,024 new cases on Thursday with 270 fatalities, taking its active case count to 349,496 and death toll to 15,306.
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday held a meeting with all senior officials of districts, other than Bengaluru, and directed that appropriate measures be taken to contain the surge in their respective regions.
“All hospitals should conduct audit of oxygen and remdisivir vials. Chief Minister directed to ensure judicious usage of oxygenated beds, ventilators and remdisivir, which should be given only to the needy,” the CMO said in a statement.
Ashok said that around ₹266 crore was released to districts other than Bengaluru to pay salaries and buy any equipment required to tackle the Covid situation.
While Bengaluru remains the most impacted region in the state, and one of the worst hit in India, the situation continues to deteriorate in other parts of Karnataka.
On Thursday, there were 1,129 new infections in Bengaluru Rural, 1,175 in Dakshina Kannada, 939 in Mandya, 957 in Kalaburagi, 1,219 in Mysuru and 1,195 in Tumakuru, according to the daily bulletin of the state health department. Haveri, about 332 km from Bengaluru, reported the lowest number of cases with 111, data shows.
Karnataka has imposed lockdown-like restrictions for 14 days, scheduled to end on May 12 as a last-ditch attempt to bring down the surge and pressure on the already inadequate healthcare infrastructure in the state.
“Even after the 14-day curfew, people’s movement has not come down. The corona chain has to be cut and if it does not happen… then we might have to extend it for a few more days,” Ashok said.
