Bangalore news live: BBMP wraps up 60% of Covid vaccination survey

Mysuru: The famous Hindu pilgrim centre of Sri Male Mahadeshwara Swamy Temple in Hanur taluk in Chamarajanagar district has received donations of Rs 1.48 crore cash from hundi collection in 28 days. The counting of the donations collected in the hundis were held at the commercial building near the bus stand atop the Male Mahadeshwara Temple Hills from 7 am to 9 pm on Thursday.

With the Centre gearing up for Phase 2 of vaccination for elders and those above 45 years with comorbidities from March 1, BBMP is preparing the ground for the massive drive. “We have completed over 60% of the door-to-door survey and we’ll complete detailed lists of all beneficiaries this weekened,” said a health official. “Nearly 30% of the 1.3 crore population in Bengaluru has comorbidities.”

With just three days to go for the nationwide launch of Covid-19 vaccination for senior citizens and those above 45 years with comorbidities, Karnataka is clueless about the modalities. It’s estimated that 1.3 crore to 1.5 crore persons in the state, above 45 years, will be vaccinated. On Thursday, the state health and family welfare department met private hospitals and discussed their support.

As many as 51 professional institutions from Karnataka figure among Top 100 in their respective categories published by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), the system introduced by the ministry of education, for the year 2020. The state fares well in the universities ranking too.

Karnataka government is considering allotting land to industrial projects through a lease-cum-sale agreement of 10 years instead of the current 99 years. Government is hoping to draw more private investment to tier-2 and 3 cities with this decision.

Deputy CM and transport minister Laxman Savadi on Thursday said a hike in BMTC fares is under consideration. “There is a proposal to revise fares... This is also to reduce losses suffered during Covid-19. But a final decision will be taken by the CM,” he said.

Two days after six employees of a quarry died in an explosion in Chikkaballapur district, police on Thursday said the blast may have been triggered when the victims sought to throw gelatin sticks into a fire to destroy them. The driver hired to transport the gelatin sticks told investigators that he overheard a conversation between the six men discussing their plan to destroy the material in fire.